If you have severe enough SA to need one of these machines you’ll fall asleep fine, because you’ll actually be able to breath. SA is a nasty thing, people going years without real restful sleep. I’m one of those really sensitive sleepers, but I know if I’m tired enough I can fall asleep eventually.
Well my case is rather borderline and I can control it other ways.
It is not the lack of sleep which kills. It is the stress it puts on the heart — because when a person stops breathing, their oxygen level drops. True, when their breathing stops, they do wake up — its an involuntary reaction — they wake up so that they can take a breath.
Then, the heart has to work overtime to get the oxygen level back up. This could happen 50 times a night. Eventually, the heart wears out.
That’s my understanding. I have sleep apnea, and I wear a mask at night. Sleep like a baby. Also I’ve never abducted by aliens in my sleep. I’m sure they take one look at me, and saw “let’s go down the street.”