I wasn't aware it was possible to die from apnea - does the body not wake itself up when oxygen drops?

The way I got it explained was that it's the heart that can't handle the stress the lack of repeatedly not getting enough oxygen causes. The damage it has done to my heart before I got diagnosed is also not reversible, the goal is to not let it get worse, stay healthy, etc. I've been a patient for over 8 years, lost a lot of weight, didn't help, so for me it's imperative that I can see my own data and grasp what is going on. As to answer your question, yes and no, you don't really wake up but your deep sleep gets interrupted which causes you never to feel rested, especially if you have a severe case, like more than 30 AHI per hour (like me).

I'm very curious about the answer to this. I would expect the answer to be "yes." The current fad in alternative health groups is to tape your mouth shut while sleeping in order to improve sleep quality. I haven't heard of anyone dying yet even though it sounds pretty scary.

What were your symptoms and what kind of difference do you feel now?

The primary symptoms are snoring and fatigue.

How much fatigue though? I'm often tired but I've gotten used to it and can go through my day.

Ever fallen asleep on the shitter? Or just suddenly out of nowhere an extremely strong urge to sleep?

I fell asleep in the middle of conversations a couple of times...

This could be sleep apnea. Do you snore a lot or have people noticed not breathing for periods during your sleep, causing you to wake up? Ask an SO or something to keep an eye out if you can and tell you if they notice it.

For me, I'd crash straight after work one day a week, I just couldn't last till the evening (I work an office job, so no physical tiredness). Also, I recall driving on a highway was terrible, I'd start nodding off after 10mins.

Does it bother you at all while sleeping?

I'm a picky sleeper and I was dreading the CPAP. Now I love it. Sure, the hose can get in the way, but on the flip side I can breathe while fully under the covers and I never have to smell my farts!

I never even considered this option, a whole new world awaits me

Not once you find the right mask and get used to the constant pressure. It is truly life changing in terms of energy level and your own health. I switched from a full face mask, which leaked air to nasal pillows (resmed P10) and I am happy.

I really struggle with this 5 years in... I open my mouth when I sleep, probably because of adenoids (had them removed twice, keep growing back), so I can't use nose pillows/masks, and the full face mask leaks badly as my bottom jaw is smaller than usual when compared to the top one. I though about chin straps, but my damn head is too big for most of them...

CPAP user here. It's a matter of adjusting to the treatment and setting up the gear correctly. Both can take time. It's worth it.

I just started a about a month ago, and let me share my experiences that I don't see others report often in response to this question.

(The responses are out there, but they are harder to find)

There are many "masks" available - from covering the face to a nose mask to a tube under the nose (like an oxygen, but with a much fatter tube, including running up the sides of the face to the 1-1.5 inch diameter tube that runs to the machine). I'm using that latter, and I've been struggling.

If I'm sitting the mask is comfortable and I can tune it out unless I speak or breath through my mouth (it tries to prevent that with airflow, which is uncomfortable but not painful).

BUT if I'm trying to sleep there is nothing to distract me and I'm very aware of the tubes. It's hard to relax and breathe effortlessly - I feel like I'm breathing very deliberately, which in turn keeps me awake. I sleep on my side, which doesn't work at all - I either squish the side "tubes" (they are flat silicone-ish) which cuts off air, or I hang off the side of the pillow enough to not put that much weight on it, but then the sound of air rushing through the tube alongside my ear is very audible.

I'm training myself to sleep on my back with pillows built into an armchair-like support, but it's slow going changing a lifetime habit. On my back, the only issue is the forced focus on breathing. Oh, and staying on my back of course.

I also still wake up at times with the feeling that I can't breathe, but the air is flowing. I don't think it's mental, because it continues ( I can feel the air blowing from other places, but it's not getting into my lungs until I adjust the nose piece, sometimes it takes several times. Other times I wake up to discover I've removed the mask in my sleep.

So basically, for the past 23 nights, I've been unable to fall asleep until I'm exhausted. My wife might as well be in a different bed - no snuggles as an option. I only get 5-6 hours of sleep before waking (usually due to that feeling of not breathing), at which point I'm rested enough to not be able to fall asleep with it on again.

It DOES make a difference - the english language doesn't have the words, but I end up feeling much more energetic, but still tired (because 5-6 hours of sleep that only starts when I'm exhausted). Many of the praises I was promised (unasked!) haven't manifested (at least not yet): no noticeable change in my hunger, focus, anxiety, depression, general health, or bedroom-focused activities...just more feeling of physical energy. After being tired for most of my adult life, the energy is a nice change, but I'm still tired and was really hoping for the effort to improve some of my issues to be reduced to what seems like normal-person levels.

Digging deeper in my research, I've found many of these symptoms are common and it can take several months to adjust everything. Some users report that it never really gets better, others report that it changed their life and they swear by it up and down.

My follow-up with the doctor is still 3 weeks away, and who knows what he'll say, but getting this far in the process has taken literal months (4 months now) mostly waiting for appointments, with some waiting for test results. The insurance was (and is) a complication (despite being told repeatedly by multiple parties involved that my insurance is very good) and honestly, if you can afford it, I'd recommend looking into the ~$2K for the machine+accessories out of pocket so you can skip some steps and focus on actually getting the machine. I'm sure the months of waiting to even get to use it did not help the let down I've felt in the results to date.

It will take a while for you to adjust. Fortunately, I think I adjusted pretty quickly. Still, I get what you mean by the tubes proving troublesome for sleeping.

I need to have them properly set up so that I am not disturbed by it during the night. Sometimes they can slip off the mattress and dangle from the side of the bed and pull on the mask - a definite recipe for waking up. Being worried about sleeping on the tube and squishing it is also a worry that can break my sleep, as those things are so damn expensive.

Side note from my own experience - Quality of sleep is dramatically improved, but it is still exhausting to have a few consecutive nights of less than 7 hours of sleep.

7+ hours (for me) with CPAP is perfect for a nice, energetic day.

If it makes you feel any better, I've read that most people require 4-5 different masks before they find one that works well for them. Usually there's a 30 day trial period on each mask so if it's leaking or not working for your sleep position, take them up on your free replacement mask.

Not sure how your AHI is but I need to be under 3 (and no leaks) to feel "great". Some people can self titrate to 0, but I'm not one of those lucky ones. Best I've ever hit was 2.0, but it was like night and day from my usual 4-5.

Good luck!

Thanks for posting your experience.

I use a full face mask (Resmed thing). It has one hose connected to the center of the mask. I'm able to sleep on either side (side sleeper by preference). My pillow doesn't interact with the centrally-located hose.

I'm more concerned if it bothers your sleeping partner.

My partner uses a CPAP machine (possibly not a "modern" one... it's 3-4 years old I believe). It's tolerable, but not great.

Cuddling is not really possible once the machine is on. It makes some noise which I've mostly adjusted to, but sometimes it gets significantly louder for a while, waking me up or keeping me awake unless I put earplugs in. Occasionally it blows air on me (not sure if the mask is leaking or what), and I have to rearrange blankets to block it before I can get back to sleep.

Every mask I've ever used automatically vented air by design. (Which yes, is really awful WRT cuddling.)

My SO won’t sleep in the same room as me without my CPAP.

Modern machines are very quiet. My wife says it doesn't bother her at all.

And even if the machine made any noise, my snore is louder. :)

My wife loves mine. Makes me stop snoring. She doesn't like the comfortable masks because they leak more (which makes a rushing noise).

She'll wake me up and make me wear it if I don't.