Taking Mask Off @ Night

[ark-and-spark]

Hey all newbie here. I have recently been diagnosed with apnea. I was prescribed a cpap machine and mask. The mask is very comfortable, so I don’t think this is the problem. I have a history of talking in my sleep as well as sleep walking. The sleep Doc prescribed 3mg Lunesta which seems to do an ok job of helping me ease into sleep, but it doesn’t seem to help me stay in a deep sleep all night (I wakeup early or several times during the night)

My main problem is that I keep unconsciously taking the mask off during the night. I purchased a chinstrap to hold my mouth shut hoping that it would help me to keep the mask on longer during the night but this hasn’t helped. Last night my wife awoke twice to me unvelcroing my chin strap and removing the mask. When I do sleep with the mask all night it's the best sleep ever, but I have only kept it on for 2 full nights in the last 16.

When I last met with my Doc (the day I got my machine) he told me to contact him if I was fighting the mask. I did this Thursday morning but he hasn’t gotten back with me yet. I haven’t been too impressed with his services, for $10,000 I think I should be getting a little more attention. Thank God for insurance.

If anyone has some tips I sure would appreciate it.

Thanks a lot

[ozij]

Gloves or mittens on your hands?

O.

[Wulfman]

First "tip"......please fill out your profile and let us know exactly what equipment you're using and your machine settings.

Mask removal is very common in the first weeks of therapy. Just get in the habit of putting it back on and keep telling yourself not to do it anymore.

Welcome to the forum.

Den

[ark-and-spark]

First "tip"......please fill out your profile and let us know exactly what equipment you're using and your machine settings.

Mask removal is very common in the first weeks of therapy. Just get in the habit of putting it back on and keep telling yourself not to do it anymore.

Welcome to the forum.

Den

Thanks for the warm welcome.

Ok I filled out the profile stuff. Im not sure of the software or setting. It seems like I was told the pressure is at @10. Tonight I'll try the mittens thing.

[Slinse]

Ark:

I had the same problem- pulling the mask off and not hearing the alarm.
Despite research, I never found a way (on an old RemStar or current S8) to have the alarm sound all night...thus waking me (the S8 will, but the alarm has no delay, disables the auto-start, etc....).

Now I enjoy tinkering with ideas, and this may not work for everyone. In short, I built a secondary alarm that senses when the CPAP shut off. The secondary waits for ten minutes and then flashes a strobe. Five minutes later, it sounds a beeper.

BTW: my lovely wife and I sleep apart on school nights for the above reason.

There are many devices on the market that monitor current usage and signal (a relay trip for example) when the monitored device stalls, or fails. They are pricey though as such units are usually made for industrial applications.

The idea in posting this solution is to prompt one to think of ways to *solve the problem*. The idea of wearing mittens is an example. Your chin strap idea is another means. My doctor's initial evaluation called me "a very active sleeper", so I would simply pull off a strap, or mittens, etc. That's why the "alarm" solution was choosen.

If you wish I can go into more detail as to what was created, but unless you like to play with circuits, ebay may be a better beginning if you go the alarm route.

Good luck.


T

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[tooly125]

Welcome to the forum!

As Wulfman pointed out it might be just a case of getting used to something new it took me a good six months to find the right mask for me and to keep it on.

After two years of therapy I began to take my mask off again during the night.
I read on the forum that the pur-sleep scented oils could help so I gave them a try,it took me a few tries to find the right scent but as soon as I did I stopped taking my mask off.
You can buy a starter kit of the oils on cpap.com.
I found that the vanilla and the lavender actually kept me awake but the clear scent is the one that did the trick for me.
I used them for a couple of months but have recently stopped and still do not remove my mask anymore but I will keep them on hand in case I have more problems.
might be worth a shot.

[/quote]

[kteague]

With removing the mask while asleep, some people just hang in there till they get used to it, others get creative.

A couple times I used a bandaid over a strap on the face so when I pulled it off it would cause pain and wake me up.

Another thing I did to try to condition my mind to not take it off was to artificially generate a sense of distress over it being off. For me, saying "Keep your mask on" didn't work. I had read that the brain filters what is dangerous and what is not while asleep, and disregards what it not. That's why when I lived with a train track about 50 yards from my back door after a while I never even heard that 2am train go by. Now, I know this sounds a bit theatrical, but when I'd wake up to find my mask off, I'd do my best to generate some shock and distress It wasn't long after taking that approach that I quit taking it off. Maybe I would have quit anyhow, who knows.

I think I was in such a stupor in the early stages of treatment is why I didn't know I was taking it off. Once I became more rested and less of a zombie, I became more aware.

Kathy

[ark-and-spark]

Well I tried the socks on my hands....I woke up with socks on my hands and my mask and headgear hanging on the bedpost. The past couple of nights I have awoke around 12:30 with a very strong desire to just get the mask off my face as fast as I could I dont understand why Im aware enough to check the clock but my only desire is to get that damn mask off. I almost have a jekyll and hyde thing going on, When I go to sleep I know I need this mask, I know I need to get used to it, But Im very angry at it (for no reason) when I wake in the middle of the night. I guess Im a bit of an angry sleeper. It's getting very discouraging.

[protonman]

When I first started CPAP (almost 15 years ago!!) I thought of myself as a fighter pilot, and trained myself to view the mask as part of my life support system.

Incidentally, I have used the mask EVERY night since starting treatment.

Good luck - use the CPAP and your heart will reward you with additional years of life.

[jjposey]

Please don't get discouraged. It's definately not an isolated thing! I've been on cpap a year now. I've had ups and downs with it (pretty dependent on my stress level in everyday life!)
I've had very few nights in the last three months that I took off my mask without realizing it.
Some people seem to "outgrow" that stage really quickly, but don't get discouraged if it takes some time.
As for help from your doctor... my doctor's response was "any treatment is better than none" as she walked out the door.
It will get better. Just be patient and don't give up!
joanna

[Ashkat]

I caught myself doing that a few times as well. I know I was awake enough to aware that I was taking the mask off, but I'm not sure why I took it off, or why I wasn't awake enough to realize that I shouldn't do it.

I'm using the Pur Sleep oils and they've helped A LOT with my quality of rest with the mask on, so hopefully this is another phase that I will outgrow.

~Ashkat

[sleepyinaustin]

When I first started therapy, I was taking my mask off at night without knowing it also. My doc told me that sometimes this happens when the pressure is a little too low. By increasing the pressure only 1 cm, I stopped removing the mask. Air hunger maybe? I wear a FFM.

[Ashkat]

That's some interesting food for thought there, Austin...

I started the sleep-removal thing after my RT decreased my pressure from 10 down to 8. I'll try things at 9 tonight and see how it feels.