seconding this. i felt so goofy the first night i wore the mask and used the machine but when i woke up the next morning and felt the difference in how rested i was, i was like ‘… i am never not using this thing again.’
i’ve been a pretty consistent user for the last six or seven years now. no regrets.
re: travel; unironically bring the whole damn thing. They make travel bags you can put it into. I believe you can get discounts/waived fees for medical equipment on planes with you though I have never tried that personally. ‘travel’ cpaps exist, but I have never used them and since I bought my machine outright and don’t travel much I am not going to spend the money to buy a secondary unit, haha.
re: noise; the masks are actually totally silent if they fit properly. there is a moment or two of noise before you put it on and after you take it off, but when it is on you don’t hear anything. I was surprised by that too.
re: bulk of mask; the masks are super lightweight. they have this little… cushion thing where the face meets the mask itself, and it is very comfortable. i am honestly not bothered by it at all. there’s this swivel arm thing at the base of the mask where the hose attaches, and so you essentially have free range of motion without having to worry about snagging the hose. it’s great.
the main issue i have had with the mask is when the cushion starts wearing out and i have to adjust the tensions on the mask harness. i tend to crank it down too tightly and then i make my face uncomfortable. this is all easily remedied by just replacing the cushion thing like you’re supposed to, of course. 😂
if you are reluctant and are going through insurance, why not see what they are willing to cover and just giving it a try if they do cover everything? worst case scenario you send it back.
Oh, I didn’t answer the ‘do you ever feel dependent on it’.
I fall asleep without it every now and again and I can FEEL the difference when I wake up afterward. I feel physically more sluggish and unrested.
Am I capable of not using it and surviving? Yep. I do it all the time (usually not intentionally), but the after effects of not using it (of getting a reminder of what I feel like when I am not using it) get me right back on the wagon.
Getting a CPAP. It’s made such a huge difference. If you snore loudly, get a sleep study done!
seconding this. i felt so goofy the first night i wore the mask and used the machine but when i woke up the next morning and felt the difference in how rested i was, i was like ‘… i am never not using this thing again.’
i’ve been a pretty consistent user for the last six or seven years now. no regrets.
What do you do when traveling? Do you ever feel dependent on it?
What about the noise and bulk of the mask?
I’m a border case if I need or not. And I’m reluctant to make the jump.
re: travel; unironically bring the whole damn thing. They make travel bags you can put it into. I believe you can get discounts/waived fees for medical equipment on planes with you though I have never tried that personally. ‘travel’ cpaps exist, but I have never used them and since I bought my machine outright and don’t travel much I am not going to spend the money to buy a secondary unit, haha.
re: noise; the masks are actually totally silent if they fit properly. there is a moment or two of noise before you put it on and after you take it off, but when it is on you don’t hear anything. I was surprised by that too.
re: bulk of mask; the masks are super lightweight. they have this little… cushion thing where the face meets the mask itself, and it is very comfortable. i am honestly not bothered by it at all. there’s this swivel arm thing at the base of the mask where the hose attaches, and so you essentially have free range of motion without having to worry about snagging the hose. it’s great.
the main issue i have had with the mask is when the cushion starts wearing out and i have to adjust the tensions on the mask harness. i tend to crank it down too tightly and then i make my face uncomfortable. this is all easily remedied by just replacing the cushion thing like you’re supposed to, of course. 😂
if you are reluctant and are going through insurance, why not see what they are willing to cover and just giving it a try if they do cover everything? worst case scenario you send it back.
Oh, I didn’t answer the ‘do you ever feel dependent on it’.
I fall asleep without it every now and again and I can FEEL the difference when I wake up afterward. I feel physically more sluggish and unrested.
Am I capable of not using it and surviving? Yep. I do it all the time (usually not intentionally), but the after effects of not using it (of getting a reminder of what I feel like when I am not using it) get me right back on the wagon.