Exhaust air flow bugging me

[Paddyboy100]

I love my CPAP & I sleep so well but...
The air that shoots out the front of my nasal mask drives me batty, I wrap my hands in sheets so they're not right in the stream, it's wicked loud & falling asleep takes longer. I'm a side sleeper so it blows right down on my hands & sheets & stuff.
Is there any set up to quiet it or at least move where it blows from? I imaging attaching a tube of some sort so it's not blowing a constant stream right out from under my nose.
Any ideas?

[OutaSync]

I don't know how to quiet down that particular mask, but I have heard some people have worn socks over their arms to block the air stream. I haven't tried that, myself, I'm like you in that I wrap my arms in the sheet when I sidesleep. Maybe when winter comes, I'll try the sock thing.

Bev

[Paddyboy100]

Thanks Bev, socks are a good idea.

[Guest]

Pity my poor husband who gets blasted when I turn over. Why can't the mask makers solve this!!

[KengEsq]

I love my CPAP & I sleep so well but...
The air that shoots out the front of my nasal mask drives me batty, I wrap my hands in sheets so they're not right in the stream, it's wicked loud & falling asleep takes longer. I'm a side sleeper so it blows right down on my hands & sheets & stuff.
Is there any set up to quiet it or at least move where it blows from? I imaging attaching a tube of some sort so it's not blowing a constant stream right out from under my nose.
Any ideas?

Of course you could always try a different mask - one that is more quiet and with a different exhaust air flow direction. Other than that, if the noise is troubling, you might try wearing ear plugs so you do not hear the noise. Socks worn over the hands sounds like another good idea.

[Kiralynx]

Yep! Change to an Aeiomed Headrest mask.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage.php?PNum=1717&PAID=215

The air shoots out the top and never comes anywhere near your hands. Now, mind you, my big male standard long hair dachshund, who likes to wrap himself around my head doesn't think the Headrest is very useful because it jets him in the snoot.

(from a fellow side sleeper)

[KengEsq]

Yep! Change to an Aeiomed Headrest mask.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage.php?PNum=1717&PAID=215

The air shoots out the top and never comes anywhere near your hands. Now, mind you, my big male standard long hair dachshund, who likes to wrap himself around my head doesn't think the Headrest is very useful because it jets him in the snoot.

(from a fellow side sleeper)

I can't wear nasal pillows but my Mirage Activa lets me direct the exhaust in any direction, including over and behind my head. The exhaust is also very quiet.

[ozij]

Pity my poor husband who gets blasted when I turn over. Why can't the mask makers solve this!!

Oh, but they have.
The mask is called Headrest, made by AEIOMED - and it blows the air upwards instead of forwards.

O,

[Paddyboy100]

The AEIOMed headrest mask might be the ticket! I looked & it seems a good choice, I didn't realize that you can try a mask for 30 days & return it if it isn't what you want, that's awesome. I just ordered a replacement tank for my H4i humidifier yesterday from this site, I wish I'd ordered a trial mask too.

The Dr. told me that nasal pillows are my best bet unless I shave, the facial hair blocks the seal of full-mouth/nose masks supposedly. I could see going that way too eventually.

Personally I just can't stand earplugs or I'd go that route, I use tham for playing gigs & going to shows but when all is quiet all I can hear is my heart thudding away.

I might still try my attatched-tube idea just because I like to get all MacGyver sometimes but a new mask is most likely in my near future.

You guys are great & give that Dachsund an ear scratch for me. I love those little dudes.

[KengEsq]

The AEIOMed headrest mask might be the ticket! I looked & it seems a good choice, I didn't realize that you can try a mask for 30 days & return it if it isn't what you want, that's awesome. I just ordered a replacement tank for my H4i humidifier yesterday from this site, I wish I'd ordered a trial mask too.

The Dr. told me that nasal pillows are my best bet unless I shave, the facial hair blocks the seal of full-mouth/nose masks supposedly. I could see going that way too eventually.

Personally I just can't stand earplugs or I'd go that route, I use tham for playing gigs & going to shows but when all is quiet all I can hear is my heart thudding away.

You guys are great & give that Dachsund an ear scratch for me. I love those little guys.

You can have perfect fitting earplugs made so that they are comfortable to wear. There are lots of places to have them made and you can even get them on-line and do your own moulds at http://earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net/jbcuearpl.html

[Paddyboy100]

Oh man... KengEsq, I might not use that suggestion for CPAP but you may have just helped out a bevy of musitians in CA. Thanks man.

[KengEsq]

You are welcome. I use ear plugs for shooting and can attest to the quality of thse I recommended. I also have used my fitted earplugs for sleeping from time to time if my wife is watching TV late and I need to sleep. They work great to block out sound. They are comfortable to wear so if you want to not hear the mask exhaust, try a set (really, they block out everything except, maybe the sound of your own heart beating and I don't think you want to stop that).

[jweeks]

The air that shoots out the front of my nasal mask drives me batty, I wrap my hands in sheets so they're not right in the stream, it's wicked loud & falling asleep takes longer. I'm a side sleeper so it blows right down on my hands & sheets & stuff.

Hi,

I hear you on that subject. Any airflow around my face drives me nuts. Of the masks that I have tried, I found two full face masks, including the Quatro, to be the worst. They had exhaust ports high up on the nose that would cause turbulence near my eyes. Of all the masks that I have tried, I find the Swift LT to be the best of the bunch as far as exhaust air goes. I don't mind air going other places as long as it is not near my eyes. The Swift is a little louder than average, but it works so well for me that I am quickly asleep and out like a rock for 7 hours at a time.

I like the idea of the mask that exhausts up over your head. I might try that next time I am game for a mask adventure.

-john-

[ozij]

The Headrest is not a quiet mask, it whooshes (or shushes) whenever you breathe in. But its a great mask , well worth the trouble of getting used to the sound.

O.

[birdshell]

The Headrest does exhaust at the top. This works VERY for me, but my brother's wife prefers his Optilife, as she enjoys the cooling breeze on her skin. She probably also enjoys the sound of the Optilife with the Respironics M-series. However, I digress...what else is new?

Ozij, I do not find the Headrest to be overly noisy. The Liberty was a bit more quiet. The CL 2 with Direct Seal was more on the order of the Headrest as far as noise. The Breeze with DreamSeal seemed to whistle unless I could get the little exhaust plug settled in JUST the right position. I found this to be much more annoying than a little whooshing.

I have also found that my solid headboard tends to reflect the exhaust unless I position myself a little away from the headboard, and do not allow the hose to touch the pillows I also do not allow my ear to touch the pillow if possible, as that conducts the sound. This is especially true if the hose is touching the wood of the headboard or the mattress/pillow in the wrong place. What I do instead is to either squish and pummel the pillows until I manage to make a crescent that works or use a crescent-shaped buckwheat filled neck pillow to aid in this.

Should I shift a bit in the night, the sound may return. But, once asleep, short of a fire alarm or air raid, I do not seem to be bothered by the noise.

Karen,
Who really loves her Headrest, nee Twilight NP, nee Aura, nee Headrest


P.S. I have had my pressure at anywhere from 9 to 18 cm and have never used anything but nasal pillows, except for a brief time with the DreamSeal. Often, with nasal pillows, a size larger than that recommended by the manufacturer's measuring devices DOES work far more successfully. I believe this is especially true for those of us with slotted nares, as mine tend to leak at the tip of the nose if too small. My nose gets too cold, then, and it is especially annoying.