| New to CPAP or a Ventilator? Desensitisation TipsWhen first told you need to use a mask for sleeping it can be a shock, but rest assured that most people feel like this at first, so helping your body acclimatise gradually can aid with long-term success to stop sleep disordered breathing and low oxygen further damaging your health. Another benefit is feeling more energised during the day! There are many people who suffer from claustrophobia for various reasons, who eventually manage to overcome their fear of wearing the mask, once they realise that the mask is their 'friend' and will ensure that they sleep safely by continuing to breathe during sleep, when it's not possible to control our own breathing. In fact, the reality is that it’s more claustrophobic to sleep without the mask and allow our bodies to fight to breathe during the night! As well as asking for support and advice from other mask users via Facebook Groups, Forums etc., the following steps will help if you feel unable to tolerate CPAP:-
Hand on heart, I promise you we have come across literally 100’s of people who never ‘dreamed’ they would ever manage to sleep with a mask on, and yet after good support and encouragement most of these people now never consider sleeping without it! Always remember:- "Winners Are Not People Who Never Fail, but People Who Never Quit" (Edwin Cole).Many insurance companies for those in the USA, the DVLA and other organisations state people should use CPAP for a minimum of 4 hours. Please bear in mind that every time a person sleeps with no therapy, they will still experience apnoeas and hypopnoeas so they will be at risk of the consequences of sleep disordered breathing when not on therapy, whether it be day or night! Therefore, the ultimate aim is to wear the mask for ALL sleeps!
Sometimes, people need help and tips for discomfort issues, and this can be both in the way of affordable comfort accessories or simply tips from other mask users, so consider joining the online support groups which you can find on our website and in the shop. Also check out the web page for tips and solutions for comfort issues. If you aren’t online give us a call on 0300 102 9711. Bear in mind that any problems you may be experiencing will not be unique to you and can usually be sorted out with the correct support and advice.
www.hope2sleep.co.uk
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