KISS - Keep it simple stupid

Hello miserable sleepers,

I have been reading this forum from time to time even though my apnea is under control for over a year new. I did get some good advice here during very desperate times for me. So I'm going to pay it forward with this last simple post. KISS!

1. For the love of Pete USE A CERVICAL NECK COLLAR (CNC)!! For $10 at CVS you get a product that keeps the mouth from dropping open during sleep. A second benefit is it keeps the chin from dropping to your chest and possibly restricting the airway. Do you have dry mouth when using a nasal mask or nasal pillow mask?? USE a CNC!!! Taping ones mouth should only be considered if CNC fails for some reason. It amazes me to see how often Julie and other's take the time to suggest using a CNC for dry mouth, or this CPAP doesn't work for me blah blah, and you never hear back if the person even tried to use the CVC!!! Honest to God it's such a simple idea think people just ignore it. Are you waiting for someone to put a CPAP/apnea marketing label on a CNC and charge you $50 for it?

2. Breathing through the nose is the proper way to breath during sleep --- not mouth breathing. DON'T ARGUE WITH ME ABOUT THIS STATEMENT OF FACT!!! If you don't believe me then go research it. With that being said:

a: Nasal is the 1st best mask choice . Why? See point 2. I use a F & P Eson mask but other's are just as good. It comfortably surrounds the nose and is therefore less disruptive and easiest to adjust to. If you are having trouble with making the nasal mask work for you then USE A CERVICAL NECK COLLAR!

b: Nasal pillow is 2nd best mask choice. Why? I find them more intrusive and therefore harder to adjust to. If you are having trouble with Nasal pillow mask then USE A CERVICAL NECK COLLAR!!

c. Full face mask should only be selected if A & B fail. If full face mask fails I suggest pairing it up with a CNC.


3. You have to find your exact correct CPAP pressure including pressure relief. Being off by 1 with too much or too little pressure is not good enough IMHO. Drs originally had me at pressure of 9 - 11. Well I slept like complete crap. The natural instinct is to increase pressure which is just what I did. I kept trying higher pressures until I almost died of sleep deprivation. Finally, I went the other direction and trying lower pressures and found the perfect pressure. 4.9 with 1 pressure relief.

Now I'm signing off for the last time to go play golf.

Thomas F. wrote: 2. Breathing through the nose is the proper way to breath during sleep --- not mouth breathing. DON'T ARGUE WITH ME ABOUT THIS STATEMENT OF FACT!!! If you don't believe me then go research it. With that being said:

a: Nasal is the 1st best mask choice . Why? See point 2. I use a F & P Eson mask but other's are just as good. It comfortably surrounds the nose and is therefore less disruptive and easiest to adjust to. If you are having trouble with making the nasal mask work for you then USE A CERVICAL NECK COLLAR!

b: Nasal pillow is 2nd best mask choice. Why? I find them more intrusive and therefore harder to adjust to. If you are having trouble with Nasal pillow mask then USE A CERVICAL NECK COLLAR!!

c. Full face mask should only be selected if A & B fail. If full face mask fails I suggest pairing it up with a CNC.

I want to quibble about points 2a and 2b: You find a nasal mask less intrusive than a nasal pillows mask. But a lot of nasal pillows users find the pillows masks to be much less intrusive than a nasal mask. It's a matter of choice---as in what works best for the given user.

For me: The ability to scratch my nose is what makes the nasal pillows masks so much better than a traditional nasal mask like the F&P Eson.

As for full face masks: Many people successfully use them for a number of reasons. My hubby started out with the F&P Eson. He liked that mask a lot. He had no problems with leak lines. He breathes through his nose exclusively, except when he gets a head cold or his nasal allergies are acting up really badly. But when he has a bad head cold or when his allergies are acting up, he will occasionally breath through his mouth. Not enough to really affect the leak line when he uses the F&P Eson, but enough where the sound of the air escaping thru his mouth would wake him up. So he tried a FFM when he had a bad head cold. And he found out that he actually likes the FFM better than the Eson even when he doesn't have congestion from a cold or allergies. Don't ask me why because it makes no sense to me. But even though he has no need for a FFM, he prefers it.

Everybody is DIFFERENT.
Like Goldilocks, we may need to try many options before finding our own best fit.
Thank goodness we have those choices.
Thank goodness we have this forum, where we can get help 24-7,
because dealers are only open on weekdays, and only during bankers hours at that.

You need to find what works for YOU. There are no single solutions.

There are things you can try but what works for you can be very different.

For me...

Full mask user, never used nasal or pillows.

Sleep on my stomach most of the time.

No collars though I do sleep with headphones most nights, noise canceling.

Successfully treated for more than 11 years.

robysue wrote:I want to quibble about points 2a and 2b: You find a nasal mask less intrusive than a nasal pillows mask. But a lot of nasal pillows users find the pillows masks to be much less intrusive than a nasal mask. It's a matter of choice---as in what works best for the given user.

+1 Agree with nasal pillows but breath thru the nose whenever possible. After all that is why it is there.
But then breathing thru the nose should be first - the collar or keeping a straight spine is secondary to get some air to the airway. But so be it - not the end of the world, not today anyway.

But there should be a #4 ... or maybe it should be #2.
4. Must have DATA. Full Data in order to determine if your therapy is effective.

I am surprised no one else here caught that.

Thomas F. wrote: KISS!

Instead of KISS, I would pick several of,

peremptory, brusque, imperious, high-handed, brisk, abrupt, summary, commanding, dictatorial, autocratic, overbearing, dogmatic, arrogant, overweening, lordly, magisterial, authoritarian

chunkyfrog wrote:Everybody is DIFFERENT.

Krelvin wrote:You need to find what works for YOU. There are no single solutions.

Yes!

It just occurred to me that Thomas may be pulling our collective leg.
---mine is the wet one; please let it go! I need it.