does anyone use a chin strap

I am new to the board. I have been using cpap for about a year and a half and am using a chin strap. I am unable to keep the chin strap on all night. I know I am not getting as much benefit from cpap because my mouth is open at night. Any suggestions?

Lots of us have to use a chin strap to remind us to keep our mouths closed. But, I don't think there is a chin strap available that will absolutely keep it closed. I bought one from an on-line CPAP distributor that works for me better than the one furnished by my DME. It's called the "Topaz Adjustable Chin Strap" and fits on the chin like a football helmet strap. It's the best, soft an comfortable.

On occasion I use a chin strap with my nasal pillows. I normally use my full face mask though. And I also use the Topaz chin strap. It's very comfortable.

Jeanne

blueeyes, while chinstraps work for some, there are others of us for whom just keeping the jaw up and/or mouth closed is not enough. Mouth air leaks can happen through loosely closed lips, even with with jaw up and mouth shut. The tongue is the real seal - inside the mouth. If the tongue doesn't maintain a good seal within the mouth, pressurized air can puff out between closed lips even with closed mouth/closed jaw.

Usually that tongue-sealing position is forward, spread out, and pressed against the roof of the mouth. However some get a better seal if the tongue is dropped way back, blocking off the entrance to the throat. Letting the tongue drop back sounds counter-intuitive, but if you try it with your machine going, the cpap pressure still keeps the airway part of the throat open... the tongue is placed back there simply to block throat-air from escaping out the mouth. When the tongue is dropped way back to block the entrance to the airway in the throat, you can even let your mouth drop open totally and cpap air will not come out your mouth.

But, either one of those tongue positions (forward or way back) are not necessarily going to "hold" during the relaxation of sleep. The lucky people who can put on a nasal mask and sleep all night with no air puffing out from between closed lips probably have a natural mouth/tongue architecture that keeps their tongue forward and sealed against the roof of the mouth even when everything is relaxed.

If a chin strap works, great. But if keeping the jaw up doesn't get the job done and air still puffs out from between closed lips, you can just about bet that tongue position is the real culprit. In that case, keeping the lips sealed shut is the next step for most people. Sometimes placing a simple Ace bandage or stretchy headband over the lips (especially if you can run it slightly upward) is enough to keep the lips closed well enough to prevent lip air puffs. A "reminder" for the lips, as Georgia Hosehead mentioned. A commercial product called "Chin-Up" strips work well for some. If all else fails, some of us resort to taping the lips shut to securely dam off the lip air leaks. If you do that, be sure you turn down an end of the tape, sticking the end against itself - making an easy to get hold of grab-tab.

I use the chin strap below. I had one the DME provided but could keep it on my head. It kept sliding from the back of my head to the front and I would open my mouth....

switched to this one....
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/111

https://bb4b1663da2f8a31ea1b-be9b2e315e ... nstrap.bmp

and use the strap behind the head to keep it in place. works well for me.

I had to take this print out into my DME so they would believe me that such a device was available....

good luck