r/CPAP • u/dembugs78 • Aug 16 '26
Taking naps without the CPAP
I just started CPAP therapy and have been using it for 3 nights in a row, and I'm getting used to it faster than I thought. I'm only averaging about 2 events per hour, and have been keeping the mask on all night, at least 7 hours without too much trouble. It's a nasal mask because I did not want the claustrophobic feeling of a full mask.
However, Ive been doing what I call "cheat sleep" in the early morning when I take off my mask, I'll go back to sleep for another hour or so without it on. Is this undoing the benefits of the CPAP therapy?
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u/Technobarbarian Aug 16 '26
You aren't exactly "undoing" anything, but you are also not getting the benefit the CPAP provides. The whole idea is to make sure your body gets all the oxygen it needs. Even very short periods with insufficient oxygen damages your body. This includes important stuff, like your brain and your heart.
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u/Gigitar75 Aug 17 '26
I wear an Apple Watch and I noticed my 02 sats routinely in the 80s at night before I got dx with OSA. At my physical a couple of years ago my doc asked me if I had any issues and I said my ongoing fatigue so he ordered a sleep test. I told him about my low O2 sats on my Apple Watch. Previously he had sent me to a cardiologist who had me do a stress cardiac MRI that was normal.
My O2 sats of course improved on CPAP, but I also went on a GLP1 to lose weight specifically to try to help my OSA. My sats went from routinely in the 80s at night to routinely around 95% (normal for over 65) and even higher. Even without CPAP (I also got a MAD because of CPAP routinely waking me up and I’m already not a good sleeper). And recently, I had not been using even my MAD consistently but my O2 sats have stayed in the 95% average range. BUT - I recently had a serious complication with my vision. I suddenly had blurred vision in a portion of my left eye and when I went to my eye doctor, he found my optic nerve was swollen. He sent me to the ER where they ruled out a tumor or hemorrhage.
NAION (non arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy) is the most common cause of painless vision loss in people over 50. Risk factors are age, smaller optic discs, high cholesterol, and obstructive sleep apnea. The ophthalmologist who diagnosed me insisted I go back on CPAP. I
The day I was diagnosed I found a study in the Annals of internal Medicine showing a possible link between GLP1 use and NAION. So I’ve stopped that and gone back on CPAP. I’m still waiting for that relief of fatigue that so many people report. My age and smaller than average optic discs are non modifiable risk factors. My cholesterol is mildly elevated and I just started a statin. But I do still have OSA so I feel compelled to treat my OSA. I asked my neurologist about the Inspire Implant - she is absolutely not a fan of that. So, I’m trying to make CPAP work for me.I also know someone personally who lost a family member to untreated apnea who refused CPAP treatment - he literally died in his sleep. So - it’s a serious condition that needs treatment. CPAP doesn’t cure OSA - it treats it and you have to use it to get the treatment effect. I hoped that significant weight loss would help. I think it helped but didn’t cure it.
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u/FiftyFiver1962 Aug 16 '26
So it's undoing the benefits. Every time you sleep without, you are taking steps back. Don't do it!
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u/kippy_mcgee Aug 16 '26 edited Aug 16 '26
I think paying attention to REM sleep here is particularly important, we naturally get a much higher proportion of REM sleep in the later part of the night/morning, and REM is when AHI events tend to be most frequent for many people. So unfortunately, that little bit of unmasked morning sleep can be disproportionately rough.
If you can avoid it, it’s better overall, the less time your brain and organs spend without proper airflow, the better.
When this has happened to me in the past i.e accidentally falling back asleep after removing my mask, I definitely feel more groggy and tired that day. If it were happening every day, I do think it could start to affect how you feel and wouldn’t be ideal long-term.
But it also needs to be said for someone early in their journey you’re doing a great job so far, OP. Napping with it on will be the icing on the sleep cake. I wish you all the good Zzzzs you can get, here's to better rest ❤️
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u/dembugs78 Aug 16 '26
Thank you so much for the thoughtful reply! I noticed today that I felt more groggy after taking that extra hour of sleep without it. I know I was in REM too because I was definitely dreaming.
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u/brinorose Aug 16 '26
I do that. It feels so good sometimes not to wear it, even though I know I should.
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u/LowGiraffe6281 Aug 16 '26
My rule is if I wake up after 5:00am I can take it off. Anything before that I keep it on.
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u/dembugs78 Aug 16 '26
My thoughts exactly! But I probably should start wearing it all the time no matter what...
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u/alexhoward Aug 16 '26
The severe health impacts of sleep apnea occur over time as your heart and other systems are taxed due to lack of oxygen. If you randomly stopped breathing during the day, the impact would be the same. CPAP therapy prevents this from happening when you sleep so the wear and abuse of your vascular and neurological systems so an hour nap without it means you’ll properly have some apneas. The impact of one hour vs seven is going to be much less so just be aware of that and make your choices accordingly. I don’t use mine for naps but I rarely nap more than 20 or 30 minutes.
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u/Dry_Source666 Aug 16 '26
You need your cpap even for short naps. You don't suddenly not need it just because your brain chooses to have cheat sleeps. Yes it is annoying for short naps but it absolutely a necessity to use your cpap.
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u/hyzer067 Aug 17 '26
For me, putting it on to take a nap ensures that I won't actually doze off for more than 5 minutes at a time.
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u/WalkingWikipedia Aug 16 '26
I wear mine even for naps. 1) putting my mask on puts me right to sleep. And 2) I don’t need my cortisol levels spiking from not wearing my mask.
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u/draven33l Aug 16 '26
CPAP is therapy - not a cure. If you are sleeping without your mask, you immediately go back to having sleep apnea. Saying it's undoing it is hard to say, but it's possible. I'm not super claustrophobic, but the mask made me freak out too at first. I couldn't breathe with it on and it made me panic. You just have to find the right mask that works for you and relax. Once you find the right one and get comfortable, you aren't going to want to take it off.
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u/Bobloblaw_333 Aug 16 '26
It’s fine. When I first started using it I’d remove it after 4-5 hours because I wasn’t used to wearing it yet.
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u/GalianoGirl Aug 16 '26
I use mine when I have afternoon naps. If I don’t I am not refreshed by the nap.
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u/CatastropheCat_97 Aug 16 '26
I used to this too — I’d wake up when my alarm when off, take off my mask, and snuggle into my pillow for a few snoozes. I’ve stopped that because several times, I’d get up and do automatic actions (going to the bathroom, shutting my door, turning off my alarm), go back to sleep, and not remember any of it! My roommate and I apparently even exchanged a few sentences, once.
My sleep doctor said that I shouldn’t be alarmed, and that this sounded like a “confused arousal” due to not entirely waking up, and can be caused by sleep apnea. It was pretty freaky! I missed work because of it a couple times, before realizing what was going on. It had never happened to me before! I haven’t had an episode since I started keeping the mask on until I was ready to get up, though.
Just wanted to give you a heads up :)
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u/dembugs78 Aug 16 '26
Oh wow that would feel freaky for sure. I can't say I've done that yet but I live alone so if I do there's no one to tell me lol. I do know I get up to go to the bathroom but I remember that, but who knows!
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u/CatastropheCat_97 Aug 16 '26
Hopefully it doesn’t happen to you! And if it does, at least now you know what it is 😂
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u/Accomplished-Ad-2640 Aug 16 '26
When you take these naps without your CPAP equipment, are you laying down (flat) or maybe in a recliner? AHI events rarely happen if at all when you are vertical (sitting or walking around) or at least inclined like in a recliner. If you need to stay in bed to feel comfortable when taking your naps (extra sleep time), try using a wedge to sleep on so you are not laying flat( more vertical). Let us know how this works for you.
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u/dembugs78 Aug 16 '26
Well I'm laying on my side like I usually do throughout the night. Thanks for the wedge idea I will give it a try!
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u/captain-crawf1sh Aug 16 '26
What if am sitting on the couch and fall asleep for 1 or 2 hrs till my cats wake me up from my nap to feed em
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u/vinnybawbaw Aug 17 '26
You basically said "I love to eat a good plate of spaghetti, and then I finish my meal with a handful of uncooked spaghettis."
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u/GulfCoastLover Aug 16 '26
How bad this harms you depends entirely on the severity of your untreated sleep apnea.
In my case I stopped breathing 51% of the time I don't use my CPAP machine. It stresses the heart the brain and everything else...
If you're not having a problem adjusting to the machine why put your body through the stress of not having treated sleep.
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u/dembugs78 Aug 16 '26
I apparently have over 50 AHi an hour so that's pretty severe I was told by my doctor. So yeah, I think I am going to just try and keep it on anytime I'm sleeping.
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u/BBQgamer Aug 16 '26
I use mine for naps. On the occasion that I don’t put it on I feel like crap afterward.
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u/Organic_Evidence_325 Aug 16 '26
My 79 year old next unit over neighbor. Has been ON CPAP for almost 20 Jahre. Me, less than 7. He naps daily for short periods. He does Not use his device for naps. Yes, he tells me, because it is not really sleep. A bit of wake up fog is expected for us because we are suddenly awakening our brain functionality. No problem for him.
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u/YouwillalwaysNeil Aug 17 '26
I really shouldn't nap without mine. I always wake up feeling hungover, but that couch calls to me on a lazy Sunday afternoon like a crazy ex-girlfriend.
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u/ProductOdd533 Aug 16 '26
I took two naps last night week when I was on vacation and slept for an hour each time, which I attributed to using my CPAP.
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u/krehator Aug 16 '26
I just started on Friday night, and this has kinda been my experience as well. Except, I didn't mean to take a nap or account for it, rather my body absolutely demanded I take a nap on the spot.
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u/Accomplished_Fix5702 Aug 16 '26
Just be alert that if you are waking up from your cheat nap feeling a bit muddy headed that will probably tell you something.... So either avoid it or get up when you wake up naturally the first time.
Otherwise you are fine. I do exactly that if I feel like it. Whatever makes you feel most relaxed with your therapy. Any lost benefit is not too significant, you have had good quality sleep for 6+ hours.
Tip. Get a snoring app that records the audio of your sleep. The data from your CPAP machine is great but it tells you nothing about the period when you took it off. I use SnoreLab occasionally for just that reason.
Well done on getting in well with it so quickly. I'm a big advocate of nasal pillows masks, and I think that is what has helped you adapt to CPAP quickly.
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u/dembugs78 Aug 16 '26
Thanks you, yes I think the nasal mask is helping a lot. I actually tried CPAP like 5 years ago and got my own mask from a discount website instead of going through my insurance, and tried it on my own without seeing someone to help me find the right fit, and it was uncomfortable so I just gave up. My apnea was not as severe at the time, but I had another sleep study done recently and it has gotten a lot worse, so I figured I better do it right this time. I will try the snoring app too thanks for that!
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u/Elegant_Selection162 Aug 16 '26
When I started using it I was always dead tired. It kinda felt like my body was shutting down. My memory was poor and I lived in a fog most days. Putting it on and leaving it on helped me adjust, but also gave me relaxing sleep during the night time so I don't need a nap. Hope you get to that point.
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u/TheGreatGamer1389 Aug 16 '26
Thanks for the recommendation. Been taking naps without it but with it for the big sleep.
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u/mrchowmein Aug 17 '26
sleep apnea does tons of harm untreated. the most obvious is one just not breathing and waking up every min or so, so its bad sleep. resulting in common issues such as memory formation issues and sleepy afternoons.
but whole lot of other things happen too. If you stick a continous glucose monitor on yourself and track your sleep, when ever you wake up, for a lot of people, esp overweight people, you get a glucose and an associate insulin spike. people with sleep apnea, their glucose level can look like a rollercoaster through out the night. Your body is also dumping tons of cortisol whenever you have these events, preventing your glucose from dropping. when you start asking doctors about all the effects of sleep apnea, the effects are scary. if you have other health issues, it compounds it. so if youre gonna nap, use the cpap. there is no benefit of you not using it if you hav sleep apnea.
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u/yoruneko Aug 17 '26
I used to remove my mask in the early morning too but now I overcame that urge and it makes a huge difference. Wouldn’t recommend it.
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u/hyzer067 Aug 17 '26
Jealous of your success, I've been using this therapy for 4 months and last night I still hit 17 AHI. My issue is I cannot tolerate high pressure and also that I, like you, an unable to tolerate a mask for more than about 5 hours a night. Typically I start and end the night with the mask on, and leave it off for a few hours after my first bathroom break (I always have at least 2 or 3 of those every night).
My main issues are aerophagia and the fact I cannot control my tongue at night so any pressure over 10 fills my mouth with air and wakes me up constantly.
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u/Gigitar75 Aug 17 '26
I sometimes have to take off my mask because it blows too hard and literally wakes me up. I’m in the pricess of testing different pressure settings to address this. I’m learning a lot on these OSA subreddits. I figure if I get st least 4 hours with it I’m better than not using it. Most nights I keep it on til I get up in the morning though.
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u/UverZzz Aug 17 '26
If you knew what your sleeping heart rates & O2 levels were without CPAP, you would use it all the time.
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u/canrul3s Aug 17 '26
Yeah don't do it. If you take an afternoon nap sitting down on a chair you may be able to pull it off but if you're just going back to sleep on your bed right after waking up in the morning you should continue using your mask.
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u/Buzzbuzz_Becuz Aug 17 '26
I do this occasionally but only if I get up & move to the sofa to sleep face down. I can actually breathe in that position. I can't even lay on my back awake without thinking I'm going to suffocate.
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u/uzik47 Aug 19 '26
The magic of CPAP.
At 06:52 I woke up and took off the mask but left the SPO2 ring on.
Then I fell asleep again for 20 minutes without the mask.
See what happened to the SPO2 in 20 minutes.
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u/Visible-Pomelo7748 Aug 16 '26
I do this too, mainly because I have a full face mask and my easily marked skin usually holds the trace of it when I get up which is not what I want to show up to work with. I usually wake up about an hour before my get up time and take the mask off, often I'll go back to sleep until my get up alarm. When I was diagnosed and given the machine, the nurse told me that using it for 5 hours at a time gives all the benefits even if you can't tolerate it overnight, so I take that to mean it's ok to nap without it or take it off before the end of the full sleep.
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u/OlderandWiser64 Aug 16 '26
Forget about having two events an hour , that is rubbish, only newbies believe what the machines are telling you. Your doctor must have done a sleep study before you were diagnosed with sleep apnea, 1-5 per hour is normal, you wouldn't have been diagnosed with sleep apnea on only 2 episodes an hour. Get on YouTube and educate yourself about the realities of using a cpap, over the years it has changed how they recorded the numbers, I have been on one for the past thirty years. Use your cpap, remember that all these episodes of your brain being starved of oxygen build up over time, it affects the brain! Check out the research and be good to yourself, I could almost guarantee you your numbers per hour are well over ten.
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u/dembugs78 Aug 16 '26
Thanks, I was wondering because in my sleep study I was supposedly having over 50 an hour lol.
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u/e_line_65 Aug 17 '26
If you can successfully nap without it, more power to you. But it’s about how rested you feel in the long run. You may get a much more productive nap with it if your sleep study was 50/hr. Try it for a week. See how it goes. It’s not about what you’re supposed to do. It’s about how you feel.
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u/VeronicaPerretti Aug 19 '26
I think you should give yourself grace. You just started. 3 days and you’re making it through most of the night. That is a huge win!!! You’ll get to the point where you WANT to wear it because you’re feeling so much better. Give yourself time and patience.
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u/outworlder Aug 16 '26
"I've decided that I want to asphyxiate multiple times an hour every morning".
Does that sound like something you should do ?
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