Tips for long term CPAP therapy motivation

Establishing a routine

Like any new change to our lifestyle or new habit, it takes time to establish a routine with your new CPAP treatment.

CPAP therapy will usually be used each night that you sleep so that you can get the best health benefits from your treatment and so that you can feel well, better rested and have more energy to do day to day activities you love and get back to enjoying life again.

Often users realise that when they miss a night of therapy, they do not feel as well and may feel their tiredness return. In order for the therapy to be effective, it must be used each night for as much of your sleep as possible. When the device is not used, the apnoeas will return.

It is perfectly normal to have blips along the way and we are here to help encourage and support you.

Please contact us directly if we can help.

Tips for long term motivation

Staying motivated is not always easy when living with a chronic illness.

It’s easy to get side tracked, forget to use therapy, let life get in the way, put ourselves last on the list but remember to look after you. If you don’t look after you, who will?

Just because you have been using your therapy for weeks/months at this stage, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have more questions or that you don’t run into any problems.

It is normal to

• feel less motivated on some days more than others
• sometimes forget to put your therapy on or put your mask back on if you have gotten up during the night
• worry about new situations like, staying with family and friends with your equipment and travelling further afield with your equipment

Your CPAP therapy requires a daily commitment and loss of motivation is normal and common.

But try remember what it was like before and after you started using your treatment.

If you have a bad night or forget to use your treatment, remember all the nights you have used therapy and the treatment you have received up till now. Give yourself a break, start fresh again. The treatment you’ve received up till now still benefits you and your health but using your treatment every night mitigates the risk to you, your health and others.

It’s really important to have a good support network – these may include your family, partner, friends, support group, another therapy user, your home healthcare provider or your Sleep Team or Sleep Physician.

Having a good support network can impact your treatment and adherence to treatment.

You are not alone, we are here to help you at whatever stage of your therapy journey.

Your treatment is intended to help you feel better rested, have more energy and to get out there and enjoy life.

Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone to us on 1800 24 02 02 as our Sleep Support Team are happy to help.

Treating your OSA and Driving

If you are suffering from untreated obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea (OSAH), you have a 2 to 7 times higher risk of having a road accident compared to individuals without OSAH.
As you know, safely driving a vehicle requires the driver to concentrate, focus and remain alert. Untreated OSAH can cause fragmented sleep and possible daytime sleepiness and can compromise your driving skills and increase your risk of having a road accident. 
 

Some studies have shown that the negative effects of OSAH on your driving abilities can be reversed with the use
of a CPAP machine. 

These studies, based on driving simulators and driving circuits have shown differences in driving abilities between
individuals with untreated OSAH and those without OSAH. They revealed that drivers with untreated OSAH had a
slower reaction time and a higher risk of collisions. 

After 3 months of CPAP treatment, the researchers could no longer find any difference between drivers with OSAH
and those without OSAH. Some improvements could even be observed after only 2 days into treatment.

It is therefore recommended to use your CPAP machine on a regular basis, and if possible, all night every night,
for at least 4 consecutive hours without interruption.

I have OSAH, what can I do to ensure everyone's safety on the road? 

It is important to speak with your Consultant if you are driving for work, have experienced sleepiness behind the
wheel or operate heavy machinery.

You have a responsibility to advise the licensing authority and your insurer that you have a condition that may
affect your ability to drive safely.
You will be subject to periodic medical follow-up visits.

If you are a professional driver you will need to reach out to your occupational health team/physician so you can
provide him/her with all the information needed to assess your health condition. He/she will then decide if it is safe
for you to drive. 

If you have any questions about renewing or obtaining a new driver’s license, do not hesitate to consult your
doctor or local government driving agency.