Taking mask off every night - need advice

[mandypandy2246]

Okay, I actually really like my mask. It is a quattro FX. I tried nasal pillows but felt suffocated being forced to breathe through my noise. The Quattro FX works and doesn't have leaks - I can even sleep on my side with it. I find it comfortable. So I don't think the mask is the problem - though I'm open to trying a new mask (but can't afford to quite at the moment unless I was really convinced a different type might be better).

I am newly adjusting to CPAP. I have no trouble falling asleep with the mask on. I look forward to the restful sleep it will give me and I'm generally very tired at night and am always good at falling asleep. However, every morning I wake up with the mask off. Some nights I remember waking up and taking it off, other nights I don't. Looking at my data - most nights I go approximately 2 hours before taking the mask off though 4.5 hours is my record.

I'd love to sleep with it all night. The problem is, half awake groggy in the middle of the night, it is easy to forget how important the mask is and take it off. Any advice for how to get through the night? I will keep persevering and hopefully as I get more used to it I will start leaving the mask on all night - but any ideas to expedite the process would be greatly appreciated.

Amanda

[Wulfman...]

Okay, I actually really like my mask. It is a quattro FX. I tried nasal pillows but felt suffocated being forced to breathe through my noise. The Quattro FX works and doesn't have leaks - I can even sleep on my side with it. I find it comfortable. So I don't think the mask is the problem - though I'm open to trying a new mask (but can't afford to quite at the moment unless I was really convinced a different type might be better).

I am newly adjusting to CPAP. I have no trouble falling asleep with the mask on. I look forward to the restful sleep it will give me and I'm generally very tired at night and am always good at falling asleep. However, every morning I wake up with the mask off. Some nights I remember waking up and taking it off, other nights I don't. Looking at my data - most nights I go approximately 2 hours before taking the mask off though 4.5 hours is my record.

I'd love to sleep with it all night. The problem is, half awake groggy in the middle of the night, it is easy to forget how important the mask is and take it off. Any advice for how to get through the night? I will keep persevering and hopefully as I get more used to it I will start leaving the mask on all night - but any ideas to expedite the process would be greatly appreciated.

Amanda

The problem you describe and are experiencing is very, very common with many/most new users. I'll bet it would be hard NOT to find very many of the forum members who have not experienced it.
If your pressure is too low or if your humidity is set too high, that could be why you subconsciously take it off. It can be a challenge to learn this new way of sleeping with things strapped to our faces.

You could try wearing tube socks or gloves/mittens over your hands when you sleep. If you're awake enough to remember it, put it back on as soon as you realize it.

Most of us eventually grow out of it. Hang in there and try to think of ways you might able to overcome it.


Den

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[Julie]

Hi - a bit radical, but have you tried using tape (carefully, so as not to damage the cushion) in a couple of strategic spots for a few nights til you've broken the cycle? It would still be removeable, but maybe make things harder to pull off overnight, at least til you're awake enough to know you shouldn't be doing it? Or possibly you could try something like a chinstrap over the mask.

[mandypandy2246]

Great ideas! Thanks. I think anything that makes it harder to take off ... (meaning I'll have to come fully awake and realize what I'm doing to take it off) might work well - then I might be awake enough to be rationale enough to go back to sleep with it on!

[chunkyfrog]

Another tactic would be to wear the mask for an hour or so before bed, watching TV, or whatever.
The idea is to get used to the mask, so your unconscious mind learns to trust it.

[Monstrosity]

I dont have any ideas but I do the same thing...

[49er]

Okay, I actually really like my mask. It is a quattro FX. I tried nasal pillows but felt suffocated being forced to breathe through my noise. The Quattro FX works and doesn't have leaks - I can even sleep on my side with it. I find it comfortable. So I don't think the mask is the problem - though I'm open to trying a new mask (but can't afford to quite at the moment unless I was really convinced a different type might be better).

I am newly adjusting to CPAP. I have no trouble falling asleep with the mask on. I look forward to the restful sleep it will give me and I'm generally very tired at night and am always good at falling asleep. However, every morning I wake up with the mask off. Some nights I remember waking up and taking it off, other nights I don't. Looking at my data - most nights I go approximately 2 hours before taking the mask off though 4.5 hours is my record.

I'd love to sleep with it all night. The problem is, half awake groggy in the middle of the night, it is easy to forget how important the mask is and take it off. Any advice for how to get through the night? I will keep persevering and hopefully as I get more used to it I will start leaving the mask on all night - but any ideas to expedite the process would be greatly appreciated.

Amanda

Hi,

Moving my bed position as far away as possible from the machine has mostly stopped me from unintentionally taking the mask off. It was like my body unconsciously decided it was too much effort.
However, if you try this strategy, do not put another pillow by your new bed position as I did. Unfortunately, by doing this, my unconscious mind decided it was worth the trouble to take off the mask since I had a pillow to lay on near the machine. After cursing big time at what happened, all I could do was laugh.

49er