Taking mask off while sleeping

[NancyOlyWa]

I am waking up quite often with my mask off and tucked away in the place I keep it during the day in my headboard. I have no knowledge that I am doing this. Any suggestions on what I can do about this? I am about ready to resort to duct tape!!

[Pugsy]

That's actually fairly common.
How about just a little regular tape across the straps on your cheeks so that hopefully when you try to pull it off in the middle of the night the slight pulling from the tape on your skin will wake you up so that you stop the unwanted behavior.

Duct tape would work but it leaves a nasty residue

[Indyellen]

I've started doing the exact same thing. I've been on CPAP for over a year, but within the last couple months I've started doing this. I can't seem to keep my mask on more than about 3 hours. My doctor increased my starting pressure around October, and I'm wondering if that has anything to do with it.

[mgaggie]

I've started taking my mask off too. I have managed to pinpoint at least one reason, the heatwaves we've been experiencing down here. It was always on nights where it was at least 86F at night, I must of started to feel too hot and so took off my mask. One time I even turned off the machine in my sleep and didn't miss it until I woke up in the morning with a splitting headache.

[49er]

I am waking up quite often with my mask off and tucked away in the place I keep it during the day in my headboard. I have no knowledge that I am doing this. Any suggestions on what I can do about this? I am about ready to resort to duct tape!!

Hi NancyOlyWa,

Do you have any nasal obstruction issues by any chance? I was doing this frequently even as an experienced user and to make a long story short, I am having surgery next month to correct a deviated septum and reduce the turbinates.

Many people do this who don't have this issue so I don't want to make any assumptions of cause and effect. But I thought I would ask based on my experience.

49er