I need a louder "mask alert"

Is there a machine out there with a mask leak alert that can get as loud as an alarm clock ?

I am still trying to find way to keep my mask on all night. I am able to avoid responding to my machine's mask alert notification and drift back to sleep. My brain has also found away to remove the tape that I use to tape my mask to my face, without me being conscious of it.

I could really use something loud and invasive that cannot be ignored.

On a positive note, I don't hit the off button anymore.

Yes, but... the point of Cpap is to keep you from waking up at intervals, not to facilitate it! You should find a way to try on various masks while lying down and see what really fits your face best... it may not be cheap, but it will be worth it.

Unfortunately there is no machine that offers a "mask alert" loud enough to do what you want.
I have owned a Respironics machine and the mask alert alarm is indeed pitiful in terms of loudness.
ResMed doesn't even have an alarm until you get one of the bilevel machines.

Desperate straits require desperate measures.

Use some 3M mulitpore tape (super sticky) and run it from the straps behind your head while sticking it to your hair in the process. Hopefully you'll only have to do it for a very short period of time. I know it sounds like a pain in the ass (head) and actually it should be! You'll soon train yourself not to try and remove your mask... or else you'll go bald on the back of your head. Use mineral oil to remove the tape residue on your hair in the morning when you take a shower. It worked for me.

Or you can wear mittens to bed, taping the wrists. Oven mitts, even!

Thanks.

Taping my hair should work. A bit too well, unfortunately.

I found that taping mask to a shower cap is a way to save my hair when removing the mask, which I still struggle to do out of desperation for some sleep.

Still no luck so far.

I slowly and carefully and painfully remove my taped down mask (trying nasal pillows now). I know I'm doing it , but I don't know why. Is it an urge for relief of some kind - from air pressure, perceived low air quality, mask pressing down discomfort, bothersome leaks, etc

I may need a way to become fully awake at this time to address it and reseat the mask if needed. I'm thinking of finding a way to amplify the sound of the mask alert to an alarm clock level...

Hi davep - how long can you sleep before you are trying to take off your mask?

My suggestion is to try using your mask/ cpap while you are awake, and sitting up- watching TV, reading a book, etc.- for a certain time period, so you can get acclimated to it being on your face/ head. A lot of people have tried this technique and it has helped them

Now you have moved the mask removal from a seemingly unconscious to a conscious act. The next thing is to get out of bed, and only return when you are ready to put the mask back on.

WindCpap wrote:Now you have moved the mask removal from a seemingly unconscious to a conscious act. The next thing is to get out of bed, and only return when you are ready to put the mask back on.

Yes, Wind- that is what I am suggesting, although it sounds counter-intuitive (and counterproductive) to some. And yes- let me clarify it better, davep- DO get out of bed and sit elsewhere in your home while wearing your mask and doing other activities. You might try a recliner; that way, if you do fall asleep for a bit, you'll be in a somewhat comfortable position and have your mask on.

Wind- davep is not reporting having a problem with putting his mask on when he goes to bed, so no need to give him unwarranted confinements, such as " only return to bed...," imo.

davep- my thoughts are that your brain is alerting you to want to remove your mask at some point in sleep, as you said. Unless there is a medical reason for this, it is possible to 're-train' your brain to get used to sleeping with the mask, which is why we sometimes suggest what I have above.

(Just a Kindly Reminder to us All: sometimes 'going back to the basics' is all it takes to help ourselves or someone in need, no matter where we are at in the process!)

Davep has already shown that he can fall asleep with the mask on. Wearing the mask for non-sleeping activities beyond an initial acclimation is poor sleep hygiene. We want to train our brain that mask=sleep and no mask=not sleeping. Keeping the mask on for none-sleep activities completely goes against this.

What I am suggesting is an empowering activity. You give yourself the choice of either sleeping with the mask on or taking it off and getting out of bed. In this scenario, you don't have to wear the mask if you don't want to. What he needs is to take a bit of time for whatever urge is causing him to rip off the mask to pass, and then go back to bed. It is really quite simple. The main problem is that he is allowing himself to go back to sleep without putting the mask back on.

Dave,

Is the mask comfortable as I know in the past, I would unintentionally remove masks during sleep due to extreme discomfort? Also, nasal congestion can cause unintentional mask removal also.

In the past, one strategy I tried that seemed to work occasionally was to move my pillow further away from the machine so it took more effort to remove the mask.

Good luck in figuring out a solution.

WindCpap wrote:Davep has already shown that he can fall asleep with the mask on. Wearing the mask for non-sleeping activities beyond an initial acclimation is poor sleep hygiene. We want to train our brain that mask=sleep and no mask=not sleeping. Keeping the mask on for none-sleep activities completely goes against this.

What I am suggesting is an empowering activity. You give yourself the choice of either sleeping with the mask on or taking it off and getting out of bed. In this scenario, you don't have to wear the mask if you don't want to. What he needs is to take a bit of time for whatever urge is causing him to rip off the mask to pass, and then go back to bed. It is really quite simple. The main problem is that he is allowing himself to go back to sleep without putting the mask back on.

Windcap,

It is an issue of doing what works and for many people, wearing the mask for non sleeping activities has helped them acclimate so they can sleep with it at night.

Many people who remove the mask unintentionally have no memory of going back to sleep without it. I certainly didn't when I had this problem with removing full face masks many months ago.

In my opinion, the issue is troubleshoot why this is happening. For me, it was mask discomfort but for others, the reason may be different. If you can't find a reason, then figure out the best way to discourage yourself from doing this which is what Dave is asking for help with.

WindCpap wrote:Davep has already shown that he can fall asleep with the mask on. Wearing the mask for non-sleeping activities beyond an initial acclimation is poor sleep hygiene. We want to train our brain that mask=sleep and no mask=not sleeping. Keeping the mask on for none-sleep activities completely goes against this.

What I am suggesting is an empowering activity. You give yourself the choice of either sleeping with the mask on or taking it off and getting out of bed. In this scenario, you don't have to wear the mask if you don't want to. What he needs is to take a bit of time for whatever urge is causing him to rip off the mask to pass, and then go back to bed. It is really quite simple. The main problem is that he is allowing himself to go back to sleep without putting the mask back on.

Wind - not here to argue with you. Just trying to help the OP with suggestions to get used to sleeping through the night with his mask on. However, I do think these statements " Wearing the mask for non-sleeping activities beyond an initial acclimation is poor sleep hygiene. We want to train our brain that mask=sleep and no mask=not sleeping" are not accurate and can be misleading to others. Can you please post links to valid research studies to support these claims?

I believe that trying any technique to help yourself learn to adapt to the process of cpap treatment is an empowering activity- whether you 'succeed' initially or not, give yourself credit for trying