Bleep/DreamPort nasal mask review thread

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
Sova
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Re: Bleep/DreamPort nasal mask review thread

Post by Sova » Mon Apr 01, 2019 9:07 pm

After lots of great help from pugsy I'm back for review round 2!

Following pugsy's tips and the tips in the post I was able to get rid of my leaks and bring my AHI back down to 3 for two nights in a row (which is a typical night with my normal mask). Not sure what the ultimate cause was, but after lots of fiddling and taking it apart and putting it together it was somehow fixed! The mask still isn't silent, but it's at least as quiet as the quietist nasal masks I've tried (dreamwear and brevida). I'm guessing some of this noise comes from the vents, need to track down a resmed filter or cut up one of my dreamstation filters somehow to put on there.

Pros:
No leaks after getting the process down. This is pretty huge, because I wake up several times per night with any other mask to adjust for leaks (and my husband often sleeps in a different bedroom because he is a light sleeper and leaks make noise).
No headgear, which makes the mask very comfortable when it is not pulling on my nose.
Tape is super comfortable and not icky, sticky, or gooey once pulling it off.
Ports are super comfortable- nothing in my nose and lots of airflow
On par AHI-wise with my other masks once I got the process down.

Cons:
Haven't figured out hose management with this yet, especially since the hose pulls on my nose when moving around.
Didn't work out of the box and required a lot of fiddling, although that's totally understandable for a mask that's brand new to the market (and to be honest I didn't watch any of the troubleshooting videos so this is partially on me)
Lots of flow out of the vents- although this is an easy fix as others have mentioned so I'm not sure if it really counts. Out of the box with no modification the airflow through the vents makes my arms cold (I sleep with my arms up near my face).
Hose pulling on my nose will take some getting used to, not super comfortable (see hose managment). Can't throw the hose up over my pillow to anchor, not enough maneuverability if I put it under the covers with me, just slides off the bed if I put it on top and then pulls on my nose. Happy to hear tips if anyone has them! I usually use Dreamwear and don't have to worry about my hose at all so I'm not used to this.

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djams
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Re: Bleep/DreamPort nasal mask review thread

Post by djams » Tue Apr 02, 2019 4:54 am

Sova wrote:
Mon Apr 01, 2019 9:07 pm

Haven't figured out hose management with this yet, especially since the hose pulls on my nose when moving around.
This is definitely one of those YMMV topics. I use a hose hanger (well, a wall mounted bedside swing arm lamp). This gets the hose of bed with you, with enough slack to still move / roll around. I start the night with the hose laying on the pillow next to my head. The short hose on the dreamport provide a little extra slack.

We took a travel weekend recently, so I'm familiar with your complaint. Missed my hanger for sure.

There's a video on hose management here: https://bleepsleep.com/instructions/ - I haven't watched it, but maybe some tips you could use.

Good luck, and glad to hear that it's working better for you.

_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: Bleep DreamPort CPAP Mask Solution
Additional Comments: Backup machine: AirSense 10 AutoSet with all the fixins

Sova
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Re: Bleep/DreamPort nasal mask review thread

Post by Sova » Tue Apr 02, 2019 6:04 am

Thanks djams! I'll check it out. I forgot to add the final summary line to my second review above- my overall impression of this mask/system is positive and I'm very happy I decided to try it out! I"m not sure if it'll replace my normal mask or not yet, still figuring out the details and I'm guessing my DME doesn't carry it (need to call them and ask, or ask to stock), but I'm definitely happy to have tried it!

Last night I tried looping the hose behind my pillow again and it worked just fine!! No issues during the night pulling on my hose or trying to move around. Just takes some trial and error I guess. I also experimented with turning my pressure down by .5 to see if I could handle a lower pressure with this mask (I tend to get a lot of central apneas in general, but on my other masks I can't turn my pressure any lower without shooting up the OA count). This shot my AHI up to 6, so I'm going back to my normal pressure tonight.

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Pugsy
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Re: Bleep/DreamPort nasal mask review thread

Post by Pugsy » Tue Apr 02, 2019 6:22 am

I have always looped the hose around the top of the bed pillow so that it comes down in front of my face. It's been that way since I started cpap therapy and didn't matter which mask I was using. I tend to toss and turn a lot and this way the hose as plenty of play in it so it doesn't ever pull on the mask. I tried routing the hose overhead and I found it more annoying than just laying it on the mattress and routing it around the top of my bed pillow. I have never liked having the hose under the covers with me....usually that causes me to wake up because the hose has got wrapped around my neck. :lol:
Now if and/or when the Bleep maybe gets changed to where it can more easily come down from the top of the head with maybe a swivel...that would be icing on the cake but for now I just loop it down so it is loose enough and has enough play in it that it doesn't ever tug on the end of my nose.

Hose management or placement is most definitely one of those things that comes with the huge YMMV sticker.

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Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.

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Pugsy
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Re: Bleep/DreamPort nasal mask review thread

Post by Pugsy » Tue Apr 02, 2019 7:14 am

Stuart has asked me to ask any of you all who have tried the Bleep successfully if you would be willing to do a short self made video of your review while applying the Bleep successfully? Have spouse or significant other video it???
If interested...send me a PM and I will put you in touch with Stuart.
And no...I am too shy and scopophobic to do it myself....so don't ask.

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Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.

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edfreeman
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Re: Bleep/DreamPort nasal mask review thread

Post by edfreeman » Tue Apr 02, 2019 11:49 am

Ok, so I did a thing. That stiffer hose (not stiff, but not nearly as pliable/floppy as it needs to be) got me last night, pulled a leak in one of the ports that I couldn't get re-stuck(at least not while groggy), so I dug out a dead P10, lopped off the hose, and put it on the Dreamport. It was very easy, as I found the Dreamport hose is a press fit onto the bushings on both ends and all I had to do was stretch it a little by inserting a small pocket knife blade, then tugging it off. I screwed up by not preserving the P10's swivel end (and I was going to, just absent mindedly cut it at the wrong end first), but both ends slid snugly onto the Dreamports swivel and nosepiece bushings, just had to patiently work the spirals up. This should be much better, and those of you who have the inventor's ear need to tell him that hose needs to be much softer and longer.

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Pugsy
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Re: Bleep/DreamPort nasal mask review thread

Post by Pugsy » Tue Apr 02, 2019 12:46 pm

Good job Ed. What are you using to tie up that filter in place?

I am actually good with the length of the Bleep hose and would/could stand for it to be even shorter but I do understand that some of you all prefer longer.
How did you get that swivel off? I can't make it budge but then I have a bum thumb at the moment that won't left me do much.

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.

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Jas_williams
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Re: Bleep/DreamPort nasal mask review thread

Post by Jas_williams » Tue Apr 02, 2019 1:09 pm

edfreeman wrote:
Tue Apr 02, 2019 11:49 am
Ok, so I did a thing. That stiffer hose (not stiff, but not nearly as pliable/floppy as it needs to be) got me last night, pulled a leak in one of the ports that I couldn't get re-stuck(at least not while groggy), so I dug out a dead P10, lopped off the hose, and put it on the Dreamport. It was very easy, as I found the Dreamport hose is a press fit onto the bushings on both ends and all I had to do was stretch it a little by inserting a small pocket knife blade, then tugging it off. I screwed up by not preserving the P10's swivel end (and I was going to, just absent mindedly cut it at the wrong end first), but both ends slid snugly onto the Dreamports swivel and nosepiece bushings, just had to patiently work the spirals up. This should be much better, and those of you who have the inventor's ear need to tell him that hose needs to be much softer and longer.
What a great idea I did not realise the bush and swivel were friction fit. I have just done the same cut the short hose off the P10 frame,

Pulled the swivel bush out of the end if the Bleep tube ( just a small amount of force pulling nothing major stuck my finger in the bush gripped the edge with my thumb other hand grip the white end of the tube then wriggle pull until it came off) left the P10 swivel to connect to my normal slimline hose and pursaded the swivel bush into the cut P10 hose slipped my Resmed filter diffuser back on the vent then clipped my modified P10 hose on I will try it in a few hours time and see how I get on. If I had realised the Bleep fittings were push fit I might have tried this sooner

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Mask: Bleep DreamPort CPAP Mask Solution
Additional Comments: Using sleepyhead and a pressure of 6 - 21 Resmed S9 Adapt SV with a Bleep Sleep Mask

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djams
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Re: Bleep/DreamPort nasal mask review thread

Post by djams » Tue Apr 02, 2019 3:19 pm

Sova wrote:
Mon Apr 01, 2019 9:07 pm

Hose pulling on my nose will take some getting used to,
Sounds like you may have solved this last night (congrats! ). But just in case...

I forgot to relay one of the best tips I've gotten here. Use a rubber band to attach a suspenders clip to the short hose, and clip it to your bed shirt. Allow enough slack for full head motion when positioning the rubber band to the hose. This way the hose tugs on your shirt instead of your nose.

Haven't needed to do this with the dreamport myself. But when I first switched to nasal masks and I had trouble keeping them on my nose, this really helped.

_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: Bleep DreamPort CPAP Mask Solution
Additional Comments: Backup machine: AirSense 10 AutoSet with all the fixins

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Jeanne Ellen
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Re: Bleep/DreamPort nasal mask review thread

Post by Jeanne Ellen » Tue Apr 02, 2019 3:24 pm

I received my Bleep on Saturday and have been trying it out, with mixed results. So far, I've had some problems with leaks, noise from the vent, and irritation on my nose, which is sensitive after years of using Breathe Rite strips. My usual bedtime get-up includes the P10 mask with a chinstrap and tape over my mouth (with a mouth guard), so I loved the idea of getting rid of the nasal mask. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for the suggestions about using a filter on the vent. That worked like magic to silence the vents, but I'm still being awakened by little leaks around my nose. I had been cutting the adhesive pads down to try and prevent the sensitive places on my nose from getting red, but that was a mistake, apparently. I also thought that just washing with soap and water would be good enough to get the adhesive to stick, but last night, one of the pads came loose on top of my nose after I'd pressed it down.

I see that some of you have lowered your pressure settings since you're getting more air blowing in your nose. I love that my nasal passages feel wide open with the Bleep--so much better than with the nasal cushions on the P10. However, I've started waking up with a dry mouth, so I lowered my setting a couple of notches. I thought with all that air, maybe I could get away with it, plus maybe it would help me avoid dry mouth . I'm not sure how much lower I could go before it starts to affect my AHI's, but I still have dry mouth when I wake up. With the P10, I was doing great, with very low AHI and usually sleeping 6-7 hours a night and no dry mouth.

So for those of you who are having success with the Bleep, here are my questions:
1. If you lowered the pressure settings on your machine, do you feel it's giving you the same or better quality sleep as you had with your favorite mask? Do you have issues with dry mouth?
2. Is anybody getting skin irritation on your nose?
3. Should I be washing my face/nose with something besides soap and water before applying the adhesive pads?
4. Has anyone been able to get rid of their chinstrap or stop taping their mouth with the Bleep?
That's it. Thanks for your help. This is a wonderful forum!

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edfreeman
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Re: Bleep/DreamPort nasal mask review thread

Post by edfreeman » Tue Apr 02, 2019 3:28 pm

Pugsy wrote:
Tue Apr 02, 2019 12:46 pm
Good job Ed. What are you using to tie up that filter in place?

I am actually good with the length of the Bleep hose and would/could stand for it to be even shorter but I do understand that some of you all prefer longer.
How did you get that swivel off? I can't make it budge but then I have a bum thumb at the moment that won't left me do much.
It's just a hair tie stretchy thingy you young ladies use. I used one of those course filters for the Resmed machines.

Not sure which swivel you're speaking of, the one next to the nose piece pops apart with enough force, and the loose end swivel is a very snug, slip fit, though some heat may have been used since the ribs of the tube are smushed down on both ends. I pulled the loose end swivel off with just steady force and a bit of a twisting back and forth motion. On the nose piece end, I slid a small pocket knife blade between the tube and that bushing, pressed it in about halfway, and worked it around the circumference to "stretch" the Dreamport tube fit just a bit. After that, another tug and it slid right off.

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Pugsy
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Re: Bleep/DreamPort nasal mask review thread

Post by Pugsy » Tue Apr 02, 2019 3:35 pm

Jeanne Ellen wrote:
Tue Apr 02, 2019 3:24 pm
3. Should I be washing my face/nose with something besides soap and water before applying the adhesive pads?
I have to wash my face with soap and water AND use an alcohol swab after the washing and drying to get optimal stickiness from the adhesive. So maybe a quick wipe with alcohol or witch hazel or something similar is needed.

I have had zero irritation from the adhesive but then to be honest my skin isn't super sensitive to tapes or adhesives. It's rare that I have any sort of reaction to adhesives.

Using the Bleep isn't necessarily going to be the magic fix for a jaw that wants to drop down and let the mouth open. It's going to be no different than any other nasal interface in that regard.
Now I will admit to my mouth opening sometimes...but I sleep right through it and it's rare that mouth leaks are massive to the point of seriously impacting my therapy so I just shrug my shoulders....and I don't tape, and I don't chin strap and I simply do nothing because I just don't care as long as I sleep through it.

Now any leak that wakes a person up....that's a different story no matter how big or little it might be...it disrupts sleep so it is unwanted.

I haven't changed my pressure mainly because it is/was already as low as I was comfortable going...so I can't comment on that aspect of things. I will say that wake ups from headgear sliding up the back of my head are of course now gone...so in that sense I am sleeping better without having those headgear related wake ups.

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.

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Pugsy
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Re: Bleep/DreamPort nasal mask review thread

Post by Pugsy » Tue Apr 02, 2019 3:44 pm

edfreeman wrote:
Tue Apr 02, 2019 3:28 pm
Not sure which swivel you're speaking of, the one next to the nose piece pops apart with enough force, and the loose end swivel is a very snug, slip fit, though some heat may have been used since the ribs of the tube are smushed down on both ends. I pulled the loose end swivel off with just steady force and a bit of a twisting back and forth motion. On the nose piece end, I slid a small pocket knife blade between the tube and that bushing, pressed it in about halfway, and worked it around the circumference to "stretch" the Dreamport tube fit just a bit. After that, another tug and it slid right off.
After much cussing I was able to loosen (just a little bit) the Bleep hose from the swivel attachment part that goes up next to the plastic vent holes.
It is super snug for me and I have a bad thumb so my grip is extremely reduced. I now see how to remove it but I was mainly wanting to do it to see how it was done more than anything else. See if I could do it type of thing. I could do it....I see now how it loosens and will eventually come off. So I am good...I don't really need to take it off and I don't really need to stress the thumb any more. It's already about half again as large as the normal size thumb so I want the swelling to go down...and not be worse so I will leave things alone for now. It just hurts too much and it isn't urgent that I take anything apart.

Hair tie huh??? I wear my hair extremely short so you can imagine why I didn't recognize it. I did find a bread tie kind of thing that was long enough to use though. It will do until I remember to get a hair tie thing.

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Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.

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Pugsy
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Re: Bleep/DreamPort nasal mask review thread

Post by Pugsy » Tue Apr 02, 2019 3:56 pm

Jeanne Ellen wrote:
Tue Apr 02, 2019 3:24 pm
2. Is anybody getting skin irritation on your nose?
3. Should I be washing my face/nose with something besides soap and water before applying the adhesive pads?
Are you experiencing skin irritation from the adhesive? If so you might think about using the fancy barrier from 3 M.
Cavilon wipes... from 3M.
It will also help with the stickiness...less chance of the adhesive coming loose.

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.

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edfreeman
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Re: Bleep/DreamPort nasal mask review thread

Post by edfreeman » Tue Apr 02, 2019 4:07 pm

Pugsy wrote:
Tue Apr 02, 2019 3:44 pm

Hair tie huh??? I wear my hair extremely short so you can imagine why I didn't recognize it. I did find a bread tie kind of thing that was long enough to use though. It will do until I remember to get a hair tie thing.
No rubber bands in the house?