Fitting problem - DreamWear nasal cradle

[clownbell]

With the DreamWear nasal cradle mask, the top of the frame (where the hose enters the elbow) tends to slide forward toward my forehead causing leaks. Sliding the frame up to the crown of the head makes the leaks go away. When I fall asleep, the frame slides forward again.

Having tried the "large" size frame without success, I could try the "small" frame but not sure that would help. Maybe a velcro strip to connect the top of the frame to the headgear but not sure that would help.

Does anyone know of a solution to this problem?

Thanks for your input.

Craig

[dreamingofdreaming]

There is new headgear for this mask that is suppose to help it stay in place better. I no longer use this mask, but when I did, I used a chin strap that helped keep the frame in place. I had the old headgear.

[ChicagoGranny]

Does anyone know of a solution to this problem?

This is the new headgear - https://www.cpap.com/productpage/dreamw ... dgear-arms

It's also a good idea to find your mask on youtube and watch three or four fitting and adjusting videos ( https://www.cpap.com/productpage/dreamw ... dgear-arms ). You might find an adjustment that works well with your current headgear.

[clownbell]

Thanks for the input. I do have the new headgear and have watched a couple YYT videos. I will look for more videos.

[New2me123]

This is my mask and I get nearly zero leaks when I use it. Go with the small frame.

[clownbell]

So I have now tried both the "medium" and "small" frames, and also the "medium" and "small" cushions. The leaks persist no matter what I do.

When I first start in the evening, the ResMed Mask Face is green -- also I run "mask fit" and the face shows green. In the morning, the ResMed Mask Face is red and myAir says hourly leak average was in the high 20s or low 30s. Frustrating.

I notice that if I touch the mask cushion with ultra light finer pressure, the mask gets silent and the barely perceptible leak seems to go away. Adjusting the headgear doesn't fix the problem. The headgear adjustment seems to effect how far UP the cushion goes but not how far BACK it goes. I wish I had a way to pull the bottom of the frame backwards just a tiny bit.

And yes, I have watched dozens of youtube and manufacturer videos without success. I have the new headgear with the plastic arms.

Does anyone have any solutions?

Thanks for all your help.

[ChicagoGranny]

Does anyone have any solutions?

See if there is something in here that hasn't been covered. Proper hose management is a biggie for some people.

To reduce unintentional mask leak -

- Make sure the mask is fitted properly. (See mask manufacturer's video.)

- Make sure the headgear is adjusted properly (See mask manufacturer's video.)

- If you use a low ramp pressure or a low minimum pressure, you should fit and adjust your mask at the higher pressures it is operating at for most of the night. You would temporarily change the machine pressure settings while you do the fitting and adjusting. It's best to do this well before bedtime before you are tired and ready for sleep. Don't forget to change your settings back to the ones you prefer.

- Make sure to use good hose management - the hose should not pull on the mask. Notice how your hose is positioned between machine and mask. It should be positioned to minimize any pull on the mask. Hose management is an individual practice. How it is done depends on the mask, the position of the machine, your sleeping position and other factors specific to the individual.

- If you still have problems, learn from the forum what mask liners are available.

- Start a thread in cpaptalk asking for help. Subject: Need Help with Mask xxxxxx

- If your mask still has excessive leak, try other masks. Many people report trying several masks before they find one that works well for them.

Note: Links to just some of the mask manufacturers' instructional videos can be found on the forum host's website - https://www.cpap.com/cpap-masks.php and https://www.youtube.com/

- CG

[clownbell]

I'm going to try one more thing -- a thin piece of velcro to act similarly to the bottom set of straps on a full face mask. Ot just needs a smidge of backward pressure. Nothing to lose. I'll report back.

[clownbell]

I'm going to try one more thing -- a thin piece of velcro to act similarly to the bottom set of straps on a full face mask. Ot just needs a smidge of backward pressure. Nothing to lose. I'll report back.

So I used the velcro hack described above. An absolute failure. OSCAR reports leaks over redline 52% of the time. I guess I have to say goodbye to the DW nasal cradle -- though it is very comfortable. Just not for me. And yes, I have tried all the pointers in previous posts, for which I am thankful.

[ChicagoGranny]

OSCAR reports leaks over redline 52% of the time.

I don't understand this. The reviews are overwhelmingly 5 of 5 stars (https://www.cpap.com/productpage/pr-dre ... k-fit-pack).

I personally found this mask easy to adjust to a leakproof state.

[clownbell]

@Granny - I don't understand it either. I have visited all the reviews and videos etc. Just won't work for me.

[ChicagoGranny]

One man's treasure is another's trash.

Or something like that.

[RogerSC]

Another person that this mask has worked well for, about the only one that is working for me at the moment. Yes, it does shift around a bit on the top of the head, but that doesn't cause leaks for me. Maybe you could try tightening the adjustment just a bit? That's what makes the difference for me. Masks like the Swift FX could be a little loose, and then when the air starts flowing, it kind of inflates. This one, I've noticed, I need to start with it fairly snug to have low leaks every night. When you put it on, have you tried shifting it from side to side while holding the nose part? You shouldn't see much leaking, if any, when you do that.

Anyways, good luck! Lots of masks out there...have you tried the ResMed N30? I find that one leaks too much for me, but it might work better for you. Really wish I could get the N30 to work for me, it's so light and quiet.

[ElusiveSleep]

I find that the standard hose for the Dreamwear nasal allows for the best grip of the mask to the head. When I switched to a heated hose to stop "rainout" during the winter months, the added weight tended to pull too much. Wrapping the regular hose with a "Snuggie" worked better than the latter, but still some added weight.

Glad the warmer weather is here so I can go commando and not have to deal with this.

[loggerhead12]

The Dreamwear frame is supposed to fit kind of floppy. You sure it's a frame problem and not a sizing problem with the pillow or cushion you're using?