How do I find out what's waking me up??

I started with CPAP last Friday night. Except for that first night, I have woken up every morning around 3:00 to 4:30 (ish). Then, I become very aware of mask leaks, and I can't resolve them (there were no leaks when I went to bed). So I wind up ripping off the mask, turning off the machine, and going back to sleep. It's bad enough that me alarm goes off during the work week at 4:15 am. Now I'm waking at 3:00-3:30 and getting very annoyed at the mask!

How do you hunt down what's waking you up and killing it?!?

If I knew for sure it was the mask (started with the Amira View and switched to the Resmed AirFit 10), I'd start by getting something from PadaCheek or similar. I saw the "how to tame a Quattro" instructions, so I might give that a shot tonight.

Any other suggestions?
Ed

Use the software and look to see what the pressure is when you wake up and you find the mask is leaking.
If it is much higher than the pressure is when you first turned the machine on and fitted the mask...then maybe you need to fit the mask at the higher pressure at the beginning of the night.

If leaks are still waking you up and the pressure doesn't seem to have increased...maybe it's facial oils that is causing the mask to lose it's seal...consider a mask liner maybe...they help diffuse the leaks so they aren't so annoying and they also help absorb any excess facial oils.

Any leak that wakes us up is unwanted and needs to be fixed...even if it isn't necessarily big enough to negatively impact therapy.

So since you mention leaks...that's the first thing I would look at as maybe causing a wake up and that's the first thing I would do to try fix.

You can try a homemade mask liner to get an idea if a mask liner would help or not...old worn out TShirt works great for a DIY mask liner.

Pugsy wrote:Use the software and look to see what the pressure is when you wake up and you find the mask is leaking.
If it is much higher than the pressure is when you first turned the machine on and fitted the mask...then maybe you need to fit the mask at the higher pressure at the beginning of the night.

If leaks are still waking you up and the pressure doesn't seem to have increased...maybe it's facial oils that is causing the mask to lose it's seal...consider a mask liner maybe...they help diffuse the leaks so they aren't so annoying and they also help absorb any excess facial oils.

Any leak that wakes us up is unwanted and needs to be fixed...even if it isn't necessarily big enough to negatively impact therapy.

So since you mention leaks...that's the first thing I would look at as maybe causing a wake up and that's the first thing I would do to try fix.

You can try a homemade mask liner to get an idea if a mask liner would help or not...old worn out TShirt works great for a DIY mask liner.

Pugsy...He is using the Elite...fixed pressure

I second the mask liners. For me they actually increase leaks by the numbers (very low steady leak all night), but you don't feel it nearly as much, and it seems to help eliminate the seal degradation over night that happens as result of skin oils, humidity from your exhalation, and the silicone getting heated up. It makes for a much more consistent mask fit.

LSAT wrote:Pugsy...He is using the Elite...fixed pressure

Well, crap...that whole really good idea went to hell in a hand basket.
Sorry...totally missed the Elite.
Wonder if ramp pressure is being used as fitting and then the final pressure is higher????

The rest of my idea about using mask liners still stands and also do need to see just what that leak is doing at the wake up time.....is it a really big leak or just annoying little leak. It of course needs to be remedied either way but how to go about it may be altered...like is it a mask/cushion size altering leak or just a small annoyance leak.

Has the mask fitting guide been checked to confirm correct size cushion?

If you are interested in trying to make your own mask liner, PM me and I will send you a copy of he pattern I used to make my liners.

you said nothing about when you went to sleep. May be that you sleep enough hours. It is also related to your age which you hide.

EdNerd wrote:I started with CPAP last Friday night. Except for that first night, I have woken up every morning around 3:00 to 4:30 (ish). Then, I become very aware of mask leaks,

mask liners are a game changer with taming masks leaks.

Woke up again this morning, but since I didn't have to work today and the alarm wasn't going off in another 50 minutes, I relaxed and explored a bit.

First thing I noticed last night was, as stated in "Taming the Quattro", there's a big difference in mask fit sitting up and laying down. Naturally I put the mask on before laying down, so I tried to be aware of the seal as soon as I laid down and make adjustments accordingly. I turned the ramp off, so within seconds I'm at my rated pressure of 11cm, and the mask seal should be fully inflated. A friend (who has the Amara View) said he just pulls the mask slightly and evenly away from his face to allow the seal to reform to cure leaks. So I did that and it seemed to help.

I'm a side sleeper, and I have compressed disks in my neck, so pillow support is very important to me. The wrong crick in my neck will take me out! But I did notice from the start that a pillow under my cheek and mask can push the mask off to one side, breaking the seal. I'm thinking a CPAP pillow can help here.

I'm probably going to get a Pad A Cheek for my mask, too, to help with any skin oil issues. Although it seems like skin oils might actually help the mask seal?? Like filling in the micro-gaps and creating a greater surface tension and adhesion?? Then again, apparently not - or there'd be a sticky thread on applying a light coat of 5w30 to your mask every night before sleep!

I also noticed that puling my chin down towards my chest or lifting it so my neck is straighter makes a big difference in how tight the bottom mask straps are, which greatly affects the seal. I'm beginning to see I have to completely re-learn how to sleep!! I'm going to divide my life into BCpap and ACpap.

Ed

Facial oils act like a lubricant...so things slide around more...and it doesn't take much oil on the skin to create a little problem especially with a full face mask where there is more mask to skin surface contact points.

What happens to a car engine when there's not enough oil keeping the parts from rubbing together???

I saw you were trying to post an image..


Review this
https://sleep.tnet.com/reference/tips/imgur

and this
viewtopic/t103468/Need-help-with-screen-shots.html

I also use the Amara View mask. I have found that I do better sleeping with a cervical collar on my neck. It helps me keep my head up when I sleep which maintains correct tension on my lower straps and maintain a better seal.

What might help you a lot is a soft cervical collar - keeps your head up, airway open and jaw closed. You can do a forum search on it and get many hits.

Soft cervical collar ... sounds good! I had something like that - it was actually an inflatable neck pillow / brace for airplane travel. But it sprung a leak so it's gone now. But that does sound do-able. Hafta check that out.

Ed

I buy mine through Walmart. Here is the link to collar: http://www.walmart.com/search/?query=dm ... dmi%20firm
I like the firm collar better than the soft. I does a better job of holding my head up.