I keep taking CPAP mask off during sleep

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
DmxDex
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2020 1:54 am

I keep taking CPAP mask off during sleep

Post by DmxDex » Fri Mar 12, 2021 12:15 am

I have a fisher and pykal simplus full facemask that came with my resmed airsense 10 from the NHS in england. I dont have a problem going to sleep with the mask on, but i wake up with the mask on the side of my bed. Its very fustrating to see this after a few weeks. I did get a resmed airfit 30i pillows mask. Its ok but my throat is constantly dry when using, even with my new humidifer set to levels of 5 and 6. I have ordered a new resmed climate line tube. Not sure if thats going to help alot with dry throat?.

As i have mentioned in previous posts, im onboard with CPAP. Ive spent my life ill, and if in the long run CPAP can manage my symptoms along with lifestyles changes i will become a far happier person.

I do not see the need to post OSCAR reports at the moment until im sleeping without taking the mask off. The nasal pillow reports are not fantastic. Messed around with minimium pressures. My prescribed pressure is between 4 and 20 with ramp set to 20 mins. I have experimented with different pressures. Not great results apart from a AHI of 1.55 with a full facemask, and a AHI of 1.68 with nasal pillows I think i have settled on the Full face mask despite clostrophobia and panic early on. Ive got over that now. Unless i could figure out why the pillows are causing me a dry throat.

I am a nose breather, well i am when i sleep, i do not neeed to force that, i learnt to do that 10 years ago, i think it was subconscious along with going on my side, due to sleep apnea at the time i did not know about. If im opening my mouth when i am asleep i have no idea lol

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Julie
Posts: 19899
Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2006 12:58 pm

Re: I keep taking CPAP mask off during sleep

Post by Julie » Fri Mar 12, 2021 8:05 am

Hi - if your min. pressure's at 4 (which most of us find impossible to breathe at and usually raise to e.g. 6-7 to start with) having a 20 min. ramp is pointless as 4 is the default low of the machine... giving you 20 mins. of inadequate therapy. Most of us also stop using the ramp early on altogether. But using Oscar may also show you reasons that you're taking the mask off so I'd certainly try it out and post here for experts to look at. Your dryness may be due to GERD (acid reflux) but how do you know you don't mouth breathe when asleep?

rick blaine
Posts: 614
Joined: Tue Dec 15, 2015 7:30 am

Re: I keep taking CPAP mask off during sleep

Post by rick blaine » Fri Mar 12, 2021 8:53 am

Hi DmxDex,

If you visit this forum often enough, you'll see that taking the mask off while asleep is one of the most common problems. And it's quite understandable. Your brain and mind is operating under the 'progam' that anything covering your mouth and face may suffocate you.

Now logically, your brain and mind may know – thru considering the evidence – that this is very unlikely to happen. I mean, you don't see reports about the widespread suffocation of CPAP patients in the newspapers.

And yet, all around the world, there's an awful lot of people now using CPAP machines and masks. You'd think: if 'the danger' was real, and was happening a lot, you would hear and read a lot of news about it.

So, no, the 'danger' part isn't logical.

But the 'primitive survival' part of the brain mind doesn't care about logic. If it just has to get a hint of what it thinks is danger, then that is enough – for some people – for them to remove 'the threat' – even while they are asleep.

Now, there is a way to get over this. And it comes with the passage of time. You just go on wearing the mask. And eventually your brain and mind gets used to having this 'alien' on your face. And then that fear is gone.

But for a few people, that 'passage of time' never comes to pass. Or else, it just takes too long. :(

Thankfully, there is now a solution for that. :) It's based on a treatment which has been developed in the last few years by two American doctors and neurologists – Steven and Ronald Ruden. (They happen to be brothers). This treatment works to interrupt and quell feelings of anxiety, or unrealistic fear, or stress – by sending calming and caring signals to the mid-brain, particularly the bit called the amygdala

I could try and exlain this simple but effective self-help method to you with more text. But there is an easier way. These two clips from my friend Paul McKenna show you how you can apply this new method to yourself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAV7mktZreY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69e11xGNJUg

The suggestion is that you sit down during the day – some time when you're unlikely to be disturbed – and with your mask on but the machine not running – and that you do this 'havening' process to yourself.

For about 10 minutes – and till you feel 'I'm entirely relaxed about this now'.

And I further suggest you do a 10-minute-or-so havening session every day for ten days. Just to absolutely lock that 'safe' response in.

RB.

PS. It's called 'havening' from the word haven – meaning 'a safe harbour, or a place of safety, a refuge'.

DmxDex
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2020 1:54 am

Re: I keep taking CPAP mask off during sleep

Post by DmxDex » Fri Mar 12, 2021 9:57 am

Bloody hell im been reporting posts instead of responding. Jesus where is my head at haha. Some terrible cognition lol. If i mouth breath during sleep im not aware that i am. I will look at the videos thanks

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Pugsy
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Joined: Thu May 14, 2009 9:31 am
Location: Missouri, USA

Re: I keep taking CPAP mask off during sleep

Post by Pugsy » Fri Mar 12, 2021 9:59 am

DmxDex wrote:
Fri Mar 12, 2021 9:57 am
Bloody hell im been reporting posts instead of responding. Jesus where is my head at haha. Some terrible cognition lol. If i mouth breath during sleep im not aware that i am. I will look at the videos thanks
:lol: :lol: I was wondering what the hell you were doing....
Reporting causes me lots of work and I don't like extra work.

You need to use the quote button and respond and not respond after hitting the report button. Non one sees your response but me when you do that. :lol:

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DmxDex
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2020 1:54 am

Re: I keep taking CPAP mask off during sleep

Post by DmxDex » Fri Mar 12, 2021 9:59 am

Julie wrote:
Fri Mar 12, 2021 8:05 am
Hi - if your min. pressure's at 4 (which most of us find impossible to breathe at and usually raise to e.g. 6-7 to start with) having a 20 min. ramp is pointless as 4 is the default low of the machine... giving you 20 mins. of inadequate therapy. Most of us also stop using the ramp early on altogether. But using Oscar may also show you reasons that you're taking the mask off so I'd certainly try it out and post here for experts to look at. Your dryness may be due to GERD (acid reflux) but how do you know you don't mouth breathe when asleep?
I get some acid reflux but not often at all. More during times of bad stress

michgol
Posts: 23
Joined: Tue Dec 15, 2020 11:36 am
Location: Bothell, WA

Re: I keep taking CPAP mask off during sleep

Post by michgol » Fri Mar 12, 2021 10:58 am

I am 4 months into this CPAP journey. However, I went through this. First, my doctor did prescribe me a very mild sleeping pill hydroxyzine to help me for the first few months. I no longer use this, but starting out I do feel it helped. The other things that really helped me were
1) Watching TV with my mask on not connected to the machine
2) Running the "mask fit" which is max pressure once a day while awake to get used to breathing with the pressure. Helped me get used to what it felt like