I can't keep my mask on.

[tsef]

Hi there, I'm a new member and somewhat a fairly new CPAP user.
I've had pretty bad sleep for a few years and my doctor finally told me to get a test at a clinic. Went there and found out I had pretty bad sleep apnea (AHI around 80).
So my doctor told me to get a CPAP machine. Got a resmed s10 with a n20 mask at the beginning of december and things were pretty ok at first but the mask was feeling awkward, so when the technician came, after talking to him about it he gave me a n30i which feels pretty great while I'm awake.
The trouble is that I keep taking the mask off after 2h and I don't get my 4hrs per night.
I don't feel well rested when waking up and a bit frustrated at myself.
Does anyone have any tips ? I will try going back to the n20 for a few nights to see if things get better, but as I said earlier the mask isn't that comfortable to me. I even shaved my beard to see if it changed anything but it doesn't seem to make any difference.
The machine is set to auto, with a 6-14 range and the humidifier is set to 6.
Thanks in advance

[Pugsy]

There is no such thing as a S10....there are
4 models of the AirSense 10 machines.
Exactly which model do you use?
Choices are
CPAP
Elite
Autoset
AutoSet for Her

model names clearly marked on the lower right corner of the machine.

If you are using a 6 to 14 range I assume AutoSet but we need to know which Autoset.

Go get OSCAR
https://www.sleepfiles.com/OSCAR/
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.ph ... stallation
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.ph ... rpretation

Post a typical night where you know you slept at least an hour or so...don't want a report where you didn't sleep.
Read this thread for graph formatting and posting hints.
viewtopic/t158560/How-to-post-images-for-review.html

[Miss Emerita]

Hello, tsef, and welcome. Congratulations on starting treatment for your sleep apnea! Are you awake or asleep when you take your mask off?

[jimbud]

It has been suggested on here that putting a strip of tape from the mask across your cheek will alert you to the fact you are taking the mask off. (if asleep when doing it) Maybe break that habit.

JPB

[Pugsy]

Tape your mask straps to your face so that if you start to remove the mask the discomfort will wake you up so you can stop the unwanted behavior.

[tsef]

Hello again,
Pugsy my machine is a resmed Airsense 10 autoset.
Here is my last night from oscar. I am certain I slept for the first 2 hours and when I woke up I put the mask back on :

I hope this is the kind of info you wanted.
I read the other posts and will try the sticky tape method too !

[Pugsy]

Nothing real exciting on the report. What I was looking for if there were any dense clusters of events maybe being a factor in the wake up and mask removal. I don't see it.

So most likely the brain wants the alien on the face gone because it's not a normal part of his previous life.
This is fairly common and what we do is try to fix up something that breaks the brain from telling the hands to remove the alien while you are asleep. Hence the tape so that you can wake up and stop the unwanted behavior. With time the brain will come to view the new alien on the face as its best new friend and the behavior should stop.

[tsef]

I will try that tonight. Thanks for the tip

[chunkyfrog]

I have no trouble keeping my cpap mask on,
but I cannot stand wearing the non-cpap mask any longer than absolutely necessary.
Does anyone have any tips for those masks?

[zonker]

I have no trouble keeping my cpap mask on,
but I cannot stand wearing the non-cpap mask any longer than absolutely necessary.
Does anyone have any tips for those masks?

post some charts!

[chunkyfrog]

I have no trouble keeping my cpap mask on,
but I cannot stand wearing the non-cpap mask any longer than absolutely necessary.
Does anyone have any tips for those masks?

post some charts!

I cannot download the software for that application.

[tweeter829]

I use the ResMed Airfit P30i, which is similar to yours, except it has pillows for the nose instead of the small mask. It was constantly coming off about the 2 hour mark. I did not know if it was coming off because of me shifting around, or if I was taking it off in my sleep. I attached a headband to the middle of the strap that goes around the back of my head, so as I am putting on the headgear, first I put the headband over my head and on the front side the headband is under my chin. I was still taking the mask off at the 2 hour mark. That was because the headband would stretch, allowing me to take off the headgear. I cut a strip of towel since that would not stretch, attached it to the back of the headband, and cut holes in the towel, and fasten the 2 ends under my chin with a zip tie.

[tsef]

Good news everyone ! (said professor Farnsworth)
The band-aid tips helped a lot. Big thanks to everyone

[Midwest_non_sleeper]

Good news everyone ! (said professor Farnsworth)
The band-aid tips helped a lot. Big thanks to everyone

As Pugsy said previously, in time, your brain will stop seeing the mask on your face as a threat and you will leave it alone. It take a little while though. I was spontaneously taking my mask off nightly for about a month, but I persevered and now I can't sleep without the thing. Sometimes, particularly if I'm stopped up or have a cold, I will still remove it while asleep, but that's not very often. I just put it back on if I wake up and go back to sleep. I don't concern myself with it too much.

Good luck to you!