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CPAP Claustrophobia

Sleep Apnea Mask and Panic

Do you have CPAP claustrophobia?
Tips to avoid claustrophobia and panic attacks from CPAP therapy.

If you are afraid to sleep with your CPAP mask on, or you have feelings of claustrophobia, panic attacks or anxiety with your CPAP, don't get discouraged because many people have this problem when they're starting the CPAP treatment.

The explanation for CPAP claustrophobia

When you are at the beginning of your CPAP treatment, in your body's struggle to breathe every night it's producing large amounts of stress hormones - adrenaline - that will circulate through your body.

That's why for many people it takes some nights of good sleep on CPAP without apnea episodes to clear all the stress hormones out of your body. After you get used to CPAP, you'll be amazed at how much calmer you are going to feel and the fear will become a thing of the past.

The question is...How to get to the point where you can wear the mask all night to clear the adrenaline from your body? We'll speak about this in a moment.

What are the causes of your CPAP claustrophobia

There are some questions you should answer to identify the best method to help with CPAP claustrophobia:

What kind of fears you have when you try to sleep with the CPAP mask?

Is it the idea of having something on your face?

Do you have fear of CPAP mask from a previous experience?

Are you worried about strangulation from the head strap by your neck?

Is it because you can't see far?

Is the weight of the CPAP mask bother you?

Is it because you tried on a CPAP mask and you coldn't breathe through it, sending you in a panic?

Tips to eliminate CPAP claustrophobia

Here are the best strategies to help you eliminate claustrophobia and anxiety when you use a CPAP mask:

With the most CPAP masks you can actually breathe through the mask even when it is not running, because the mask is vented.
If you have a CPAP full face mask, how can you eliminate the carbon dioxide when you breathe out? The mask should be vented in order to allow the carbon dioxide to escape.

When you sleep with your CPAP machine and mask, you have to understand that the machine is actually pushing air into you. So you may feel claustrophobic at first, but the CPAP machine is really giving you air to breathe!

The sooner you'll use the CPAP machine - like brushing your teeth every morning and every evening - rather than been afraid of it, the better it works. Let the time passing by...and it will be more difficult to overcome your fear.

Attach the mask to the CPAP device, and switch the unit "on". Practice breathing through the mask for one hour while watching TV, reading or performing some other sedentary activity.

Maybe you don't know...but the CPAP machine and mask will be with you for the rest of your life, and it will improve your quality of life tremendously. Once you build this positive mantra into your life, everything will be easier.

Please don't get discouraged if it doesn't work, because it takes some time to getting used to all CPAP new thing. Just expect that it will take a litle time to become comfortable with CPAP, and then one day, you will realize that you slept with the mask on, like many others.

What kind of CPAP mask do you have? The full face masks are the main causes for CPAP claustrophobia. If this is the cause for you, you may prefer nasal masks or nasal pillows because you know you could always breathe by opening your mouth. However, this only works if you can avoid mouth breathing when you sleep.
If you do wear a full face mask because you cannot avoid mouth breathing, examine the mask carefully and you will find the air valve which will always let the fresh air into the mask if the CPAP is off. If the CPAP machine is on, you will receive air from the machine instead.
You will feel a bit more safe knowing that you have an air valve and if you understand how it works, isn't it?
The Mirage Liberty Full Face CPAP Mask would be a much less claustrophobic mask than any of the other FF masks. Once the air flow starts it should feel more natural as opposed to sitting in a store trying it on for fit.
Now, you have to get used having the CPAP mask on your face. How can you do that? Well...
- try wearing the mask during the day when doing some quiet activity like watching TV, listening to music, or reading. When you are upright and fully in control you know you can remove the mask easily any time you want.
- While you are awake, and have the CPAP mask on, you may still have the panic attacks. But you can calm down if you know how to relax with it.
  The secret is breathing relaxation technique which will control the feelings of CPAP claustrophobia:
  -take a deep breathe and hold it, and silent count to 4.
  -then breathe out very slowly, while counting to 4.
  -then pause breathing while counting to 4.
  -then breathe in slowly while counting to 4.
  -then repeat the process by holding the air and counting to 4.
  If you can, use the mask and the machine, particularly if it's a full face mask (because even though there is a passive air valve that will always let fresh air into a full face mask if the machine is not on, it gets stuffy inside a mask without the machine!).
  After doing this about 12 times, the claustrophobic feeling is usually gone.
If you are CPAP claustrophobic, you will love having a cool fresh air. If your humidifier makes the air too warm, that can make you feel more claustrophobic. So, if you do find the air too warm, turn the humidifier's temperature down a little.

Do you have the CPAP ramp feature turned on? If you have CPAP claustrophobia, the ramp function can contribute to the feeling of panic.
The ramp is meant to help you get used to the pressure by starting low, climbing slowly to the set pressure, hopefully when you're already asleep. But, it may work against you because at very low pressures you may feel less air and feel more panicky.
You may need to experiment with turning the ramp feature down, turning the starting pressure of the ramp up, or foregoing the ramp feature altogether (most of us don't use the ramp after the first week or so because it seems like we're NOT getting enough air at very low pressures).

As you are wearing the mask during the day to get used to it, gradually increase the amount of time you wear the mask. The idea is to get very comfortable in the mask and learn to trust that you won't suffocate in it. You won't, you know that, but you have to convince your body, too.