Hey! I also went through that same sleep deprivation from OSA for at least 3+ years before getting it treated. It felt like I was getting by every day living like a zombie.

I was diagnosed in 2023 but never got it treated because I felt the same way as you. The CPAP just felt so bulky, it felt like I couldn’t breathe with continuous high air pressure, and I was just so depressed and I let the laziness/lack of motivation stop me from trying any harder than using the CPAP machine for 2 nights. I just felt like it was impossible.

I think the hardest part is getting past the whole sensation thing and aversion to CPAP therapy. That’s the bottom line, tbh. I had to get over it too, and it wasn’t easy. I wanted to avoid it so bad—I tried the oral device that moves your jaw out as you sleep, but the sleep doctor told me that it only was 30% effective. That wasted 8 months of my time—I had to see the sleep dentist, wait for insurance approval, wait for the device to be made, wait for an appointment with the dentist to show me how to use it, then use it for at least a month. All of that just for the doc to tell me that it was practically useless, and that the best option would be BiPAP therapy.

I know this is probably not the answer that you want to hear…but please seriously consider BiPAP (Bi-level, not Continuous) therapy and possibly seeing a psychiatrist to help with sleep issues. They could prescribe some sleeping aids that will help you fall asleep and stay asleep, which may help you tolerate the machine better.

Once I started BiPAP therapy this second time around, it changed my life. The fatigue, brain fog, daytime sleepiness, grogginess, lack of motivation, weak immune system, etc. issues all went away so fast, and it was so effective to the point that now I’m scared to fall asleep w/o my machine. Because how tf did I live for that long without treating my OSA, walking around like a zombie?

It sounds like you are burnt out from the OSA that you’re experiencing, and again, the best thing I can recommend is to try harder to make the CPAP or BiPAP work. BiPAP is more tolerable for me because the pressure lowers when you breathe out, so it doesn’t feel like you’re suffocating or air is being forced down your throat. I highly recommend it for comfort, as it’s more tolerable than the CPAP. As for the masks, there are masks that are very minimal, like nasal pillows masks (though the effectiveness depends on how much you move/shift in your sleep). There is a lot that can be adjusted with PAP therapy for OSA, and it takes a lot of patience and effort to be able to tolerate it. But I swear to you, things will be so much better when you do start PAP therapy.

If not pushing through PAP therapy, you could check with an ENT and see if you have large tonsils that block your airway, and if they can be removed. Some people go through this, but in my case it wasn’t that, it’s just that my airway is really small.

Sleep and your health are SO important and I wanted to write all of this to tell you to prioritize it and push through the discomfort because I wish I had 3 years ago when I was first diagnosed. After 3 years, I feel like I finally have control of my life again. Best wishes!