Large leak time

[Wanz]

I’m still a newbie on this board. I’ve been on my machine for 6 weeks now and only been monitoring my numbers less than a week. Last night was the first night I had less than 100% “Mask fit. It was 90%. The % in large leak was 9.6%.

I know I woke up twice and found both times that my full mask had slipped above my mouth with my mouth outside of the mask. It was after the 2nd time that I made the lower straps a little more snug. I seemed to be fine after that. Are those numbers horrible and would it make sense that the “large leak” time was due to the fact my mask had slipped above my mouth?

I’m sure I’m fussing about nothing and it would make sense that the “Large leak” time had to do with my mouth being out side of the mask a couple of times. Can’t be sure how long my mouth was outside of my mask but I think it would make sense that that would be the reason for those numbers of the “large leak” time.

I suppose I’m just looking for reassurance that was the reason with those numbers.

[LSAT]

Yes..that would account for the large leak. Be sure you are using the correct mask size.

[ChicagoGranny]

Wanz

Are you using OSCAR yet?

[HollyL]

I know I woke up twice and found both times that my full mask had slipped above my mouth with my mouth outside of the mask.

This happened to me too and I panicked over large leak results. I followed advice given to me on this forum and changed the size of my mask cushion. I was previously using a small size and when I was relaxed in my sleep, my jaw was dropping and my mouth would fall below the edge of the mask - causing leaks.
Medium mask cushion now works a treat and no large leaks since

Good luck with your CPAP journey, you've come to the right place for advice.

[Wanz]

Yes..that would account for the large leak. Be sure you are using the correct mask size.

Thanks and I am using the correct size I just had to make a small adjustment with the straps. I’ve been using this mask for more than a month.

[Wanz]

I know I woke up twice and found both times that my full mask had slipped above my mouth with my mouth outside of the mask.

This happened to me too and I panicked over large leak results. I followed advice given to me on this forum and changed the size of my mask cushion. I was previously using a small size and when I was relaxed in my sleep, my jaw was dropping and my mouth would fall below the edge of the mask - causing leaks.
Medium mask cushion now works a treat and no large leaks since

Good luck with your CPAP journey, you've come to the right place for advice.

I’m using a large now and over a months time it’s only happened a few times. I know why the mask moved. When I make the straps a tad more snug it keeps it in place. My only concern was the reason for the large leak numbers. I was pretty sure what the large leak was from. I simply asked here just to make sure.
Thanks for your reply.

[Pugsy]

Yes...the mask moved and created the leak and that easily explains the unusual larger leak numbers.

[Wanz]

Wanz

Are you using OSCAR yet?

No I just started to use “DreamMapper.”

[Wanz]

Yes...the mask moved and created the leak and that easily explains the unusual larger leak numbers.

Thanks Pugsy. I figured as much but needed reassurance.

[Wanz]

Yes...the mask moved and created the leak and that easily explains the unusual larger leak numbers.

I normally have 100% “mask fit.” How low of a percentage would be considered unacceptable. I’ve been told that some leakage is acceptable. How are “large Leaks” measured compared to smaller leaks. Would smaller leaks affect the “Mask Fit” percentage?

[Pugsy]

Mask fit percentage relates to large leak only....only when you venture into what the machine deems is large leak territory will get counted. Smaller leaks that don't make it to large leak territory won't count.

Any leak that wakes a person up...no matter how big or how small needs to be dealt with but because it is disturbing our sleep more than anything else.

Now large leaks that don't wake us up....I personally don't even raise an eyebrow until I hit it for 30% of the night unless I start seeing it happen night after night after night. We all can have bad nights on a random basis and I don't worry about those.

When I do raise an eyebrow and start looking....I look for just how deep into large leak territory I went and how long was I there and then I might decide to do something....which usually for me meant change in headgear as that was always the most common cause of any big leaks I had.
How deep matters a lot. Just barely into large leak territory I shrugged and moved on.
You need to be using available software to evaluate how deep into large leak territory you go.
Really deep into large leak territory could mean therapy is affected but again how long you are there also matters.
10 minutes deep into large leak territory isn't the end world...3 hours deep in large leak territory...different story maybe.
The machine can actually compensate for quite a bit of even large leak before it runs into trouble and therapy effectiveness could maybe be impacted.

[Wanz]

Thanks Pugsy.
Would 10% leakage be considered unusually large which I believe would be 10% of the time I had leakage. To be exact, 9.6% of my nights sleep. It was less than one hour.
As I said, I’m normally at 100%.

[Pugsy]

I don't consider 10% of the time in large leak alarming at all.

6 hours equals 360 minutes....10 % in large leak would mean 36 minutes out of the entire night I was in large leak.
I don't even bat an eyelash of worry about leaks until I see couple of hours maybe in large leak.
And then only if I see it for several nights in a row maybe. One night of ugly leak I don't worry much about and won't do anything about.

[Wanz]

I don't consider 10% of the time in large leak alarming at all.

6 hours equals 360 minutes....10 % in large leak would mean 36 minutes out of the entire night I was in large leak.
I don't even bat an eyelash of worry about leaks until I see couple of hours maybe in large leak.
And then only if I see it for several nights in a row maybe. One night of ugly leak I don't worry much about and won't do anything about.

Thanks, it was 0.53 hrs large leak time out of a total 9:12 hrs spent with my Bipap. A little more than an hour of that total time included a nap in the afternoon.
Again, this was the only time I had any issue with large leak time since I starter monitoring a week ago. The only time it may have been an issue before that may have been one other night I had that same issue with the mask rising up and I've been using this mask for just over one month. Again, once I adjusted the straps that issue went away.


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[Wanz]

If anyone has wondered why it seems that I have made adjustments to my straps more than once due to my mask rising up pass my mouth, its because I had an issue(which I posted about) with my mask hurting my nose. My way around that issue was to loosen the straps. Problem is that I loosened all of them just to test it out. I knew that I needed to keep the lower straps a little more snug so it wouldn't slide, I guess at times I haven't had it snug enough. I know now to keep the uppers straps a tad looser and the bottom straps more snug around my mouth. Thanks for everyone's input.