Starting CPAP Therapy

If you've just started using CPAP therapy, congratulations. You have taken an important step toward improving your health for the years to come. Success means sleeping better and getting more enjoyment out of waking hours, and it can also mean lowering blood pressure and treating the symptoms associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Successful CPAP users report feeling improvements in:

• energy and motivation
• job performance
• mood
• alertness while driving
• sexual drive and performance
• quality of life.

However, a failure to use CPAP therapy will cause symptoms to return and may increase your risk for conditions linked to untreated sleep apnea, including hypertension (high blood pressure), stroke, and congestive heart failure.

Adjusting to CPAP Therapy

CPAP users have very different experiences adjusting to therapy.

For some people, it's an instant success. Once they use their devices, they never sleep without them. For others, adjusting to the mask and the air pressure requires time and effort.

Getting used to the mask and air pressure

If you have feelings of claustrophobia or difficulty wearing your mask for the whole night, try to increase the time you use your system each night. For instance, you might try using therapy while watching television or listening to the radio. If you are able to distract your attention from the mask and air pressure, you will take your first step toward relaxing into your therapy at bedtime.

Feeling unattractive

Many people worry about their appearance while using CPAP therapy, and this makes perfect sense. The bedroom is where we are supposed to be our most sensual and attractive, but that is difficult when you're wearing a plastic mask with an air tube.

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