I Hate When My Mask Falls Off Mid Sleep...

Hi all,

I'm using the nasal pillow mask, the one I find to be most comfortable...

Only problem is, I've been accidentally removing it mid sleep. How can I rectify this? Someone told me about Bandaids, do I have to keep doing that? Anything else I could/should do?

CPAPless nights...really aren't bueno...

Bandaids or some tape across the straps so that you hopefully will wake up and stop the unwanted behavior of removing the mask.
How long? Depends on how long it takes your brain to figure out the mask needs to stay in place.
Usually not for a really long time though.
Prematurely removing the mask during the night and not waking up to realize it is a fairly common occurrence especially with people new to therapy. The brain wants that thing off the face and doesn't understand that it needs to stay there. Eventually with time the brain learns to accept its new friend and won't try to sneak it off so much.

People have tried all sorts of remedies...taping it on the cheeks...wearing some sort of beanie cap...wearing mittens to bed....and I heard of one person tying one wrist to the side of the bed so he couldn't use that hand
Personally I would go with a little bit of tape over the straps first before I went to other more drastic measures.

So you would say stick to the nasal pillow, or would you go with a full face mask?

I would say use whatever mask you find that you like the best and can sleep with the best.
Just because there's more to a full face mask doesn't mean that it can't be removed and you not remember it.
I have heard of people waking up in the morning to find their mask and hose neatly folded up and place on top of their machine and they don't remember doing it at all.
Now depending on the full face mask there can be more to the headgear and that might make it a little more difficult to remove but it also comes with a whole other set of potential issues in terms of fit and comfort.
If you have one you can try it and see.

For me personally...I use the mask that is the most comfortable and let's me sleep the best without waking multiple times during the night for adjustment, fiddling, leak or whatever.
I would choose that mask and tape it to my cheeks.

I've only used a full face mask, and had the same problem when I started. Even now, after almost 3 years, I find it happening once in a long while. I don't know why, maybe I get up to piddle, just pulling the tube off the mask and at some point before going back to bed my brain decides to take it off. It happens so rarely that I don't worry about it...what's done is done and can't be undone. What you are going through is normal and part of the adjustment to this therapy.

If tape comes off skin too easily, you can tuck a few hairs under it.
That wakes me up!

chunkyfrog wrote:If tape comes off skin too easily, you can tuck a few hairs under it.
That wakes me up!

Wait, frogs have hair??? lol Good idea chunkyfrog.

Ok, so I've officially tried both masks and have taken BOTH off mid-sleep.

Hmmm....what to do. Guess I can keep trying the tape. Do you refer to masking tape or bandaids?

Hi! I'm not English and I'm new in this Forum- So, I'd say we hace to develop a positive psychological attitude towards the CPAP and the mask, destined to stay with us during the night for the rest of our life, in the moment of the day we really have to be relaxed. In my first days of use it also happened to me, once or twice, to find the tube and the mask on the floor beside my bed- So, I decided to concentrate on the thought that that CPAP device and the mask, were really helping me to solve my big problem, so I started loving that fresh humid air softly entering my nose, started loving the noise of the device asif it was a lullaby, so that the only thought that my mask could quit me and stop all this nice condition, make my brain activate something inconscious that could someway give me an alert, in case of danger of losing the mask- Then, I,ve also tried to set the tube in a better way, so that it could almost follow me in my movements in the bed.... Now, it's the fourth month i Use CPAP, my mask now always remains at her place, and I'm sure that in case of problems, my brain suggests me how to move in my sleep to avoid losing the tube and the mask- Have a nice Sunday!

Have you looked at your data? Is there anything indicating that you are taking it off because you can't breathe or there are big events or something? Maybe if you post some data, someone could give advice specifically on your situation.

It took me nearly 6 months to overcome the same situation. 'Lightweight' mittens, with the wrist straps pulled very tight (as I was inclined to pull off the mittens and then the mask) seemed to break me of it. I currently require a full face mask and an ASV hitting 25 cm IPAP peaks: the mask is staying on and the leak rate's very low. 18 months ago I never would have thought this possible, and I'm severely claustrophobic. If you stick with it, I am certain you will find a way. In the meantime, I would re-iterate SewTired's advice: can you post data for someone to help you understand if this might possibly be event-based? Thank you!