New... which mask??

Hi.

I was just diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea last week. I am a 32 year old, small framed female. I Prefer sleeping on my side most of the time and I might breathe through my mouth and nose. I also have a touch of claustrophobia. I have my CPAP study next week and and am trying to make the most success out of it as it costs A LOT and I don't want to repeat it for a long time.

I am wondering if anyone can suggest a mask that would be successful while sleeping on my side and not make me panic for how much of my face it covers. I was thinking a hybrid style, but I worry it won't fit well and have no seal based on some of the reviews I've read. Since I may breathe through my mouth, especially if I feel my nostrils are being blocked by something, I am worried that a nose pillow will not be effective for me, either.

Any tips?

I'm very familiar with OSA as my dad, grandad, and uncle all have it. I want the quickest success possible here (don't we all?) as my dad has had a HORRIBLE time trying to get a mask that works for him in comfort AND effectiveness.

TIA

-Not emotionally ready for this confirmation of even a treatable sleep issue-

Masks are designed to HELP you get air. Think SCUBA diving, or jet pilots.
You may be surprised what is out there, and how minimal some masks can be.
One company even makes CLOTH masks! (Sleepweaver)
Another company makes cloth mask liners, which can make wearing a
regular mask quieter and more pleasant. (Pad a Cheek)

You must try on as many masks as possible, and while lying down because your face changes a lot when you do. While we can all tell you what worked for us (after lots of trial and error), no one can tell you what to get because your facial structure is individual and what might even work for someone who looks superficially like you could be way off base. Cpap.com has the most variety to look at online (and best prices) and allows you to try masks for 30 days, sometimes with a small fee for return insurance. Almost all masks have size small available, but that alone won't tell you much - my particular one has what they call a 'small shallow', tho' I'm not really sure after so long what that really means... others come in 'petite', but may not work on all supposedly petite faces. You just need to try what's out there for yourself, and for longer than a few (likely tense) minutes at a dealer.

One thing that can help side sleepers, especially with full face masks, are pillows designed to wear with the masks (not each particular mask, of course), and many people use them.. https://www.cpap.com/productpage/SleePA ... wcase.html - but there are various versions you can Google to look at. Some people create their own from e.g. memory foam, etc.

My suggestion would be to pick out a full face mask and a nasal or pillow mask at your sleep study. Start with the nasal or pillow and they will be able to tell if you have trouble with mouth breathing. If you do they will be able to switch you to the full face mask. If you don't have problems, maybe you will be able to start your therapy with a more minimal mask. I used a nasal mask during my titration and had no problems.

When I started on CPAP 10 years ago I requested a full face mask, they recommended a nasal (nose) mask. The air came in my nose and went out my mouth. It was very frustrating! After many nights of ripping off the mask in the middle of the night my body finally learned to block off my mouth with my tongue. (Pressure level 6 ). I used the nasal mask for about a year until I couldn't handle the sores left on my nose from rubbing and tried a nasal pillow mask (Pressure level 8 ). I have been using the nasal pillow mask since and love it. Initially I did spend a bit of time where the nasal pillow mask rubbed raw spots in my nostrils and the bottom of my nose but my nose toughened up after a month or so.

I have been using the nasal pillows for about 8 years now. I am glad I didn't go with the full face mask and spent all the frustrating nights letting my body adjust to not breathing through my mouth initially. Before the CPAP I always would breath through my mouth because my allergies were so bad that I could never get air through my nose (asleep or awake).

If you can get to the point that you can use nasal pillows I believe you will be much happier. I would recommend acustomizing yourself to nose breathing by using the CPAP while you are awake watching TV or something. You will have to consciously make an effort to keep air from going out through your mouth. Eventually your body will learn to do the subconsciously.

This is just what worked for me, like stated above everyone is different.

Thank you all. I had to reschedule my cpap sleep study as I caught a cold the day before.

I appreciate all your insights and honesty. Thank you.

Get the ResMed Airfit p10 nasal pillow mask first. It's the best and The least obtrusive mask out there.

In general, it's easier to get a nasal pillow mask to work even if you need a chinstrap to keep your mouth shut.
Than to
Get a full face of hybrid mask and control leaks consistently.