CPAP Sleep

Elisa A. Escalante/ LCSW/ 3-17-2026

For the past couple of years, my family and friends have been urging me to get another sleep study. I procrastinated because I wanted to stay in denial. I did not want to learn that I have sleep apnea and will be required to wear a CPAP for the rest of my life if I wish to have restful sleep and normal daytime energy. I reluctantly booked the at home sleep study, because there was no way i was going to go back into another sleep clinic overnight and get hooked up to a million wires. (I did this when I was enlisted Air force and my originally sleep study showed no abnormalities) My test results lead to a diagnosis of moderate obstructive sleep apnea and I was told I wake up an average of 22 times an hour. Well damn.

When deciding on a mask, I already knew I would rule out anything that went over my mouth, ever since the military gas chambers I struggle with claustrophobia anytime something covers my mouth. I also did not want a mask that goes completely up my nostrils, also known as pillows. I also realized I do not want a mask that lays on the bridge of my nose, since I’m already a glasses wearer. This is why I chose option 3 from the picture above. It’s a nostril mask only that fits securely around the bottom part of the nose, and it has holes that point directly at the nostrils. The seal felt comfortable, and my consultant informed me that she wears the same one and loves it. Sold.

CPAP sleep

Day 1: I woke up noticing only mild fatigue and I didn’t need to hit snooze multiple times. I also did not feel too much dread about the work day. I had no fantasies of death, as I often have upon waking up due to severe fatigue. I did not have sleep drunkenness; where I am usually wobbly and walking into walls. My nose hurt because of all the air pressure, but it went away in 5-10 minutes. I arrived at work at 7:30 am, and started to feel awake by 8:45 am. Usually I do not feel fully awake until noon or later. In my mandated morning meaning, I was only slightly irritable versus being rageful as I deal with people wasting my time with useless morning announcements. When I got home after work, I had energy and motivation to workout and do some chores. Off to a good start.

Day 2: I woke up barely feeling tired. I moved at a moderate pace. I noticed again that I started to feel awake shortly after 8 am. I was happy to FaceTime a couple of friends between sessions or during no-shows. Usually my social battery cannot handle that. I was writing more notes between sessions very efficiently. I left work a few hours early to hit the road to go visit my family over the weekend and the drive was smooth. No fatigue.

The Weekend: For my weekend trip, I did not feel like packing the CPAP. I slept in at my own leisure. But I couldn’t help but notice the huge difference. I was so groggy and unable to get up or move well without the CPAP. I hit snooze 4-5X and had various stress dreams. I usually have the ability to fall back to asleep multiple times in the morning, some people have called me lucky for this. But it’s a very difficult feeling. It feels like my mind/ body are trying to drag me back into the dream world/ dimension. Like I do not belong in reality. I dragged my feet to go outside for a late morning walk Saturday morning. By Sunday morning I slept in even more and didn’t have the chance for a walk.

Day 3: Back to work Monday. And for a Monday, I felt alright. I did not feel the need to hit snooze. I went to work slightly nervous about a fully booked day. My energy level was normal by 8 am. I went into my initial visit in a good mood, I did not feel emotionally dysregulated throughout the day. I work with mental health patients so it is quite hard to stay internally calm at times. I’m a sponge of empathy and tend to feel the emotions radiating off of clients. If I am tired and grumpy, it will only make the day more tedious. I started to realize how silly I was for procrastinating on getting a diagnosis and treatment plan that has been very beneficial already.

Day 4: Today I hit snooze once, but I did not fall back to sleep. I got out of bed before the second alarm hit and shut it off early. I got ready at a quicker pace and left a little early. I went right to my 0730 morning meeting feeling ‘awake’ ish. I still don’t like meetings but it was bearable. I saw all six of my patients and I remained in an okay/ calm mood through most of the sessions. I’m at home right now getting restless. It’s time to workout again! I’m a little worried I may develop insomnia due to having way more energy but time will tell.