AHI lower with nasal pillows?

[jjhall]

Papit: I have a brand new seal for my FFM that I haven't switched in yet, so I'm definitely good to go to keep it for a spare, and for times when I'm sick and congestion will make a nasal a no-go.

Yaconsult: The poll is fundamentally flawed because it doesn't allow multiple options to be selected. Several people have chimed in to this thread alone that use different masks depending on the situation at hand. It also doesn't really relate to the statement of breathing through the nose even with a FFM. I primarily breathe through my nose even when wearing a FFM, which is why I wanted to try a nasal option like the pillows. My wife on the other hand uses a FFM, and she feels constricted with the FFM when trying to breathe through her nose alone. She tried a few breaths with the nasal pillows and "noped" right out of that.

[Jay Aitchsee]

jj, I have just experienced a similar situation. After years of using a FFM, I recently switched to pillows. I have used a FFM because, although I am not a mouth breather, I am a throat leaker. I switched to pillows because pain caused by the lower straps of the FFM headgear on the back of my neck could no longer be tolerated.
Anyway, the difference has been remarkable. I plan to publish some before and after when I get some time, but basically the required pressure to prevent hypopneas with pillows has dropped to 7 cm (or less, I haven't seen them yet) from 8.6 cm with a FFM. The 95% Flow limitations have been reduced from about .25 to .07. With a FFM I was running about 9 cm with an EPR of 1. With the Pillows, I am running at 7 cm and an EPR of 3! And may possibly be able to go lower.
I am still suffering some throat leaks, which have been somewhat disturbing, but they seem to be getting better. There were none over red line last night.
Overall, my quality of sleep (rest) with the pillows seems to be as good or better than it had deteriorated to with the FFM.