Janelle, thank you for this tip. I put it to use last night. And to some extent, it really helped. (I discovered what you mean about pulling the mask away and letting it suck back--it worked.) But--the problem I encountered was that in setting the straps upon going to sleep in order to have the mask properly loose, one forehead strap was loose enough that I woke up after a few hours with that strap completely off my head! (Which obviously created a mask-fit problem of its own.) So...frustrating. Finding the adjustment that's just tight enough while at the same time being just loose enough is much harder than Goldilocks finding the porridge that was just right. I'm hoping that one of these nights, the magic formula will make itself apparent. In the meantime, I welcome more suggestions.Janelle wrote:But not only do the forehead straps have to be loose, most importantly the bottom straps do as well, and I mean REALLY LOOSE. So, loose that the mask can full inflate. Pull the end of the mask out as far as it will go, that is where your straps should be adjusted to. If you tighten it, it WILL leak, I promise you. And yes, it will also seal just great that loose at lower pressures as well. The mask basically "sucks" itself to your face...
If you mask leaks during the night and wakes you up, DO NOT ADJUST IT. Simply pull it slightly away and let it suck back. Wiggle it a bit back and forth and it should set just great.
Ahhhh.....Activa :-)
Wednesday AM...
Okay, another miserable night with the Activa. Once again, fell asleep comfortably, with the mask leak-free and secure. Once again, spent the second half of the night waking up every fifteen minutes because the mask was leaking.
Here's my question: I know there are a lot of masks, and none of them is perfect. They all have their pros and cons. But if my two most important criteria are: 1) mask stays on leak-free through the whole night, and 2) mask doesn't hurt in the morning, what would you say is my best option?
Okay, another miserable night with the Activa. Once again, fell asleep comfortably, with the mask leak-free and secure. Once again, spent the second half of the night waking up every fifteen minutes because the mask was leaking.
Here's my question: I know there are a lot of masks, and none of them is perfect. They all have their pros and cons. But if my two most important criteria are: 1) mask stays on leak-free through the whole night, and 2) mask doesn't hurt in the morning, what would you say is my best option?
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Sleepless on LI
- Posts: 3997
- Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 6:46 pm
- Location: Long Island, New York
Thanks, Sleepless. One question. I've now looked at the pictures of the Aura/Headrest at cpap.com. With that hose running straight down the back of your head, it seems like it would impossible to rest your head comfortably on your pillow if you sleep facing straight up. Probably I'm wrong about that. Please assure me that I am! (Or do you solve it by turning your head slightly to one side or the other?)Sleepless on LI wrote:Aura/Headrest...#1 IMHO.
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Guest
rested gal wrote: It's too bad that the ad picture of the guy wearing the Aura shows the connector hose going behind the back of his head. Because that does make it appear that the hose has to go down that way and would make the interface unsuitable for sleeping on your back. Not so.
Actually, the Aura ("Headrest") is extremely comfortable for sleeping in any position -- sides, back, tummy. The position of the exhaust (above the eyes and pointed straight up) also is ideal for sleeping in any position.
With every mask, I hang the main air hose from my machine up on the wall. People with a headboard often hang the hose from their headboard. That arrangement (getting the main air hose up out of the way) keeps the connector hose from any mask that uses one up out of the way, too.
Lets you toss and turn under the hose like a fish on a slack line. No hose getting under your head, or wrapped around you. No more weight of air hose pulling at a mask, which can get a mask out of place and cause leaks. Or can tug uncomfortably at the nostrils if wearing nasal pillows.
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Sleepless on LI
- Posts: 3997
- Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 6:46 pm
- Location: Long Island, New York
Chicago.
That's just a photo and the hose does not run down the back of your head. Many people will attach something like a hairband or scrunchy to their headboard, or even place a hook into the wall and then place something from the hook to hold the hose in place to prevent it interfering with sleep. My husband made a board with a little elastic cord attached via a screw into the board which I slide my hose through and place behind the mattress. I don't have a "headboard." But if you prefer, you don't have to run it that way. I just found it the best as far as never having to worry about the hose when you sleep. I toss side to side and it is never a problem.
I used to just leave a king sized pillow sham behind my standard sized pillow and I would use the sham as a "buffer," per se, to arc the hose between the wall and it and run the hose behind the mattress. Whatever works for you.
There are also other posts archived on the site showing inventions such as PVC stands people have made to hold the hose. It's all up to the imagination and what works for you. But, no, the hose does not lay behind your head. The Aura/Headrest is simply, IMHO, the best interface out there and finally has allowed me to sleep through the night most nights. But, as they say here, your milage may vary...best of luck.
That's just a photo and the hose does not run down the back of your head. Many people will attach something like a hairband or scrunchy to their headboard, or even place a hook into the wall and then place something from the hook to hold the hose in place to prevent it interfering with sleep. My husband made a board with a little elastic cord attached via a screw into the board which I slide my hose through and place behind the mattress. I don't have a "headboard." But if you prefer, you don't have to run it that way. I just found it the best as far as never having to worry about the hose when you sleep. I toss side to side and it is never a problem.
I used to just leave a king sized pillow sham behind my standard sized pillow and I would use the sham as a "buffer," per se, to arc the hose between the wall and it and run the hose behind the mattress. Whatever works for you.
There are also other posts archived on the site showing inventions such as PVC stands people have made to hold the hose. It's all up to the imagination and what works for you. But, no, the hose does not lay behind your head. The Aura/Headrest is simply, IMHO, the best interface out there and finally has allowed me to sleep through the night most nights. But, as they say here, your milage may vary...best of luck.
L o R i
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Guest
I am one of those for whom the Aura didn't work. I tried all the suggestions and still had leaks. Very frustrating. Over the past couple years I've tried dozens of different masks, and if you're still collecting opinions, I would suggest the Breeze. I find it to be much more stable than the Aura and for me it is leak-free. It doesn't hurt in the morning.Chicago wrote:But if my two most important criteria are: 1) mask stays on leak-free through the whole night, and 2) mask doesn't hurt in the morning, what would you say is my best option?
You cannot tell if any mask will work for you until you try it. The masks themselves may be marvels of construction, but everyone's face is different. The variable that throws all recommendations out the window is the size, shape, length and width of your particular face, head, nose, cheeks, etc. Until you give it a go personally, it is impossible to say whether it will work for you. Keep on trying different masks and you will eventually find the one that works best for you. Hang in there, you'll be glad you did!
I am still collecting opinions, so thank you.Anonymous wrote:Over the past couple years I've tried dozens of different masks, and if you're still collecting opinions, I would suggest the Breeze. I find it to be much more stable than the Aura and for me it is leak-free. It doesn't hurt in the morning.
Here's an interesting story.
The other day I called my DME (Sleep Solutions) to schedule a guy to come out with some different masks. That appointment is happening next Tuesday morning. In the meantime, I was reading about how well-liked the Aura is by some around here, so this morning I called Sleep Solutions to say that when the guy comes with some choices on Tuesday, be sure to include that one among the possibilities. This is how the conversation went from there:
DME GUY: (pretending he'd never heard of anything called the Aura) The...Aura...? What did you say?
ME: The Everest Aura Headrest.
DME GUY: Oh, we only carry major masks.
ME: I assure you, this is a major mask. A lot of people I know have told me about it. But hey--if you don't carry it, you don't carry it. When your guy comes to my house on Tuesday, if he doesn't have it as one of his choices, then I'll know that I'll simply need to work with somebody other than Sleep Solutions as this process goes forward. No problem.
DME GUY: Oh, we might be able to get it for you! I didn't say we couldn't get it for you!!
ME: Fine. We'll see what your man shows up with on Tuesday. And then we'll take it from there.