advice please from all you long timers!

[JohnO]

I do think the pillow comments are important. When I started on CPAP 18 months ago, I was using a memory foam pillow, I had to give it up because the memory foam is somewhat firm on first contact, and then softens as it warms. As I would turn from side to side, when my face and mask hit the pillow, the mask would get knocked loose, unless I held the mask to my face until I warmed up the pillow for 30 seconds.

I ended up switching to a think latex foam pillow. It works well for me, even though I have now switched to nasal pillows.

John

[brian2901]

I use the Hans Rudolph full face mask and have done so for the last sixteen months. it is a bulky mask but i have minimal air leaks, maybe two a week and i can sleep on my side with no problem

[ReadyforRest]

Hi there

Bipap working well for me but getting generally annoyed by nasal pillows - they fall out, they injure my nose and I'm always trying to adjust them because I sleep on my side and what invariably happens is this moves the mask and the things then start annoying me. It's a good mask but I want to experiment now I've got the whole compliance thing handled (nasal pillows or not!)

Your hybrid mask is totally different from the much smaller nasal pillows masks. The reason your nasal pillows fall out, or get pushed out, is because the bottom portion of your hybrid mask (the part that covers your mouth) pushes the nasal pillows out of your nares when you put pressure on the sides, or when you move different ways. One area of the mask is flexible (nasal pillows). The other is not (mouth breathing section). There is bound to be some dislodging taking place. I know there is because I also bought a hybrid mask (for when I get a cold). I tried it one night, and had these same issues. It was my worst night for AHI, wake-ups, and leaking in a very long time. I know you don’t want to talk about nasal pillows masks, but don’t be so sure that full face masks are the cure for your problems. True nasal pillows masks have the smallest interface and therefore have the least surface area to make contact with your head pillow. They are actually designed for side sleeping. There are many ways around your other issues.

My spec is below but I definitely need a full face mask, as I totally love mouth breathing, it's the cause of so many hours of lost productivity, my body is against me on this one, I can't change it. What happens is I nose breathe till I get to sleep and then the mouth decides it wants in the second I fall asleep- then ferocious snoring wakes me up the instant I fall asleep. To this day even with Bipap this tends to wake me up a few times before sleep is achieved and on bad nights it can still wipe me out for the night.

I assume you’re being sarcastic. If you’re losing productivity, and are being awakened many times each night because of “ferocious snoring” that wakes you up, then it seems to me that the last thing you want to be doing is mouth breathing.

If your present mask allows you to mouth breath and snore, do you think a full face mask will be any different? If you switch to a full face mask, you will STILL be breathing through your mouth and you will STILL snore and wake up from it, so you'll be repeating the same pattern of snoring and waking up with a full face mask too. And full face masks have leaking and sealing problems for side sleepers that may give you as much irritation as your present mask does.

You need to find a method of keeping your mouth closed, because that’s what’s waking you up (besides the dislodging nasal pillows from your hybrid mask). I have a suggestion below for keeping your mouth closed (but there are several methods that people on this forum have found work for them). Do a search. But please don’t be resigned to the “I can’t change it” mind-set. Of course you can.

Ideally, I'd also like to move away from nasal pillows as my nose keeps getting injured and they keep un sealing themselves and waking me up ( the pillow has become the apnea ). More than all of that, I need a mask that is friendly to side sleeping. In my years of untreated apnea I trained myself to sleep on my side and the nasal pillow mask seems to insist I sleep on my back or malfunction, I just can't train myself out of that, nor should I. The pressure settings that work so well on my side are not enough on my back

Straight nasal pillows that are not hybrids are frankly best for side sleeping. There are far fewer leaking issues than with a full face mask or a hybrid. That’s because there is less contact being made with a headpillow, less mask to be dislodged by that pillow, so less leaking. The secret is to find ways to make the mask work for best for you.

1. Use a contoured pillow.

2. Get the kind of nasal pillows mask that allows you to feed the short hose up to the top of your head through a Velcro or plastic or elastic holder. This takes the hose out of your way and doesn't allow the hose to drag on the nasal pillows which can dislodge them from your nose. That is REALLY important.

3. Use a hose holder. It lifts the long hose away from your head and body, and allows for less drag and more freedom of movement in bed.

4. Get or make a chin strap that covers your mouth and keep your lips closed all night.

I'm a mouth breather too. But I don’t mouth breath anymore. And you absolutely need to address this problem you have, because the snoring is waking you up repeatedly through the night, and it is disturbing your sleep. There are various ways to keep your mouth closed. Some people tape their lips closed. Others use chinstraps, but mostly they don’t work.

I designed my own cloth chinstrap that COVERS my mouth. It’s made from non-stretchy cloth. Very important, it can’t be stretchy, or it will let your mouth open. And it must cover the lips tightly. It's based off of the Ultimate Chin Strap, but mine is much lighter and smaller than his which is quilted and bulky. http://ultimatechinstrap.com/ Look at this thread: Home Made Chinstrap - SUCCESS! viewtopic/t94851/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=94 ... eanderthal. Great design, similar to my own, and there is a pattern that apneanderthal has included. Or contact him for help. This works better than any of the stretchy chin straps out there that don’t cover the mouth and cost a lot. My lips don't open, so I am not wakened by my mouth opening nor snoring. If you can keep your mouth closed, maybe you won't snore, and maybe you won't wake up so much … which is our goal, right?

Just something to think about ... LOL ... if you can be swayed away from ff masks toward regular nasal pillows masks. Please don't judge all nasal pillows by your hybrid. They are completely different.

Some nasal pillows masks that you might consider are:

Aloha Nasal pillows mask = $84 on our host's website cpap.com
Nuance or Nuance Pro nasal pillows mask = $109 on cpap.com