Breathing through your nose only.

[H4X0R46]

Hello all you beautiful people! Haha So I got a new ResMed swift FX Nano and it's a lot more comfortable than the full face mask I had. (The quattro air) But my question here, is is it normal for me to feel like I'm not getting enough air when I'm only breathing though my nose? I have to occasionally take a huge breath through my mouth. Is this something you can train yourself to get used to? Or is everyone just that different that they physically can't? Thanks in advance for your guys input! ^.^

[Pugsy]

What pressure are you using?
Are you using the ramp?
Sometimes when pressures are relatively low (or when ramp is used) it can seem like we aren't getting enough air and will cause us to want to mouth breath to "catch up" on the oxygen.

[H4X0R46]

My pressure is between 6 and 16, so pretty low.

[Wulfman...]

Hello all you beautiful people! Haha So I got a new ResMed swift FX Nano and it's a lot more comfortable than the full face mask I had. (The quattro air) But my question here, is is it normal for me to feel like I'm not getting enough air when I'm only breathing though my nose? I have to occasionally take a huge breath through my mouth. Is this something you can train yourself to get used to? Or is everyone just that different that they physically can't? Thanks in advance for your guys input! ^.^

Are you doing nasal cleansing before bedtime? If your nasal passages are obstructed, that can make it tough to breathe.
What humidity setting are you using? Too much heated humidity can also contribute to nasal congestion.


Den

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[Pugsy]

Since you are starting the night at 6 cm (and that's what it will be until you go to sleep and events start driving the pressure upwards) it's possible that what you are experiencing is just what I call I a little "air hunger" (assuming that your nose itself isn't congested and is clear) from simply not having much feeling of air movement in the small confined space of the nasal mask at your low pressures. While we won't suffocate at these low pressures it can sure feel like it sometimes. I experienced it myself when I went down in pressure from what I had been using and I didn't even go down to 6 cm.
It just "feels" different than how a full face mask feels.
You probably will get used to it but if it's too uncomfortable than a little increase in that minimum would probably help that air hunger feeling.

All this is assuming the nose isn't congested and what you are experiencing is while awake at the lower pressures.
If nose is congested then that's a different problem but what I am talking about can happen when the nose is totally clear and we feel like we are sort of stifled or suffocating at the lower pressures.

[englandsf]

Pressure is one thing that can "starve" you of air.

Also consider a larger set of pillows, loosening the pillows to open them up, plus nasal rinsing (I'm a big fan of daily but in the am).

[zorki1c]

I don't use ramp. I do notice when I first get in bed for a minute or so it seems like I'm not getting enough air. Then the feeling goes away. I replaced my Swift FX with P10 pillows. I used a medium pillow on the FX and started on the P10 with a medium but it didn't seem like I was getting enough air. Switched to a large pillow and the problem went away.

[Pugsy]

The Nano is a nasal cushion mask and not a nasal pillow mask.
Going up a size (which does indeed work well with a nasal pillow mask) is not a viable option with the Nano...which is what the OP is using at the moment. That's why I didn't recommend going up a size in this situation. It's not so easily done and could throw the entire fit and seal off. Cushion seal can be more size critical than nasal pillow sizing is.

Now if the OP ever wishes to try the Swift FX nasal pillows (that will fit on the Nano head gear and hose) then yes...for the air hunger going up a size in the nasal pillows often fixes that air hunger sensation without ever needing a pressure change.

[Seattleboy49]

I dealt with the same thing (still do occasionally) and I think it is a mental thing you will get over. When I know I can't breathe through my mouth then of course all I want to do is breathe through my mouth! It takes time to get used to and I still take a deep breath through my mouth here and there, but not nearly as much as before. It's the same thing if you swim for exercise. Just have to get used to a different kind of breathing

[englandsf]

Pugsy, you're right - I was thinking FX not Nano.