take off mask in middle of the night

[DaveG]

Does anyone do this? I take mine off sometimes and I dont even realize it until morning.

[JoyD.]

Hi Dave,

Welcome to the Forum, if I hadn't welcomed you previously.

I just wanted to mention that the SEARCH engine (top left) is really useful to read threads on specific topics. I typed in "mask off" and the following threads appeared which you can click on and probably find LOTS of others who have also had your problem of taking your mask off and what they did to solve that.
viewtopic/t42744/search.php?keywords=%22mask+off%22+

Being fairly new, if you have not already done this, I'd suggest spending a lot of time clicking on the NEW USERS & OUR WISDOM icons above, and reading. You'll get a head start with adapting to your therapy. I'm still reading . . .

Good to have you here!
Joy

[dowen]

I don't do that. But one night, I took my mask off to go to the restroom and then put the mask back on. But I didn't hit the start button on my machine. I just went to sleep with the machine off. And I will tell you, it is hard to breath through nasal pillows with the machine off. I kept waking up and taking huge, deep breaths through my nose trying to suck air against the resistance. You would think I would have just breathed through my mouth, but I am so in the habit of keeping my mouth shut, that I kept it shut. This went on for several hours before I became lucid enough to realize the machine was off. What a treat is was when I turned it on! That was the first and hopefully the last time I try that.

[computerguy2202]

Yes I have done that as well. Woke up in the morning, found my machine off, the maks put away and I have once even cleaned it and put it away. I think once you get really comfortable with the mask this will stop. Funny how your brain works though.

[Uncle_Bob]

Does anyone do this? I take mine off sometimes and I dont even realize it until morning.

Dave

As others have said its very common. I used to do it during the first 3-4 weeks then stopped and then did it once again the other night after 3 months !

I'm not sure about your machine but mine has a setting to alarm if it detects the mask has been removed so that you get woken up.

[Guest]

Hey there,

I have been on my machine for just a couple weeks and I do the same thing. Some people on this board suggested using tape so that I would feel the pinch when I removed the mask. I am going to try and wrap a tensor bandage over my head and under my chin. I think making it more complicated to get the mak off - the greater the chance that I will wake up while doing it. This may lead to me figuring out why its happening.

I also spoke to the technician who fitted me with my equipment. She suggested that unconscious removal of your mask is an indication that your pressuer is too low.

Hope this hepls.

D.

[DaveG]

Well the last two nights I have kept it on the whole night. Im doing better.

[jdm2857]

Keep up the good work.

And your avatar shows the strangest xPAP setup I've ever seen!

[kittystar]

Oh bad news,yes!! It's the ambien....

[jdm2857]

OK, I give up. What's the ambien? (Not what is ambien?)

[kittystar]

Ambien is a sleeping medication which unfortunately allows me to do some really weird things and not remember them in the morning. This is not unusual; some people even go for a drive and don't recall it. Sometimes my hubby relays my doped-up antics with some glee. Two nights ago, I remember the cat making her preliminary ack ack noises to announce a hairball but I dont remember the sound of the hairball arriving. BUT it seems, my doped up brain did because hubby told me that that the keekats hairball was in the TOILET when he got up! So apparently I took care of it and didn't even recall that. Something was amiss, however, because we dont' generally flush hairballs! How weird is that?
I have an appointment shortly with my sleep doc to see if I can find another way to sleep since I would like to be off the interesting Ambien. My insomnia predates my sleep apnea diagnosis since my family doc had the theory that "my body was afraid to go to sleep" due to apneas...interesting theory but treatment of the apnea has not resulted in good sleep. So who knows??!

[wcj1]

But I didn't hit the start button on my machine. I just went to sleep with the machine off. And I will tell you, it is hard to breath through nasal pillows with the machine off. I kept waking up and taking huge, deep breaths through my nose trying to suck air against the resistance.

You might want to turn the SmartStart setting on for your AutoSet. That way you don't have to hit the start/stop button, it just starts to run when you start breathing through it and it stops after you take it off. I did that with mine about a month ago and it has made me much happier.

When I am putting my mask on, I make sure to breathe through my mouth until I get my nasal pillows set. Then, if I get a leak, I just have to pull the pillows away for a couple of seconds until it turns off, and then I can reseat it.

BillJ

[Babette]

Many people report that this product helps them to get comfortable with their mask and quit taking it off in their sleep: http://www.pur-sleep.com

If nothing else, it's a nice pleasant smell that makes the experience more comfortable.

Good luck!
B.

[pattyo]

Hi, I can relate totally to taking the mask off. I did it last night and didn't even know it. I am on ambien and wondering if taking it has something to do with it?

[BeanMeScot]

Ambien can make you do some crazy stuff. My brother ate everything that wasn't nailed down one night and didn't remember a thing. Luckily, I turned on the video camera . He was totally shocked to watch himself eating like that.