I have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and occasional central sleep apnea. I have been using a CPAP machine for about three years. Body weight can be a factor in OSA. I've lost 60 pounds in the last nine months and find I don't need it as much as I did when I weighed 250 pounds. The weight loss has been intentional and I hope to lose another 10-20 pounds.

At the worst, I was having apneas 40 to 60 times per hour (depending on which side I slept on) and was only getting 2 to 4 percent of the amount of deep sleep that is considered normal. During my first few weeks of CPAP use, I started waking up after only a few hours of sleep. My sleep therapist told that this was normal and meant I was responding positively to the therapy. The explanation goes something like this: Over many years, my body had become accustomed to getting x amount of deep sleep during the usual eight or so hours of sleep. When I began using the CPAP device, I started getting x amount of deep sleep in just two or three hours. Thus I woke up at 2:00 AM feeling like I had slept the entire night.

The results from using the CPAP machine are mixed for me. I am getting better quality deep sleep. Unfortunately, my other problems also keep me from sleeping. I take clonazepam to control myoclonus, but the clonazepam inhibits dream sleep. The best part is that I can rest peacefully during the night. This helps my wife's health.

One thing that definitely should be considered by sleep apnea sufferers is the effect on their sleeping partners. My wife worried so much about me stopping breathing, that she wasn't getting any sleep and developed the same symptoms. Now, I don't need the CPAP device as much (due to the weight loss) but my wife can't sleep well until she hears the device at work. Once she is assured that I'm breathing, she can sleep peacefully herself. (Sometimes, after I know she's sound asleep, I take off the mask and sleep with out it.)

I still have a great deal of fatigue during the day. When I rest during the day, I usually do a lot of dreaming. I don't use clonazepam during my daytime rests, so I'm able to dream. My conclusion is that there isn't a perfect solution for me. I don't have to try to work any more, so I'm free to rest when I need to rest. I'm glad for that. I don't like to feel so tired so often, but overall, it seems best to be able to rest when my body tells me it needs rest. When I was still trying to maintain my job, it was just miserable to try to stay awake when the fatigue was intense. I guess those of you who have experienced it, know what I mean. For those who haven't, I simply don't know how to describe it.

Finding a comfortable mask is a challenge. I've tried many, and do have several that I tolerate OK. I switch masks occasionally, because I have yet to find one that doesn't irritate me after a while. Two are nasal pillow types and one covers my mouth, too. The latter is good for when I have a cold. I also have chin strap that I use to keep my mouth from opening--avoiding air pressure loss due to leakage.