How to stop mouth opening, to use nasal pillows effectively?

[4betterO2]

I would really like to switch to nasal pillows, but haven't found out how to mitigate the mouth-breathing problem when I fall asleep and muscles relax.
Relaxing and opening the mouth causes loss of PAP pressure, so it is not compatible with using nasal pillows.
I remember reading in other posts that some people use tape. Which tape can stay in place for better than 4 hours, and not pull the skin out of shape during removal? Is there any other solution besides taping?

[archangle]

The first thing to try is a chin strap. You can buy them from various online suppliers or your DME.

I make my own from Ace bandages. I have a description in the links in my signature line.

If you can keep your jaw closed, try to keep your tongue pressed against the roof of your mouth and seal off the pressure at the back of your mouth. There should be no pressure on your cheeks or behind your lips.

[englandsf]

It helps to practice nose only breathing every chance you get, not just in bed. You'll probably end up with your tongue high and behind your top front teeth and you throat kind of relaxed to get there.

Is your nose clear, too?

[SMenasco]

I cured my problem with the Ruby Red chinstrap worn OVER my nasal pillow head gear. Keeps the pillow head gear in place all night. Best cpap solution I ever discovered, since I taped up for a long time. No more tape, no more dry mouth. Try it; it just might work for you as well.

[jim22]

With persistance, over a period of a few weeks, I seemed to learn to keep my going up where there is no leaking into my mouth. It woke me up many times a night for a while, but not much any more. Either it stays closed or I close it again without really waking up. Chin strap did mostly nothing for me. I would think taping would result in cheeks puffing out and still wake you up. I flunked full face mask badly on the one night I tried one.
Jim

[Nick Danger]

I use the ResMed chinstrap. Considered the Red Ruby, but thought I'd see if the ResMed was sufficient (the ResMed is a single strap so it is nice and light-weight and not very confining; the Red Ruby would do a better job holding my mouth closed, but it is more like the headstrap for a full face mask). Fortunately, the ResMed did the job - if at some point in the future it is no longer sufficient then I'll switch to the Red Ruby.

I would definitely try a couple of chin straps before I tried tape (I can't see myself ever using tape).

[CRM]

And here I just made a commitment to try the mouth tape tonight...
The mouth breathing has only recently started for me. Has any one else gone from no mouth breathing to waking up with the Sahara desert in your mouth? More importantly, have you gone back to no mouth breathing?

[jencat824]

I had a very, very bad mouth breathing problem. I cured it when I got braces (the kind that are trays you wear - Invisalign). You could try a boil-n-bite mouth guard from the drug store.

Other suggestions I've seen around are wearing a cervical collar for your neck to bed. The idea is it keeps your jaw in the closed position. I've not tried this one, but the general idea makes sense.

Someone else posted that he used an Ace bandage around his mouth to keep it closed. Just repeating an idea I once read. Might work for some, but taping seems easier.

IMHO with any method that works for you, its best to also try to train your tongue to stay on the roof of your mouth, just behind your upper teeth.

Jen

[CRM]

Thank you. I'm impressed with the efforts folks take to make this therapy work. Clearly the benefits are worth the challenges.

[4betterO2]

If you can keep your jaw closed, try to keep your tongue pressed against the roof of your mouth and seal off the pressure at the back of your mouth.

Sigh... this only works when awake. As I mentioned in my OP, the problem is when falling asleep and muscles relax out of control

[4betterO2]

I cured my problem with the Ruby Red chinstrap worn OVER my nasal pillow head gear. Keeps the pillow head gear in place all night.

Thanks a good answer for my other post on problems of keeping the nasal pillows mask in place,
viewtopic/t100465/Modding-better-harnes ... place.html
I'll look into it

[4betterO2]

I make my own from Ace bandages. I have a description in the links in my signature line.

Thanks will look into that

[4betterO2]

With persistance, over a period of a few weeks, I seemed to learn to keep my going up where there is no leaking into my mouth.

My problem is the muscles of the back relax first when I start to doze off, then I try to stop the outbound leak by pressing my lips, and the effort and conscious control prevent me from falling asleep

[4betterO2]

I would definitely try a couple of chin straps before I tried tape (I can't see myself ever using tape).

Thanks for the models of strap indicated. Unfortunately, keeping my jaws tight does not stop air coming out through relaxed lips

[4betterO2]

I had a very, very bad mouth breathing problem. I cured it when I got braces (the kind that are trays you wear - Invisalign).

Interesting - can you elaborate, how does that work?