Pulling Mask Off Every Night :(

[Sly]

This is getting frustrating. I sleep with my mouth open or slightly open and after putting on my mask and finally drifting off to sleep, about 2-3 hours into it I wake up with a SEVERE case of cotton mouth. Lips, tongue, gums...etc all dry. I thought about taping or getting a chin strap, but when I can't breath comfortably through my mouth or I feel like something is restricting my natural breathing process I actually have a mild panic attack and that's when I remove the mask and then roll over and go back to sleep.

Any suggestions for this???

Thanks!!!

[bonjour]

Could you post a chart showing this event?

[Sly]

Could you post a chart showing this event?

Sorry, I don't have my software yet...but as soon as I get it I will be learning that ASAP!!

[rosiefrosie]

Allot of people do this when first starting treatment. I know I did. I'm not sure how new you are to this. I would tell myself before I went to sleep to leave my mask alone and not pull it off. I remember one night waking up after I was arguing with myself whether to leave the mask on or take it off. LOL! Hang in there.

[timbalionguy]

MAke sure your humidity level is high enough. Since you already have a FFM, and one that is very easy to mouth-breathe in, using enough humidity will prevent your mouth from drying out.

You might also consider trying the Hybrid FFM. The Hybrid is designed in such a way to permit mouth breathing, but help you learn not to do it. If you like the Quattro, I suspect you will like the Hybrid.

[PST]

This is getting frustrating. I sleep with my mouth open or slightly open and after putting on my mask and finally drifting off to sleep, about 2-3 hours into it I wake up with a SEVERE case of cotton mouth. Lips, tongue, gums...etc all dry. I thought about taping or getting a chin strap, but when I can't breath comfortably through my mouth or I feel like something is restricting my natural breathing process I actually have a mild panic attack and that's when I remove the mask and then roll over and go back to sleep.

I also use a full face mask and I share your feeling of great discomfort when I can't breath through my mouth. (It's strange: I usually don't breath through my mouth, but I go nuts if the option is taken away.) In my mask, I usually awaken with a dry mouth, but a swig of water fixes that. I agree with the suggestion to turn up the temperature on the humidifier so the air is moister, but if that doesn't work completely, and if the dry mouth doesn't become a sore throat or other serious problem, you might be best off accepting it as part of the whole CPAP experience, like harness hair. I've decided to treat waking up with a dry mouth like waking up with a full bladder -- a temporary condition I know how to quickly and fully relieve.

During my first week of CPAP, I twice found my mask beside me on the bed in the morning and had no memory of removing it. Fortunately, that stopped.

[BleepingBeauty]

Sly,

You might want to try wearing a chinstrap with your full-face mask.

As too many of us here can attest, a chinstrap will help to keep your mouth closed, but it won't stop you from mouth-breathing altogether. (One can easily continue mouth-breathing, even if the teeth are together.) It can probably reduce your anxiety re: not being able to breathe through your mouth if you have to, but it may also help to keep your mouth more hydrated and encourage you to breathe through your nose more often. Just a thought.

[harry33]

tape mask to face so the pain will remind you to not remove it, yours is a common problem, get a FF mask for now

[Sly]

Thanks to all for your time and replies!! All very good info. I'll try to tape thing and see If I can do that without any type of mild panic attack because I can't open and breath...but If it can keep my mouth "mostly" shut and still breath, that would decrease the amount of dryness I'm sure. I might even get that hybrid mask to try since it's pretty affordable, even though the ratings are not all that good. Trial and Error I guess till I get it all figured out and also get the software to actually look at what's going on.

[ozij]

You may need to buy the Fisher and Paykel stand alone humidifier, which will supply you with more humidity that the built in one.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/fisher ... ifier.html

O.

[harry33]

panic attackss are quite common for new users, it helps to lie comfortably and relaxed in bed, and to take deep slow breaths, using full air pressure, dont use the ramp, you may need a chinstrap with a FF mask, set loose so you can open mouth slightly but not so you can 'open wide' and so break the airseal of mask

it also helps to have a pleasant diverting daydream when getting off to sleep

[Sly]

panic attackss are quite common for new users, it helps to lie comfortably and relaxed in bed, and to take deep slow breaths, using full air pressure, dont use the ramp, you may need a chinstrap with a FF mask, set loose so you can open mouth slightly but not so you can 'open wide' and so break the airseal of mask

it also helps to have a pleasant diverting daydream when getting off to sleep

Why do you suggest not using the ramp?

[Wulfman]

Possibilities/remedies (for the panicky feeling and dry mouth):

Humidifier is too high. Turn it down or off. Too much humidity can actually close up your nasal passages.

Do nasal rinses/cleansing before bedtime so you can breathe through your nose.

Train yourself to sleep with your tongue firmly planted to the roof of your mouth. It will help to keep your mouth shut.

Ramp setting too low and/or too long of a time. Raise Ramp pressure, shorten time or turn off entirely.


Taking the mask off at night is very common in the beginning. We're not used to sleeping with something strapped to our faces. Get in the habit of putting it back on immediately or wear some tube socks on your hands to add a little difficulty to being able to remove the mask.


Den