proper breathing with full face mask

[russie]

i switched from a nasal mask on 8/18 as i couldn't make it work,i am a mouth breather and i now have a Respironics comfortfull 2--i need advice on best way to breathe,i am on bipap with heated humidifier with a pretty strong flow of air coming through,i will experiment with my breathing but any advice will be helpful...thanks

[Wulfman]

With a full face mask, it's best to breathe through your nose......by keeping your tongue firmly planted to the roof of your mouth.
If you haven't before, do a nasal rinse or at least make sure your nasal passages are clear, just before bedtime.

Also, if you're using heated humidity, I'd also suggest turning it down or, more specifically, OFF.....to keep your nasal passages open. Warm, humid air can have the effect of closing off your nasal passages and make mouth breathing worse.

Good luck with the Comfortfull 2. It's the most uncomfortable mask I've used (which haven't been all that many since I picked the best one in the beginning). The lower part of the seal dug into my chin/gums area and hurt like Hell. I only managed to get three nights out of it before I gave up and went back to my UMFF.

Den

[longsufferingwife]

Those are relatively high pressures I believe. (My husband is supposed to be at 20/16) but still isn't up there, he's slowly getting there after years of trying different things, and masks since 2004.

In 2005 or so, his sleep doc looked up his nose and saw that he had very large "turbinates" and that they were blocking his ability to use a nasal mask (my husband had to use ff masks due to his mouth breathing). So the doc referred him and he had a rather simple operation (depends on hospital and surgeon of course) that cut down his turbinates and also happened to correct a deviated septum.

When he healed he was able to tolerate a nasal mask: according to my physicist husband, the nasal mask works better at higher pressures because of less surface area. Then, after many masks he found the activia by resmed worked best for him, without leaks! All the rest leaked and bad, especially the full face ---it took us from 2004 to 2008 to find this mask that worked (I don't think it existed in 2004). I see alot of people in these forums use it as well.

[CorgiGirl]

Good luck with the Comfortfull 2. It's the most uncomfortable mask I've used (which haven't been all that many since I picked the best one in the beginning). The lower part of the seal dug into my chin/gums area and hurt like Hell. I only managed to get three nights out of it before I gave up and went back to my UMFF.

Den

I'm not as experienced as Wulfman, but I will second that the ComfortFull 2 is the most uncomfortable of the four I've tried. I am really liking the Fisher and Paykel Flexifit 432 with the big face cushion. I doesn't pull anywhere or put a lot of pressure anywhere. And my leaks are almost gone! I doesn't work for my husband, so I think it matters what your face shape is. Mine is more long and narrow while my husband's is more round.

Good luck.

[RafterRattler]

With a full face mask, it's best to breathe through your nose......by keeping your tongue firmly planted to the roof of your mouth.
If you haven't before, do a nasal rinse or at least make sure your nasal passages are clear, just before bedtime...

Den

I second this. I went to a FF mask several years ago because I'm a mouth breather as well and just couldn't keep my mouth closed. I also have terrible problems with nasal congestion. However, when I go to sleep I do TRY to breath through my nose. When I don't it's obvious in the morning....dry mouth.

Mike

[DreamDiver]

proper breathing with full face masks
The only reason I have a full face mask is because the pressure with the nasal masks generally finds its way out of my mouth when I'm very relaxed. So with the nasal masks, I can't really relax. I have to consciously keep my mouth closed. Even a chin strap doesn't work. I just end up with lots my lips together, but air leaking quietly out. And I'm uncomfortable with tape or polident on my mouth with a mustache and beard.

With the full face mask, I'm not actually breathing out of my mouth. In fact my mouth is generally closed with my teeth just slightly apart but with my lips comfortably together. Because the air pressure over the mouth and nose are equal inside the full face mask, I do not experience the 'mouth escape' air that happens with the nasal masks. I breathe through my nose, but my mouth stays closed comfortably inside a full face mask. A strap like the papcap can better stabilize the mask, reduce the "chipmunk cheek" effect that often happens with full face masks, and keep your jaw angle so your mouth won't hang open letting your tongue and gums dry out.

proper breathing in general
Many of us have learned subconsciously to breathe from the chest, even at night. Breathing from the chest can end up tensing all the muscles in your chest, neck, shoulders and diaphragm - even your jaws. I suspect part of the reason why we do this is the rampant social meme (let's call it the 'Barbie and Ken Effect') that makes us suck in our bellies in an attempt to 'seem' less fat. It really doesn't do much good. So the social uncomfortability translates to real physical uncomfortability after years of improper breathing.

Babies breathe from the belly naturally. Choirs are taught to breathe from their belly. Try slacking your belly like a buddha and breathe from there. After each out breath, consciously attempt to wait a second. The pause doesn't have to be very long, and no pause is necessary between the in and out breath - just between out an in. It doesn't have to be really deep or long - just normal, comfortable. Consciously relax your chest muscles, while attempting only to breathe from the belly. It's very relaxing. If you fall asleep this way, you may find your sleep more relaxed.