need a mask for side sleeping

mch441 · Post by **mch441** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 4:42 pm

im about four months into my therapy and doing pretty well with it ,sleeping anywhere between 6 and 7 hours a night with it with out any problem but tweaked my back a bit and find its a lot more comfortable sleeping on my side .the problem with this is that it i cant seem to keep a good seal with my swift, waking up several times a night to leaks.i have a few other masks that ive tried but none of them really seem to be any better actually most of them are a lot worse.i have an ultra mirage full face which doesnt work at all for side sleep not to mention i feel like my mouth is being blown up like a balloon ,an infinity 481 which just isnt comfortable no matter what i do with it, and a comfort select which actually isnt to bad to use as long as i lay perfectly still on my back ,if i move at all it starts to blow air in my eyes.

im sure there are others out ther with the same problem so if any one can make a suggestion it would be greatly appreciated

WillSucceed · Post by **WillSucceed** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 4:54 pm

I found that with the Swift, while laying on my side, the pressure of the pillow on the side support of the Swift would dislodge the Swift somewhat and I'd get a leak. Or, I would wake with pain in my nares from the lateral pressure of the Swift while I was laying on my side.

If you are a confirmed side sleeper, the Breeze is a great choice (at least for me) as it is totally independent of the pillow against your cheek. I can lay on my side and have my face well into the pillow with no movement of the Breeze pillows.

I've tried many masks and the best for side-sleeping were Breeze and Comfort Lite (both 1 and 2). Of these two, Breeze was the most stable.

Babette · Post by **Babette** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 5:03 pm

I'm a side sleeper. My mask choices in order are:

1) Nasal Aire II
2) Breeze
3) Twilight Aura NP
4) Comfort Lite 2

I could probably move the Aura up to #2 if I did the "decapitation" modification. Ditto the CL2.

Good luck!
B.

blarg · Post by **blarg** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 5:35 pm

Twilight NP is great because you don't even have exhaust going out to worry about.

Lee Lee · Post by **Lee Lee** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 5:43 pm

The FP HC407 is great, as long as your pressure isn't too high. Mine leaks at 12cm.
Otherwise, I can toss, turn and flip with no problem at all.

mikemoran · Post by **mikemoran** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:11 pm

I highly recommend the Opus, light weight, easy to side sleep with. Also has a gret swivel elbow that allows you to put the hose anywhere. If that is not available then the Optilife. Both have lighter head gear than the Swift and a smaller foot print on your face so the pillow doesn't dislodge them. The only disadvantage to the Optilife is the hose works best going down your chest..

packer · Post by **packer** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 7:25 pm

I use swift but am careful to use soft pillow so it doesnt dislodge swift

I prefer the Twilight except for the rainout problem- from what I gather reading here one of the reasons I like the Twilight is that I have a large head- it fits and works great for me right out of the box

I recently ordered the heated hose so that I can use twilightr without drowning!

packer

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 7:47 pm

I get a good seal with Opus and do find it comfortable. Only problem is the marks it leaves on my cheeks; takes some time for these marks to disappear after I remove the mask in the morning.

mecocosm · Post by **mecocosm** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 8:29 pm

I recommend the Bravo. I find it very comfortable for side sleeping. The pillows, tubing, barrel etc are soft and the headgear gives it stability and the pillows don't disloge easily when I toss and turn.

Elle · Post by **Elle** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 8:45 pm

I sleep on my side without problems using the mirage activa

dinkytink · Post by **dinkytink** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 10:55 pm

I'm a side sleeper of more than 90 degrees. (I sleep more on my left eye than my left ear.)

ComfortGel is squishy enough to have some give. And the masks themselves are way less bulky than many I've tried. Respironics forehead pads are thinner and more curved so they don't raise your head off the pillow like the ResMeds. It also comes in a petite size. My advice is go smaller if you have to choose between sizes. But even a larger size can be made to work. The adjustable nose bridge is a plus. Not bulky between the eyes. Silicone is thicker at the edges and so doesn't "slice" you with every move like some ResMeds. Very quiet.

SleepNet IQ is flexible and so must be shaped to fit you properly, but you can bury your head in the pillow with it on. It leaks some with movement so I'd only recommend it to someone who just buries their face and needs a low profile to lean into. Headgear is almost like wearing nothing. You can hear your breath.

Flexifit full face masks have essentially no forehead protrusions and the side profiles are rounded with rounded clips that don't stick out. The 432 version is softer and has less leaks due to the addition of a foam cushion. It goes under your chin so there's not any pressure around the nose or mouth. The foam makes it more forgiving so you can adjust angle for comfort despite the fact that it has no nose bridge adjustment. It's said that folks like one version or the other. (431 or 432). Essentially silent.

The ComfortLite2 headgear is as comfy and natural feeling as simply wearing an elastic headband in grade school. I haven't slept in it yet, but some say it rides up sometimes.

Activa is hard to get to leak, but is really bulky compared to the ComfortGel. A 90 degree side sleeper might do fine with it, though.

The way I understand it, if a mask blows air in your eyes, it's too big for you. Hope my limited experience can be of some use.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 11:01 pm

Toss and turn side sleeper here. These are the masks I like best, in this order:

Twilight NP - by far my favorite, with or without the headgear removed.
LINKS to Twilight NP (formerly Aeiomed Headrest or Aura) nasal pillows mask topics

ComfortLite 2 - with the swivel elbow on top cut off.
LINKS to Respironics ComfortLite 2 nasal pillows mask topics New ComfortLite 2

Breeze
LINKS to Breeze nasal pillows / nasal mask topics

Those are nasal pillows masks, which I prefer. If I had to wear a traditional style nasal mask, it would be one of these:

DreamFit -- not the DreamSeal attachment for the Breeze.
Soyala
Activa

I use a PAPillow and hang the main air hose overhead, both of which help for sleeping on one's side and turning over.

LINKS to Hose hangers and methods of managing the air hose
viewtopic.php?t=10640

bdp522 · Post by **bdp522** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 5:09 am

If the comfortlite2 rides up, all you have to do is loosen the top strap just a tiny bit at a time until it stops riding up.

Brenda

mikester · Post by **mikester** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 7:12 am

I am an active side sleeper and have been on CPAP for about 6-7 weeks now. I started with a Swift 2, which is very comfortable, but not ideal unless you sleep on only one side. I tend to switch sides during the night, and I found that if I sleep on the same side all night, I wake up with terrible backaches. This was a big problem with the Swift, because the hose has to come out one side or the other, which kept me from sleeping comfortably on that side.

Next I tried a Bravo, which didn't work for me at all. Then I traded my Bravo for a ComfortLite 2 which I used for the first time last night. The CL was awesome - I slept very well and was able to switch sides throughout the night, and my back felt fine when I woke up. Furthermore, I checked my data this morning with Encore and even though my leak rate was a little high (need to tweak the fit a little), my AHI was even lower than it had been with the Swift. It's only one night, but it's very encouraging and enough for me to recommend trying the Comfort Lite 2.

oceanpearl · Post by **oceanpearl** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 7:18 am

Comfort Gel is the best mask that I have seen for side sleeping, when I used it there were NO leaks. I cnnot use it anymore because I am a mouth breather.

Machine	Mask	Humidifier

Mask