Hello everyone,
I am 66 years old never had sleep issues until about 8 months ago and it is driving me crazy.
It's 7:13 am and I am very sleepy but afraid to go to sleep. I believe that I am afraid of being unable to breathe due to sleep apnea and I am also afraid to use the mask because it heightens my anxiety. I feel like just crying my eyes out. Now my chest is hurting like I am about to have a heart attack. What can I do?
Hello,
How are you doing right now? Have you been able to slow your breathing down? Feel less anxiety? We can talk about this if you wish. I'm 62 years old and wear a CPAP.
Hi. I'm sorry to hear that you have this problem. I'm the same age as you and have been using a CPAP machine, with a nose mask, for about 15 years. It took me a while to get used to it and, early on, a few nights I got into a rage with it and threw the mask off in temper. Since then I have learned to accept it and now regard it as my best friend. I even take it on camping trips, I have a fairly portable model which will run off a 12V battery. It seems like you have an anxiety issue more than a physical one and maybe a therapist could help there? It's a case of believing that the machine is there to help and support you and accepting it rather than fighting it.
I do hope you manage to resolve your fears as it must be very upsetting for you.
Kind regards Malcolm
It is horrible & you can become very anxious when first using it as it took me a long time to get used to it.
I was diagnosed in 2016 with severe Mixed sleep apnoea & was first given a CPAP by the sleep clinic, this made it much worse, it turned out it was the 'Central' apnoea which a CPAP does make worse. This is the type where you stop breathing & your brain doesn't tell you to wake up.
Once swapping the CPAP for an ASV machine, I soon went from an average of 80x per hour, down to around 5.
Now though I rarely get anything above 1 per hour, often 0 or 0.1, 0.2 etc. So I should be classed as not having it anymore. I believe it was down to the massive amounts of opiates my Dr prescribed me for my back.
One thing I did notice though, was that the mask would only last a short time before it made things worse, & I'd end up ripping the mask off my face. I got a new mask & it improved again.
Can you talk to your sleep clinic to explain your anxieties? I'm sure they will help.
Good luck
I am talking to the doctor tomorrow about CPAP. It sounds awful. Can we live without it?
Well I should be classed as no longer having sleep apnoea as the type I had was caused by opiates as Opiates supress breathing & I am no longer on Opiates. I suppose it depends on the type. Central, obstructive or mixed. I'm sure your Dr will refer you & then you should have a sleep study done by the sleep clinic.
Good luck
Thanks you
I am in Jamaica visiting, I went to the marujuana shop to inquire about something that would make me sleep and help with my anxiety. They gave me CD oil with thc, it 1000mg and I need to put it in coconut oil 10 ml to 1 mI of cd oil annd take about 1ml for sleep and anxiety.
I am really afraid to take it because I dont want anything to make me feel weird. Has anyone taken this for anxiety and sleep?
No, sorry, no experience with legal thc. I'd be very very careful...research the manufacturer...it could be made anywhere, in any country, with no quality control...and the kind of results this particular thc product is reported to have in other people. If your research shows no good results are available then I wouldn't use the product at all.
This is all unofficial hearsay and please remember I am not a doctor nor an official in this field. I'm just giving you my common sense opinion. I am not recommending this product. Please take care of yourself today and always! You are worth it! 😌
Decided not to try it...too much risk.
Last year when i was diagnosed with severe SA I had to insist on nose cushions as i'm really claustrophobic but the results weren't great 68 ph down to 17 ph so the consultant insisted I wore a mask. I hated it as it wasn't so much the claustrophobia but the pain on the bridge of my nose, I then tried a really cheap chinstrap with the nose cushions and bingo down to 3-4! I then got a better more comfortable chinstrap but then things went all wrong and all it was the elasticity of the nose cushion strap , apparently they only have a 6 months lifespan, got a new one and back on track. I have since purchased a new airfit 30 resmed small mask as a back up and its really good!
Help please
Atypical Sleep Disorder?
Desperate for help - possible narcolepsy 
sleep Anxiety
