Mask mysteriously off my face this morning

[rainbowtn]

I awoke this morning with the mask off my face. I have no recollection of removing it. I checked the machine and it said I had used it for a little over 4 hours.

There have been a couple of other mornings where just before waking up, I remember taking it off because I thought I was going to wake up, but then must have fallen back to sleep. But this morning was different - I don't remember waking up at all to remove it.

Has anyone else experienced something like this? I have been using CPAP for almost a month now.

[Wulfman]

I awoke this morning with the mask off my face. I have no recollection of removing it. I checked the machine and it said I had used it for a little over 4 hours.

There have been a couple of other mornings where just before waking up, I remember taking it off because I thought I was going to wake up, but then must have fallen back to sleep. But this morning was different - I don't remember waking up at all to remove it.

Has anyone else experienced something like this? I have been using CPAP for almost a month now.

Almost everybody.
Your experience is probably the most widely-experienced of all new XPAP users.......and usually around that timeframe you noted. We suspect that it's our subconscious telling us that there's something strange on our faces and to remove it. The trick is to get over it as soon as possible.


Den

[calgurl@hrt]

I've been on cpap for a little over a month and I have done this a few times already. The most interesting was yesterday morning when I woke up with my whole head gear system taken apart: I had taken the nasal pillows off the head gear and disconnected the hose from the nasal pillows and also from the machine - very strange! I don't remember a thing!

[Slinky]

Yup, yup. The first time I did remember getting up to go to the bathroom, and when laying back down in bed promised myself I would put my mask on "in a minute". Obviously that minute came and went and passed me right by in the process 'cause my mask was hanging on the bedpost right where I always put it, even for "potty trips".

The second time I had absolutely no recollection of doing so. But I think it is a pretty safe bet that it was a repeat of the first time except I didn't remember it.

Welcome to the world of CPAP therapy!

[Samba]

Yeah been there done that but don't remember...

[semreka]

I did the same at the beginning of my story ,too.
I solved it.
When I put on the mask in the bed before going to sleep, I try to keep in mind the idea of having that mask on my face.
I try to have this idea the final thing in my mind before I asleep.
This idea is preventing me to take it off to my face.
It is a kind of subconscious conditioning.
Try it, It worked in my case.

I will be happy if it helps you..
God bless............

[roster]

He has an evil twin who has never been sighted.

[calgurl@hrt]

He has an evil twin who has never been sighted.

I KNEW it wasn't my fault!!

[elena88]

I have never done that...

but tonight, tell yourself your room will be filled with noxious odors, and YOU wont take it off..

especially if you feed your dog chili

if you dont have a dog, pretend you do and you gave it pork and beans for dinner

[rainbowtn]

Thank you for all of your replies ... they were very helpful. When I awoke this morning, it really freaked me out because I had taken apart part of the mask and placed the pieces on my nightstand and didn't remember any of it! I couldn't believe it! I also love the cartoon, thank you!

[Bearcat42]

It's true, alot of new users have this problem. It used to drive me nuts because I knew I didn't do it on purpose. I think, in my case, that when I finally got to the point where I was actually comfortable with my setup I really started to look forward to going to bed each night. I have been at it now for over a year and I am 100 percent compliant and I no longer have this issue. It just takes time so keep plugging along. Good luck!

[torontoCPAPguy]

The ResMed S8 series, I believe, has an audible alarm for just this event. They call it a leakage alarm and when set, if the leakage exceeds their predetermined figure the damn thing starts beeping and wakes u up to tell you that you've torn your mask off. Not such a terrible thing... when I was in hospital I am told I kept trying to haul out the arterial taps in my arm and managed to sneak one out one night and filled the bed with blood requiring a massive transfusion (which they informed us of by letter weeks after I got out). Figure that one out. No alarms for that. Perhaps the blower that you are using has an alarm setting that you can use to determine what is causing the mask the come off. Don't think that the S9 series has it any longer. Anyone confirm this?

[LoQ]

Almost everybody.
Your experience is probably the most widely-experienced of all new XPAP users.......and usually around that timeframe you noted. We suspect that it's our subconscious telling us that there's something strange on our faces and to remove it. The trick is to get over it as soon as possible.

I'm apparently one of the few who did not do this. I've taken it off 3 times consciously in over 2 years, after I laid awake for over 4 hours each time without being able to sleep with it on. But I've never removed it unconsciously, and I've never spent a night without at least trying it for most of the night.

I am very, very sensitive to things touching me, and I'm especially particular about having everything perfect when I sleep, so I knew the instant my doctor first told me that OSA was possibly the cause of my problems that having a mask on my face was going to be a HUGE struggle. Knowing that, the very day the doctor first told me this, I began an unrelenting campaign against my subconscious mind, to make having a mask on my face an acceptable thing. I think it worked.

I still don't like wearing a mask, but my mind has knuckled under. I NEVER, EVER allow a negative thought about this therapy to make itself at home in my mind. The negative thoughts come, but they are not allowed to stay. Ever.