Dreamwear

[OceanGoingGal]

Hi Everyone! I recently went to my DME to get a new mask. I found one with pillows that I thought would be great. I went to bed that night expecting it to be comfy like it was in the shop. Well the edge of the plastic piece that holds the pillows leaned against my upper lip. It was very painful. I resorted to pirating my old machine and using the mask from it. I washed it and put it on. With every breath I took it whistled. No other choices remained so I got no sleep with "Whistling Willy" to serenade me. In the morning I went back to the DME and asked to make an exchange. She brought out this mask called Dreamwear. The nose piece is a strip that runs under my nose and it has a slit directing the air where it needs to be. The hose connects at the top of your head and goes behind you. There is no brace running up my face. Nothing to obstruct my glasses if I want to read. I have never felt so free. I love this system.

Laura

[Stom]

Hi Everyone! I recently went to my DME to get a new mask. I found one with pillows that I thought would be great. I went to bed that night expecting it to be comfy like it was in the shop. Well the edge of the plastic piece that holds the pillows leaned against my upper lip. It was very painful. I resorted to pirating my old machine and using the mask from it. I washed it and put it on. With every breath I took it whistled. No other choices remained so I got no sleep with "Whistling Willy" to serenade me. In the morning I went back to the DME and asked to make an exchange. She brought out this mask called Dreamwear. The nose piece is a strip that runs under my nose and it has a slit directing the air where it needs to be. The hose connects at the top of your head and goes behind you. There is no brace running up my face. Nothing to obstruct my glasses if I want to read. I have never felt so free. I love this system.

Laura

I've had similar experiences. Pillows should be awesome, but the P10 that so many people really like pressed wrong on my face. Same for several other kinds of pillows. The original Dreamwear nasal cushion is a mask that seems like it shouldn't work but has become my go to mask with minimal pressure on my face. There is a pillows version of the Dreamwear that is ok, but doesn't work as well for me.

[JayDee]

I've settled on the Dreamwear nasal cushion too. It seals great, no matter what sleep position I somersault to. There's zero irritation too. Nothing rubs me the wrong way.

I tried the ResMed P10 pillows and the Dreamwear pillows, but both irritated the heck out of my nares. If I made it loose enough to not irritate, then it wouldn't seal. There must be a point where pillows fit perfect, but I couldn't find it. Vive la différence among mask manufacturers -AND- thank heaven for CPAP.com and their mask insurance so you can find the mask that works best for you!

In anticipation of seasonal allergies and head-colds, I'm getting the Dreamwear full-face mask that covers the mouth so I can mouth-breathe with a stuffed-up head. It looks like it uses the same nasal cushion.

-JD

[zonker]

yet another example of just how important the mask is! and of course, it's personal to each of us. our faces are so different and it seems to take so long to find the right one.

good work!

[realshelby]

I do agree that the Dreamwear nasal ( not pillows ) is the most comfortable mask system I have used. Up to 8 I have bought out of pocket to try. But, I did find it smashed my hair flat as the frame sits in exactly the same place each night. Would not raise up no matter what I did. That put me on the path to trying some others. I have learned how to use the P10 and now have no irritation from it. But I will still say the Dreamwear was more comfortable. I do find the P10 seals better when on my side, but only by a small margin.

[edatlanta]

I just started with a CPAP back in February and the Dreamwear cushion was recommended by my DME. Not knowing one over the other I took it and was amazed at how comfortable it is. It never bothered me or caused a sore spot from the first night. Maybe I'm very lucky, but that is OK with me.

Concerning the hair issue on the top of my head - I keep my hair very short and if it sticks up I don't notice besides I wear a cap most of the time anyway. Even if it did stick up with longer hair and was noticeable, what is more important, a good night's sleep or a little hair issue?

[realshelby]

Concerning the hair issue on the top of my head - I keep my hair very short and if it sticks up I don't notice besides I wear a cap most of the time anyway. Even if it did stick up with longer hair and was noticeable, what is more important, a good night's sleep or a little hair issue?

I have a flat top! So short hair on top too! Problem was that it would NOT stand up. Laid flat where the Dreamwear headgear was. Left a perfect shape of it on my head. Looked like I might have been in for a frontal lobotomy. But I would have lived with it for the results, like you say it is worth it. I have found other masks that I am happy with and do the job as good or better in their own way.

I sure do miss the hose connection on the top of my head. That is really MUCH better than any other I have used.

[Janknitz]

I love the Dreamwear, too, but it does a number on my hair. I shower in the morning and wash my hair, so I'm good. Occasionally on a weekend I'll skip the shower and I have to wet my hair and fluff it out to get rid of the "Dreamwear Do".

[MurrayNevada]

A large size DreamWear Frame may help. They are found on Amazon and are inexpensive.

[Minky]

What am I doing wrong?

I want to love the Dreamwear because it is very comfortable, but I can't get it to not leak no matter what I do. I used the sizing guide that came with it and I'm definitely a small, so it's not an issue of using the wrong size. The only way I can get it to seal is by really tightening the straps, which causes it to be uncomfortable.

Any suggestions?

[realshelby]

Leak? Meaning a problem or a nuisance leak?

I have learned by reading here that a leak may not matter....as long as it does not wake you up. I have learned from experience with the many masks I have tried that where they leak and where that air gets directed makes a LOT of difference in whether it wakes you up or not or aggravates you in some way.

So a small or occasional leak may in fact be just fine and if you can train your brain to allow it and consider it ok it might not effect you as far as sleeping through it.

One thing I found recently that seems to make a notable difference in mask seal is to clean my nose area, including up in them just a bit, with a cpap wipe just before fitting the mask. I wash my nasal pillow every morning in hot water and hand soap so it is squeaky clean. When you clean your nose area, while it might seem clean you are removing some oils and other stuff from the contact points. This seems to allow the mask to almost "stick" to your skin. Meaning less leaks but more importantly they don't move around much. I think that keeps irritation down. This applies to nasal pillows and the nasal version of the Dreamwear and other brands.

[Pugsy]

What am I doing wrong?

I want to love the Dreamwear because it is very comfortable, but I can't get it to not leak no matter what I do. I used the sizing guide that came with it and I'm definitely a small, so it's not an issue of using the wrong size. The only way I can get it to seal is by really tightening the straps, which causes it to be uncomfortable.

Any suggestions?

What size frame are you using? The mask package comes with the medium frame but there are small and large frame sizes available.
I had major issues with it until I went to the small frame. After that some minor leak issues and I feel that I would maybe do better with an XSmall cushion but they don't make one.
Using the side fleece wraps helped snug things up a bit but not quite enough.

[clenchingtobreathe]

What am I doing wrong?

I want to love the Dreamwear because it is very comfortable, but I can't get it to not leak no matter what I do. I used the sizing guide that came with it and I'm definitely a small, so it's not an issue of using the wrong size. The only way I can get it to seal is by really tightening the straps, which causes it to be uncomfortable.

Any suggestions?

My Dreamwear is such a better choice than anything else I tried that I don't mind a little leak here and there and the leaks don't really bother me as much as high pressure does! I DID learn to pull the straps lower on the back of my head instead of having them at the center of the back of my head. This helped me considerably with leaks.....

[DramaLlama]

I refused to get a CPAP machine until a new doctor had me try the dreamwear. It was soooo much better than the other masks I was expected to endure. The top hose attachment, which I lovingly call "my snorkel" is a life saver. Anyway, if anyone is having problems with theirs, try the different pillows they have. They have them with just the under-nose part, they have them with little pillows that seal around your nostrils, and they have a "mouth & nose" mask which is still far better than the traditional masks. One of these will solve your leak problems, and still be comfy.

[Grace~~~]

I love the dreamwear cushion mask and just recently got a small "full face" mask with new headband for when I get a cold or flu.

I wear mine completely different from the directions after reading a tip here on cpaptalk by a poster that worked great for me.

I have long thick hair and I put it in a messybun right on top of my head and position the nozzle right in front of it so there's no way it could slip back. I wear a small nose piece since I have a small nose but I found I loved the large frame. I wear it tilted way back on my head so it really actually touches both of my ears behind my cheek bones. Also the angle of the mask is tilted way back. I could balance a tennis ball on top of my head under the mask so it wouldn't work sitting up but laying down it's fine. No way could my hair get smushed! LOL

The mask is still tight with the straps holding it under my nose so I get a good seal. I wash my mask in Dr. Bronner's peppermint but I wipe my face each night with alcohol before putting mask on and I think this step really helps with the seal. ( I'm in humid Florida and have always had normal to oily skin so this step isn't an issue for me. In fact I like the cooling feel.)

The way the dreamwear fit feels is just like a headband. My face is TOTALLY free, nothing in my peripheral vision. I think it's my hair that makes this possible for me, but maybe this will help someone else.


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