Several years ago I was diagnosed with narcolepsy. I also have headaches and depression, which are often present in apnea patients. I’m in my second month trying C-PAP for the first time. It’s helpful; I sleep fewer hours (approx. 8 at night) and wake up more easily. At first feeling awake felt strange! Still need afternoon nap at the same time, still need stimulants, but sleep fewer hours at night with less grogginess in the morning. Has anyone else had a belated C-PAP trial? Was it successful?
Hi, Carol perhaps this search will be helpful to you: http://livingwithnarcolepsy.org/main/search/search?q=C-Pap
Waking up more easily sounds like great news. I'm glad C-Pap is helping you.
So glad CPAP is working for you, too! If I was able to sleep 8 hrs. in a row, I would be jumping up and down with joy. My CPAP device has helped with the apnea events during the night, but not with the amount of sleep I get. My average sleep time at night is still low - something like 5.1 hrs average. My doc and I are working on this. She just prescribed Ambien XR. I would prefer Lunesta but it is not on the Medicare formulary so I would have to pay full price.
The latest on my C-PAP is recent elaborate bad dreams, one sleep paralysis, shorter periods of hypnopop/gogic hallucinations, more alert during the day. Like “wake up, you have narcolepsy”. Ha ha, that’s okay.
I was the opposite. I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 38? Several years later after a busy move and life change through divorce, I was falling asleep at work while typing. Luckily I had a private office. :) I sought help, thinking I had renal fatigue/and or narcolepsy. I was referred to a sleep study...after four years of treatment of severe obstructive sleep apnea and several sleep studies and eventually a MLST I was diagnosed with Narcolepsy with sleep apnea. I used a C-Pap for 4 years and felt so much better, after my narcolepsy diagnosis and continued daytime sleepiness I was changed to a Bi-Pap. I am very happy to use the machine. I definitely feel more awake. I am working at sleeping longer aiming for 8 hours. I could use a nap every day but can't due to work schedule. So I make do with weekend naps. I agree that feeling awake feels strange. I seem to notice so much more...except time...I still have trouble with that. Good luck with your C-PAP treatment.
Sherry
Thank you for your replies! We’re all a little different; it’s interesting. I went without c-pap a few times by falling asleep too fast. Last week it happened, and I really noticed the difference in how I felt during the day. I used to feel like that every day - for 57 years!, assuming I’ve always been this way.
The third week on c-pap it felt like there was actually more useable space in my brain. The hypnopompic hallucinations are greatly reduced. I’ve started to do some yard work and trying to increase exercise to regain my strength. The migraines and depression on top of the sleep disorders felt insurmountable a few years ago. Never give up!
P.S. A side effect of SSRI antidepressants on me is slowed or shallow breathing. Doctors didn’t take this seriously. I have only minor apnea, but improvement on c-pap has been significant!