Nasal Mask Air Pressure Issues

[davesq]

So I got a new mask. The Resmed Mirage FX Wide. It's a nasal only mask. I am wearing it in conjunction with a chin strap, as I typically sleep with my mouth open.

So far, it is much more comfortable to wear than my FFM I started off with (which they let me keep), and I even feel like the air pressure (13) bothers me less. The chin strap seems effective at keeping my jaw shut. I can fall asleep with it much easier, but that's when the problem kicks in: I tend to stop breathing pretty much immediately after falling asleep, or so I've discovered since using CPAP. What this means with the new mask is, I'll stop breathing, the air pressure builds up in my throat/mouth, and finds a release by escaping in small bursts through my mouth, even though my lips are closed. Every time that happens I get woken up, just after falling asleep. Meaning that I cannot stay asleep for more than a minute or so wearing the new mask.

Is there anything that can be done about this? I recently read online about BIPAP machines, which I was previously unaware of. Does anybody know if a BIPAP machine might help/solve my problem? I'm very frustrated.

[Pugsy]

Search the forum for chipmunk cheeks.
BiPap won't fix it...the tongue has to block the "door" from the oral cavity to the airway....that's what is happening right now. Air going up the nose and down the airway tries to exit prematurely through the mouth because nothing is blocking the air from entering the mouth.