Struggling to sleep while camping

[GoLight]

Good post nsherry...this looks very interesting, I wish it had been available for me when I needed cpap a few years ago.....
http://www.cpap.com/productpage/tran...somnetics.html $499

The multi-night battery is extra $275 and looks like you can get two nights out of it before recharging,

http://www.cpap.com/productpage/Tran...t-Battery.html

and you can order optional solar charger for $225 and weighs under a pound.

So, for a total of $1000 you can get freedom from being tethered to a wall outlet.
For some people, a cpap is going to be a forever thing. For others, myself included, all it took was to stop being obese and take up yoga and hiking. Everybody´s situation is different, so don´t be quick to judge someone if they need a cpap, its their hike, let them hike it their way.

[GoLight]

oops, here´s the link for the solar charger http://www.cpap.com/productpage/somn...r-charger.html

[Rolls Kanardly]

Google the term "ultralight CPAP". And never let this reason stop you again.

I did check out portables a while back but an 8 hour charge for one unit would put me in and out of town every other night.
Another brand has a five pound battery plus the weight of the equipment for approximately three nights.
Maybe someone younger could handle the extra weight and the added town trips but for me as an individual this would not work.

Thanks for the thought. Maybe something new has come along and I will look again but I do not have much hope there is a unit that would let me hike the 2180 miles in six to seven months.

Rolls

[nsherry61]

. . . but I do not have much hope there is a unit that would let me hike the 2180 miles in six to seven months.

I drive my wife crazy at times because I always want to fix things (normally her problems, whatever they are) and I don't like accepting "It can't be done", or "It's not worth the trouble" as an answer.

Along those lines, I also sleep with a CPAP when an outlet is available at home or traveling. I have "moderate" sleep apnea which means (in practical terms) I can sorta sleep okay some of the time if I am on my side, but I can't sleep on my back without the CPAP.

Lately, I have been experimenting with a mandibular advancement device (MAD). MAD's are supposed to be effective alternatives for people with sleep apnea that cannot tolerate CPAP machines. You can get some dentists to custom make a MAD for a about $2000, or you can buy simple alternatives on the internet for $100-$200 that you mold at home and manage your adjustments without the help of a professional.

Being the arrogant, cavalier, cheap-scape that I am, I opted for a cheap internet alternative. And, after experimenting and altering my MAD over a few trials, I have found that I can sleep reasonably well (i.e. well enough) by using my MAD and forcing myself to stay sleeping on my side (I alternate left and right throughout the night). Yes, that means a nice inflatable sleeping pad and a good pillow is a must, but the cost of comfort is a small price to pay for the added freedom.

Good luck and have fun.

[GoLight]

I found some relief by sleeping in a ENO Double nest. I could scoot my feet to the left and my torso to the right and lay on my left side then put a double pillow to raise my head almost uncomfortably high and I could sleep very well without the CPAP, and I got used to the high pillow after a few nights. I also found that saline nasal spray helped keep my nasal passages open for better breathing. Laying on left side is supposed to be better for your digestion because laying on your right side the gases from your stomach can leak back to your throat which exacerbates the sleep apnea.

[jgillam]

I am going to order a MAD this week. A friend sent me the link to the kind he likes. I'll see how that goes.

To followup with what I mentioned earlier, regarding my elevated BP a few years back, that was caused by a frozen diaphragm (layman's term). It took over a year to identify the problem because it isn't common. Regardless, it appears to have been caused by a flu-like virus and has since resolved itself. That was causing me to take in around 23% of the oxygen I should have been, which as you can imagine, causes havoc on the human body. In retrospect, even though I don't generally sleep well, things are markedly better than they were years ago.

[Patrickjd9]

You're not tired enough. Next time get up two hours earlier and walk two hours later into the evening.

I'm not a great outdoor sleeper, and also make an effort not to go to bed too early.

[Fredt4]

If you Hike enough miles this isn't a problem. Enjoy.

[saltysack]

If you Hike enough miles this isn't a problem. Enjoy.

Not necessarily....even after 12+ hour days and 25+ Miles I still tend to toss and turn a lot....tried Benadryl but makes me feel woozy in the morning....part of my problem is I can't seem to get my pillow set up dialed in...I've tried many inflatables with no luck....was going to try the goose feet gear down pillow but can't bring myself to spend the $$$. The 2l evernew bag inside the buff should be an improvement from the 2l sawyer bag pillow....


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[nsherry61]

...part of my problem is I can't seem to get my pillow set up dialed in...I've tried many inflatables with no luck...

A couple of years ago I did some serious pillow shopping. I experimented with every pillow REI had at the time. Not one inflatable pillow worked well because they either wouldn't stay put under my head (too light and slippery) or the shape just didn't work. Even the highly acclaimed Exped pillows failed for me. All the foam filled TermaRest and similar pillows failed. I ended up buying REI's cheapest little travel pillow that had regular pillow filling in it, not unlike the disposable mini-pillows that hospitals use and throw away (except the REI pillow has a cotton face fabric). That little REI pillow worked pretty well, although, now that I found an inflatable I like even better for sleeping on the ground, the REI pillow has been relegated to being used every night in bed as my secondary pillow. Yes, it is a fantastic nightly-use second pillow to fine-tune my head angle.

The inflatable I found that works significantly better than any others, for me, because it's shape works for me, it doesn't slide out from under my head, and its air volume is easily adjustable, is the Sea-to-Summit Aeros pillow (I use the regular, many people seem to prefer the large). It came out about a month after my big REI pillow shopping marathon.

Good luck and sweet dreams.

[saltysack]

A couple of years ago I did some serious pillow shopping. I experimented with every pillow REI had at the time. Not one inflatable pillow worked well because they either wouldn't stay put under my head (too light and slippery) or the shape just didn't work. Even the highly acclaimed Exped pillows failed for me. All the foam filled TermaRest and similar pillows failed. I ended up buying REI's cheapest little travel pillow that had regular pillow filling in it, not unlike the disposable mini-pillows that hospitals use and throw away (except the REI pillow has a cotton face fabric). That little REI pillow worked pretty well, although, now that I found an inflatable I like even better for sleeping on the ground, the REI pillow has been relegated to being used every night in bed as my secondary pillow. Yes, it is a fantastic nightly-use second pillow to fine-tune my head angle.

The inflatable I found that works significantly better than any others, for me, because it's shape works for me, it doesn't slide out from under my head, and its air volume is easily adjustable, is the Sea-to-Summit Aeros pillow (I use the regular, many people seem to prefer the large). It came out about a month after my big REI pillow shopping marathon.

Good luck and sweet dreams.

Thx...that's about the only one I haven't tried. Off to REI....




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[Secondmouse]

A couple of years ago I did some serious pillow shopping. I experimented with every pillow REI had at the time. Not one inflatable pillow worked well because they either wouldn't stay put under my head (too light and slippery) or the shape just didn't work. Even the highly acclaimed Exped pillows failed for me. All the foam filled TermaRest and similar pillows failed. I ended up buying REI's cheapest little travel pillow that had regular pillow filling in it, not unlike the disposable mini-pillows that hospitals use and throw away (except the REI pillow has a cotton face fabric). That little REI pillow worked pretty well, although, now that I found an inflatable I like even better for sleeping on the ground, the REI pillow has been relegated to being used every night in bed as my secondary pillow. Yes, it is a fantastic nightly-use second pillow to fine-tune my head angle.

The inflatable I found that works significantly better than any others, for me, because it's shape works for me, it doesn't slide out from under my head, and its air volume is easily adjustable, is the Sea-to-Summit Aeros pillow (I use the regular, many people seem to prefer the large). It came out about a month after my big REI pillow shopping marathon.

Good luck and sweet dreams.

ditto on the Sea to Summit. also tried the Klymit Pillow X and it seems to work in the hammock but a little too narrow on a mattress...

[4shot]

If you Hike enough miles this isn't a problem. Enjoy.

Not exactly true or accurate for all hikers. May be a function of age. When i was in my teen's and 20's, I could fall asleep on the interstate. now sleeping 7 hours in a row uninterrupted, even in my own bed, is a rare thing indeed. Doing long miles doesn't change things for me. Of course, ymmv as they say.

[tflaris]

Ear plugs and staying warm seem to be the key for me hammock or tent or shelter.

Best of luck


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[jefff]

I've had the same struggle making the transition from CPCP at home to NOTHING while camping. I would wake up in the tent gasping for air and struggle with not being able to sleep on my back. I got desperate enough to try a relatively inexpensive ($90) mouthguard called the Zippah. I found it really easy to adjust to and it works! My wife has an $1800 version that doesn't work as well as my Zippah. I like it because it has a rubber band that holds my tongue back from choking position. My wife says I still snore a little but not like before. Now we can go hiking hut to hut and sleep in dorms even. As I have sleep apnea, I still use my CPAP when at home (or traveling in hotels) but when I am camping I sleep like a champ with my Zippah.

[GoLight]

My dentist told me he could custom make a mouthguard for $400, or, I could go next door to the pharmacy for $3. I did the pharmacy thing and it solved my problem. Mouth guards that you boil and bite are available in drugstores for like $3. They do the same thing as the very costly ones shown in big ads and web pages. Amazon has hundreds of choices too.

[Turk6177]

I also usually am somewhat restless at night for the first couple days of a trip. I always say my 3rd day is my worst day mostly because I am tired and my tolerance for the less than good things we sometimes experience is very short. Sometime after that I usually get a good nights sleep and the world then seems cheery again. One thing you may try is to use your sleeping bag unzipped as a quilt. I find that helps me stay comfortable. Going from a bed where you are completely sprawled out to the confines of a mummy bag tend to make me a little less prone to getting a good nights sleep. I am also going to try a hammock soon and we will see how I fare. Good luck.

[nsherry61]

. . . Mouth guards that you boil and bite are available in drugstores for like $3. They do the same thing as the very costly ones shown in big ads and web pages. Amazon has hundreds of choices too.

Actually, most boil and bite mouth guards to NOT provide the mandibular advancement needed to control snoring and some sleep apnea although they can help with grinding teeth.

[plodalong]

I bought a thermarest fitted sheet, works awesomely well, very comfy when sleeping on pad in hot weather.

thanks for the suggestion, I had seen them but was hesitant. Ordered and received it and works great.

[jsrbeatles]

If you have sleep apnea but don't want to or can't lug around a cpap and battery kit there are some helpful, ultra-lightweight alternatives that you could ask your doctor about:

Provent

ApneaRx for Sleep Apnea

If you think you have sleep apnea but haven't been formally diagnosed you'll have to have a sleep apnea test before you can get an rx for either of these (or cpap).

Does anyone else struggle to sleep while camping? I have been a tent camper for the better part of 25 years and have always struggled to sleep in a tent, even with a does of a sleep aid.

My inability to sleep isn't related to anxiety...I grew up in the woods and am quite comfortable outdoors. I also find myself generally quite comfortable in a tent though I don't like hot humid nights but, who does?

I have been through a few sleeping pads now and find them all comfortable. I am still working out a pillow system but may have that figured out now as well. I've been using my shoes under the head end of the pad to keep my head propped up and to help keep my pillow in place.

Also important to note, I have been using a CPAP the last 5 years and not having that anytime I try to sleep, especially while camping, causes some issues - mostly because I've grown very comfortable with it. I can get by without it for a few nights without feeling like I'm going to die - a dry mouth is the worst side-effect I deal with.

Maybe after 40 years, I've gotten too dependent on my big comfy bed. I would love to find a way to sleep comfortably while camping so that I can enjoy longer trips with my kiddos.

Any advise would be appreciated.