10 days & I can't keep the mask on all night :(

[PinkMonkey]

First, thanks for so much amazing information!! I have read lots & learned more... and will continue doing so !!

I know this is going to take time, but my sleep is horrible. I am having anxiety with the Airfit P10 for her nasal pillow mask. I know I will get used to it, started taking low dosage ambien so I can sleep. However, every morning the mask is next to me on the night stand! I only have it on for 3-4 hours at night. Not sure why I am taking it off!

My resmed airsense 10 for her is set with auto ramp.
PSG had an overall AHI of 43.7
Pap Titration recommended cpap 7 cmH20 with humidification.
I have installed sleepyhead & added my info... but not really sure I understand what I am seeing

Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks soooo much

[jnk...]

The three to four hours that you ARE wearing it is still doing you good. Eventually your brain will register the mask as a good thing, hopefully. It takes some brains more time than others before that happens.

Getting the humidity adjusted just right sometimes helps.

The 7cmH2O may be enough to keep your airway open, but it may not be enough pressure for you to be comfortable wearing the mask. If your brain continues to have you take your mask off and nothing else seems to prevent that, you and your team may want to consider trying a little more pressure for comfort reasons. I know I need more than 7cm during allergy season because of my sinuses. Often, anything less than 8 cm makes me feel starved for air.

Similarly, although ramp is a fantastic comfort feature for some, it can be a hindrance for others who need more pressure right away to fall asleep comfortably without their airway closing slightly soon after they lie down.

Keep trying things. Make the problem-solving process a fun game, not an anxiety-inducing chore, if you can.

Keep posting and asking questions. You may even want to ask about posting the results of your sleepyhead info to get comments from other sleepyhead users.

Oh, and WELCOME!

-jeff

[PinkMonkey]

X

[PinkMonkey]

thanks Jeff for the welcome & for the suggestions with adjusting the humidity! I will try that tonight

I also posted my recent sleepyhead & would appreciate any thoughts on it !!

[jnk...]

Check your PM (top, left, click on "new messages") for the first thing I noticed.

[Diamondminek]

You could try taping the mask to your face, it makes it more likely u will realise you are taking the mask off when you do it - and can then put it back on.

[Violet West]

but she's using the nasal pillows, right? Have you tried bobby pins or barrettes for holding the headgear in place?

[rohdej]

I also use the P10. I have noticed that when I keep a "Men's Short" haircut, that the straps stick like glue. But now with longer than over the collar but less than Ponytail length It can slip off with ease. The elastic straps lightly slip the hair around and the straps pop off the top of my head. New straps pull and slip more than my old stretched ones. I will be looking for the old style metal spring snap berets or bobbie pins to pin my mask straps this weekend.

Something else to watch for with it being allergy season. The plastic screen vent on the mask may need to be cleaned with a water pick. When you do finally sneeze into your mask the remnants left behind after a standard sink washing will clog the mask and you will get the suffocation feeling again.

Something else about allergies - mine are better breathing filtered air all night long. If i'm partially plugged when I mask up the pressure helps open my sinuses.

I would also turn the ramp off. 7cm is not that high of a pressure. The ramp will just extend the time your under 7cm not having enough air.

[PinkMonkey]

Such great ideas!! Thank you! I cleaned everything really well & will try the bobby pins tonight

[truckee147]

Keep at it. Little by little you will get there. It took me and many others a few weeks to come to a full night with it. Once you get there it will feel very natural to don the mask. I used a ear pug with some music the first weeks to get to the point where I was relaxed. Little steps will get you there. More hours each night. You will feel much better

[PinkMonkey]

Thanks Truckee!! It is really helpful having the support from here!! I actually kept it on for 5 hours last night Adjusting the epr helped too!!

[RogerSC]

If your mask is next to you on the night stand, I'd suggest using your cpap mask when you're not sleeping, just to get accustomed to it. It sounds like you're taking it off, not that it's slipping off, or it would still be on your bed. Unless you're just a very tidy person and move things that you find on your bed onto your night stand while you're sleeping *smile*. If you can get your body used to the cpap mask, that might be helpful, and that might happen a lot easier when you're like watching TV or reading a book, or doing something that you enjoy doing.

Just a thought. I'm sure, though, that if you stay with it, as you show a strong inclination to do, that at some point you'll get comfortable enough with the mask and air and all that you'll just leave it on. I'm hoping that you can accelerate the process a bit by using it while you're awake.