Struggling with CPAP and night time congestion

[primegatsby]

The only CPAP mask I can tolerate is one with nasal pillows, but i do have bad allergies that cause night time congestion even with Zyrtec and Sudafed. I often wake up gasping for air after nightmares of drowning or suffocation and it seems like my brain doesnt tell me to open my mouth when my nose is blocked. Does anyone else deal with this or have any tips? Is it connected to sleep paralysis ?

 

[REM1st]

Sorry, that sounds distressing! Your feeling that you can't open your mouth when your nose is blocked is a known issue for some CPAP users with nasal masks. What you also described seems to connect with sleep paralysis. Sleep apnea disrupts your sleep, and being roused from REM sleep due to breathing issues can trigger sleep paralysis episodes. Your brain wakes up, but your body is still in a state of muscle paralysis, which can be incredibly frightening, especially if it combines with those suffocation sensations. I suggest you discuss this with your sleep specialist or ENT. They might be able to adjust your CPAP pressure settings, suggest a different type of nasal pillow or mask and even explore additional strategies or other management options for your allergies.

 

[primegatsby]

Sorry, that sounds distressing! Your feeling that you can't open your mouth when your nose is blocked is a known issue for some CPAP users with nasal masks. What you also described seems to connect with sleep paralysis. Sleep apnea disrupts your sleep, and being roused from REM sleep due to breathing issues can trigger sleep paralysis episodes. Your brain wakes up, but your body is still in a state of muscle paralysis, which can be incredibly frightening, especially if it combines with those suffocation sensations. I suggest you discuss this with your sleep specialist or ENT. They might be able to adjust your CPAP pressure settings, suggest a different type of nasal pillow or mask and even explore additional strategies or other management options for your allergies.

Thanks for explaining. Have you found certain mask types or pressure settings that help reduce those choking or sleep paralysis feelings? Also, do you think adding a humidifier or allergy treatment might ease the nasal blockage? And btw, sleep paralysis scares me. Lol.