How to Deal With Bad CPAP Experiences

I’ve been using a CPAP machine for several years now, but it’s not been all sunshine and roses. I’ve had several poor experiences with my CPAP machines. Here’s how I dealt with those problems and how you can overcome them, too.

It’s not your fault

Never beat yourself up about your problems with CPAP machines and masks. This device is hard to live with and even on my best days, I still curse my machine. It’s taken me a long time to get used to wearing it.

My best advice is to take it day by day and analyze how you feel. It’s great therapy to write down your feelings and then look back at how you felt over the course of a few weeks or months. Try to maintain a positive attitude no matter what happens as you may be on the verge of having a successful result which you’ll sabotage of you decide to quit. Two of my bad experiences are below. You’re not alone in this struggle.

My CPAP crashing to the floor

One bad experience I have had a couple of times now is that when you move in the night sometimes the hose gets a bit tangled, and the machine comes crashing down onto the floor. The machine often stops responding and you may need to get water out of it.

This is annoying and you end up wanting to smash the entire thing, but this is the sort of issue that you’ll probably have at least once. I cursed a lot and the next day I got back to using the machine. I didn’t let an episode like this deter me from better sleep.

The cheap water tank flood

The water tanks on most CPAP machines are quite cheap and prone to leaks periodically. I had one fail and water covered my nightstand. I now have a mat covered in plastic under my machine and this protects the table form any future water spills.

It’s a good idea to have a spare water tank of hand in case yours fails. My provider was nice and sent one to me right away via rush shipping so I could use my machine right away again in only a couple of days downtime. Things like this are a curse, but don’t let them deter you.

Uncomfortable mask

You may find your mask to be uncomfortable. Thankfully, there’s a lot of options, so try some different ones out and see if there’s anything that might work better for your needs. It was consistent use that allowed me to get comfortable with my nose mask.

Vent your feelings

Sometimes you may need to vent. The CPAP community is great because we have all bene there and understand what you’re going through. It’s ok to let your feelings out to the world. You’ll always find great support when you need it.

Writing about my CPAP experiences and joining the community has provided the support I need to make it through those rough days when CPAP therapy seems like a living hell.

Take a break

Whether you’re a new CPAP user or have been using one for a long time, it's OK to take a break from it if you feel overwhelmed. A break can help you gather your thoughts, and you may find that’s what is required to push through that hurdle towards better CPAP therapy.

You can do this

You can handle those times when CPAP doesn’t seem to go right for you. We have all been there and we are in this struggle together. Keep trying as it gets better over time. Down days happen so deal with them when they arrive.