Does Your Chinstrap Help You Keep Your Mouth Shut?

[Okie bipap]

I tried chin straps in the past, but found them very uncomfortable. I now use a cervical collar at night, and it keeps my mouth closed. Even with the collar, I have not been able to use nasal pillows. As soon as I go to sleep, my tongue drops down and I start blowing air out through my lips. With my Amara View I no longer get a dry mouth at night.

[ChicagoGranny]

lets in

lets out

[Night Ranger]

lets in

lets out

My first mistake -- ever !! Glad you caught it. Wish they had a Portillo's in Southern Illinois.

[tazmania]

Some people have been able to minimize the leakage by training the tongue to stay in place to prevent it by placing the tip of tongue on roof of mouth behind front teeth.

Hmmm. I start off my sleep night by placing my tongue up against the roof of my mouth and front teeth. Trouble is it doesn't stay there as every night I wake up (probably from apnea) with an extremely dry mouth and a nearly empty humidifier tank. My tongue must drop every night, eventually.

Is there a trick to training the tongue? I've been using my tongue to obstruct air flow since I started CPAP years and years ago.

[dvejr]

I need a new mask soon anyway, so I've just ordered a Hybrid and will see if that helps.

If you ordered the Innomed Hybrid, you made a very good move. Don't look to see "if that helps". MAKE it work. The mask may take some nights of adjustment, but it should work even with the facial hair.

You may still get some dry mouth, but there are solutions for that. Just post here with problems.

It seems to me from the photos that these two offerings are, in fact, the same mask:
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/RespCa ... -Mask.html
and
https://www.cpapman.com/full-face-mask/ ... -p-94.html

[OkyDoky]

Some people have been able to minimize the leakage by training the tongue to stay in place to prevent it by placing the tip of tongue on roof of mouth behind front teeth.

Hmmm. I start off my sleep night by placing my tongue up against the roof of my mouth and front teeth. Trouble is it doesn't stay there as every night I wake up (probably from apnea) with an extremely dry mouth and a nearly empty humidifier tank. My tongue must drop every night, eventually.

Is there a trick to training the tongue? I've been using my tongue to obstruct air flow since I started CPAP years and years ago.

Make it the way you breath during the day and as long as you are able to breath through your nose, for some people it becomes a learned way to breath through your nose and it blocks the air from leaving through your mouth. You can try it and hold your nose and see if you can breath out through your mouth. It's difficult with your tongue in place. Not every one can succeed with this so the need for reminders such soft cervical collar, chinstrap and FF masks.

[ChicagoGranny]

It seems to me from the photos that these two offerings are, in fact, the same mask:
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/RespCa ... -Mask.html
and
https://www.cpapman.com/full-face-mask/ ... -p-94.html

Seems to be. Probably from the same manufacturer branded under two names.

But that is not what I was speaking about. The ResMed Liberty is often called a Hybrid mask. I only recommend the Innomed brand which has several advantages over the Liberty.

[palerider]

As soon as I go to sleep, my tongue drops down and I start blowing air out through my lips..

well, that's cuz the tongue really has nothing to do with where the air goes... it's all handled behind the tongue.

[flightco]

Chinstraps do not work for me. Not even when it is tight enough to give me a hideous headache.
When I need "yap control", I cut a makeshift chin-up strip out of tape.
(I needed a size they don't make)
The tape pulls my lower lip up without locking out a possible oral airway.

I keep hearing about taping the mouth, anyone brave enough to post a picture of this so I can be sure I understand the principle

[palerider]

I keep hearing about taping the mouth, anyone brave enough to post a picture of this so I can be sure I understand the principle

uh...? mouth, tape...

purse your lips so the tape isn't on the tender bits, makes for a better seal.

[Teresalf]

Chin straps have not helped me at all. The air still finds a way through my lips. So I now use chin up strips. Kind of pricey but I reuse them twice so it makes it more affordable. Here's a link. http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod. ... AGPSPN=pla

Although I see you have a beard so this may not be the answer for you unless you decide to shave it off.

Teresalf, do you have any trouble getting a mask seal with the chin-up strips?

Chinstraps do not work for me. Not even when it is tight enough to give me a hideous headache.
When I need "yap control", I cut a makeshift chin-up strip out of tape.
(I needed a size they don't make)
The tape pulls my lower lip up without locking out a possible oral airway.

Chunkyfrog, what type of tape do you use? Do you you place one end of the tape under your chin or right under your lower lip on your chin?

Yep, I'm looking for "yap control" as well. I use a Hybrid, but getting really tired of the dry mouth from my yap not staying closed. I'm probably going to try a foam cervical collar to see if that helps. But after thinking about it some more today, probably should ask my physical therapist first to see if it would be okay since I am dealing with some cervical disc problems. (Who knows, it might even help that too!)

I use a nasal mask so the chin up strips don't come anywhere near the mask. Although I have used them with a full face mask as well and I position the chin up strip so it does not interfere with the mask, in other words I place it above where the mask would normally seal against my skin. The chin up strips are the ONLY thing that have worked for me. I'm never without them.

[cakeator]

Chin straps have not helped me. I would wake up with chipmunk cheeks and air squeaking out my mouth. I also have a beard and have issues with leaking vs red marks on the face. The diagnosis and therapy are new to me and I am trying to work with the Amara View right now. If I can't get a comfortable seal with it, I may say good bye to my fuzz face. Hopefully you can find a hybrid that can comfortably seal around your whiskers.

[ger365]

I expect to have the same problem and I have a beard too. Would a boil & bite mouth guard work for this?

[Mr Nifty]

They seem to help me. I don't wear mine very tight. I just need to feel it to remember to not use my mouth to breathe.

[DustyOR]

After years of tolerating mouth breathing while using my nasal pillows, I'm thinking about going to war. It's not so much the cotton mouth, although some mornings that is horrible, and many dreams feature me trying to speak to people and not making intelligible sounds. (I wonder how common those cotton-mouth dreams are?)

No, it's that every time my mouth opens an exit port for my positive air pressure, I've effectively interrupted my therapy. But do chin straps help? One reason I question them is that sometimes, just before I fall asleep, I feel my lips explode outwards to vent air even as my jaw stays closed! Can holding one's jaw closed stop many mouth leaks? It doesn't seem so.

Doug

It is very helpful.
I was having air bubbles escape from my mouth which was very distracting as I was trying to get to sleep.
It has become very easy to put on after my mask is in place.
I use the Phillips Resprionics which works very well