Successful Transition from Full to Nasal?

[delfinparis]

It was determined in my study that I'm a mouth breather. They tried the nasal first, then added the chin strap, and I still kept opening my mouth. Eventually they gave me the full face mask.

I have the simplus full face mask and it's not leaking according to sleepyhead, but it's not ultra comfortable. I'm just now heading into month two, so I probably need more time with it.

I'm wondering if going to nasal would be more comfortable in general.

Before I spend money on a nasal mask, is there anyone that has advice about whether this kind of switch is recommended? I'm curious how easy it is to retrain your mouth to stay shut. Obviously everyone is different, but would love to hear some success/failure stories. Thanks!

D.J.

[Tatooed Lady]

I think I'm normally a part time mouth breather...mostly when I sleep on my back. With the nasal pillow mask, I try to sleep more on my side or belly (which I can do, as the mask isn't very big) to keep my mouth from gaping like a bass. I found, however, that when I tried my new FFM (the F10) for the two nights I was home last weekend, that due to the general bulk of the mask, I slept more on my back. Which led to more open mouth sleeping. And that meant a dry mouth and leaks up the wazoo. Or out the wazoo.
I also found that the first night back on the nasal pillows I had to fight the urge to sleep on my back like a slackjawed yokel. So in short...If you can figure out if there are positions you're less likely to gape, try those. Maybe have a smallish pillow up under your chin, if you're sleeping on your side, I did that so my jaw didn't hang.

[Bons]

I made the switch about a year ago, because my bedroom is too hot for a full face mask. I started using a nasal mask (pillows were too much of blast of air for me) and haven't had much problem from night one. I think my body just knew that it was good - and a lot more comfortable - to have air flowing down my airway and bad rushing out my mouth, and that was it. I still tend to breathe through my mouth while awake, but not when asleep.

You may want to do what I did. I waited until I qualified for a mask through my insurance company, figuring that if I tried it for a week or so and I could not adapt, it was possible to exchange it back for a full face mask at no cost.

[Pugsy]

Can you normally breathe through your nose just fine during the day and/or night?
Or do you have chronic problems with your nose? Allergies? Badly deviated septum?

It all depends on why you are mouth breathing at night...is it habit or out of necessity?
Habits can be broken. Might not always be easy but they can be broken.

[Not Fade]

It was determined in my study that I'm a mouth breather. They tried the nasal first, then added the chin strap, and I still kept opening my mouth.

You won't find many people in your situation who can successfully use a nasal-only interface. (But the few here who have like to boast proudly about it.)

The only way you can know if you can change your ways is to experiment.

[avi123]

del

[delfinparis]

Thank you for all the awesome feedback!

[Mattbnr]

I switched from a mirage Quattro face mask to the swift xl nasal pillows and love it. I could never get the mask to seal correctly and I slept terrible with it. Since switching to the pillows I sleep great and my Numbers are more consistent.

[Nozzelnut]

I haven't been able to consistently; yet. I have been able to use my Eson a couple nights instead of my Simplus when the planets align, a unicorn jumps over a rainbow, and a leprechaun looses some gold from his over filled pot; so not very often. Only 3x so far; pressure is lower and my mouth isn't a parched desert in the morning. It was great.

[Bennnyp]

I had been using a ffm for the last 3 months. I switched to a nasal mask 5 days ago. So far so good. Monitor your leak rates. That will tell you if you can use a
nasal mask.

[renard76]

My husband switched from a succession of FFMs, most recently the Quattro, to the Circadiance nasal mask, full stop, overnight, last year out of desperation (skyrocketing AHI, leaks, cuts/blisters even w/ extreme taping every night). He had in the past used a chin strap w/ nasal masks, being a mouth breather w/ a deviated septum.

He remains on the Circadiance, needs a bandaid on the bridge even with that one, but his required BiPAP pressures/AHI/leak have all been reduced immensely. Of note, he is now quadriplegic and can only sleep on his back, whereas in the past he alternated between sides/back. YMMV but the Circadiance IMHO is worth trying for anyone, with return insurance.