SleepWeaver

SUNSETTER · Post by **SUNSETTER** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 1:01 pm

Has anyone used the SleepWeaver soft cloth nasal CPAP mask?

OutaSync · Post by **OutaSync** » Fri Jan 29, 2010 9:40 am

Yes, I have tried it. The material would not seal to my face AT ALL, which was too bad, because I have problems with silicone making welts on my face.

The company called me in August and asked if I would be willing to try the new version. I immediately agreed, thinking I could give it a go while I was home recovering from surgery. They said they would send it right out to me. I'm still waiting.....

KatieW · Post by **KatieW** » Fri Jan 29, 2010 8:32 pm

I tried it and really liked the feel of it, but couldn't stop leaks. For me, the headgear was too large for my head, so the bottom straps were not at the correct angle to hold the mask close to my face.

fadedgirl · Post by **fadedgirl** » Sat Jan 30, 2010 1:31 am

I am trying it tonight. I've been lying here in bed for a couple of hours wearing it, and I have no problem with leaks, but I am on my back inclined just a tad on my pillow. I sleep on my side and am anxious to see how this mask works "in action". It is insanely comfortable and I *love* the fact that its not cold weight on my face like the plastic masks. The headgear is perfect.

Alas, I have had high hopes for many other masks as well! I shall report back tomorrow.

fadedgirl · Post by **fadedgirl** » Sat Jan 30, 2010 1:12 pm

This mask worked awesome all night long. I did not have any trouble with leaks, and it was by far more comfortable than any other mask I've tried. It was not displaced by my pillow at all. I could bury my nose into the pillow (sideways, not face down) and still no problems. Zero pressure on the nose or forehead. I did have strap marks on my cheeks when I woke up, but nothing severe & prolly little snugglies can address that. It was also quieter than the other masks I've tried, but not silent.

As delivered, the hose can only hang down from the mask, so I'm sure there are those that prefer to put their hose upward instead. I happened to have a little rotating elbow and tried it, and that worked although I only kept it on for a little while, so I'm guessing one could use an elbow or a U connector to solve this problem if so inclined. Personally, I have no preference on this, so that didn't bother me. This is probably made possible because I have an Aussie hose which is heated and coils nicely, so keeping it under the covers, on my pillow or at the side of my pillow is not distracting.

I'm sad to hear that others had troubles with it leaking; it took less time for me to adjust or fiddle with than other masks -- just a few seconds. It worked perfectly practically right away. So maybe its just a great fit for my face. Before this I was dying to go back to the EasyLife (I had to order it in a larger size despite ordering my normal size for Respironics nasal masks originally - it was too small) but I will be wearing this one again tonight and leaving the EasyLife in its package. Its flexible, warm, and has no hard plastic. Its really in its own league. I sure hope it continues to work so well for me.

KatieW · Post by **KatieW** » Sat Jan 30, 2010 11:16 pm

I'm happy it worked for you!

fadedgirl · Post by **fadedgirl** » Sun Jan 31, 2010 1:59 am

Thanks Katie! I am trying to not get too excited about it until it works for a week or better. That would be a world record for me and a mask.

brazospearl · Post by **brazospearl** » Sun Jan 31, 2010 7:42 pm

I love my Sleepweaver! There's a small problem with leaks from the spaces where the side straps connect; I'm trying to find a good fix for that. My pressure is much lower when I use the Sleepweaver (between 9.5 & 11.0) but the leak rate is higher than with my Hybrid. I like the Hybrid, too, but it creates sores on my nose. My leak rate is less with the Hybrid, and the pressure is higher. So I'm alternating between the two, but I prefer the Sleepweaver because it is so light and never makes me sore!

happysleeper · Post by **happysleeper** » Mon Feb 01, 2010 10:23 am

Hi Sunsetter,

I tried the SleepWeaver, as I was wanting to try the lightness of the fabric on my face. I found that I could eventually get it to fit comfortably and without leaks, but because the mask is cloth and must be very clean to seal (and thus washed and hung to dry in between each use) it requires that the straps must be reattached to the mask and readjusted every night before bed to get it to fit again without leaks. I'm way too tired at bedtime to do this adjusting, which took me about 5-7 minutes each time to get it just right. So I switched back to my Optilife, which I adjusted once and then I just put it on at every night at bedtime. The Optlife just requires that you pop out the nose piece to wash it daily.

Also, I found that there was a little bit of chafing against the base of my nose from the white cloth piece. The cloth piece must be snug there to get a good seal.

I think that if you like the SleepWeaver, the comfort of the cloth might trump the time needed to readjust. You may learn to readjust automatically and it could become no big deal. Also, with your skin type you might be able to get away with washing it less frequently. I hope it works well for you!

In the meantime, I'm going to try out the new EasyLife mask...

Happy Sleeper

fadedgirl · Post by **fadedgirl** » Mon Feb 01, 2010 5:46 pm

My first night with the SleepWeaver was perfect, no leaks or they were minimal if at all. Slept great. Had an "excellent" rating on the Autoset mask fit.

Second night: From the minute I put it on, I could not get the leaks at the upper nose/into the eye corners to stop. For me, the trick with this mask is to not over-tighten it & to just lie down even if there are small leaks and it seals it self, but nothing was working. So I tried to figure out what could possibly have changed since the night before, and decided to clean it. I didn't wash it in water, I just took 1/3 of a Citris CPAP mask wipe, and wiped it off just like I would have any other mask -- in the areas that touched my face.

I put on the EasyLife, and then ProfileLite to see if I could fall asleep while I was waiting for the SleepWeaver to dry (it was just a tad damp, not soaked or anything, but I was exhausted) and oh my goodness, I sure hope I can keep the SleepWeaver working for me. Its just so incredible to not have to deal with a head pad digging into my pillow & face. Or the hard plastic jutting out that requires the excavation of its own little space. Alas, after about a half an hour I was still awake and festering uncomfortably, and my SleepWeaver was dry and waiting for me.

No leaks. I adjusted it within seconds, just like I had the prior night. I snuggled down into my pillow without any coldness, weight or discomfort on my face and was asleep within a matter of minutes. And I slept an hour more than I've ever been able to thus far with my CPAP therapy.

This method of using a CPAP wipe to lightly clean the SleepWeaver obviously requires more than one night of testing, but I just wanted to throw it out there. I'll report back after more days of use.

I'd also love to hear tips or success stories from other SleepWeaver wearers!!

Dr. Kevin · Post by **Dr. Kevin** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 12:58 pm

I'm a sleep physician and I have just ordered samples of the SleepWeaver. I read some of the comments about the mask. I tried it on and experienced some leaks around the eyes as well. It does require some tinkering. I'm looking for more patient feedback on its pros/cons. Also, from a cost standpoint, has insurance paid the full cost (as compared to other type masks)?

It is very attractive in concept, but I'm concerned about the leak issue...

Sleep Well

fadedgirl · Post by **fadedgirl** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 3:26 pm

I find the leaks easier to deal with on this mask than others. Its such a different animal, though, and I think that may throw people off. You cannot just cinch the straps tighter, as you can with most of the other rigid frame masks (and then pay for it in the morning). Yes sometimes tightening a strap is all that is needed!! But if not, its more of a nuance in motion. It may spout air when it shifts, because its flexible. Then it usually seals itself back up without needing any interference from me. But I'm sure that some would feel the need to try to adjust it immediately due to that, I don't. I just let it be for a bit and see what happens. I find that those only time I have real leaks with this mask is when I have a strap too tight or very loose.

I'm still in my first week with it, so take all this with that in mind. So far I have slept better (didn't even wake up once last night!) and longer each night with this mask than I was ever able to do heretofore. As you can see, I'm pretty darned excited to have found it.

I am not using insurance, so I cannot help you on that.

Cons: I'm a little surprised that they don't sell versions with different sized interior cut-outs. For instance, I do wonder if the nose hole wasn't so tall, or wide at the top, if folks would have the eye corner leaks as much. I also don't care for the swivel at the hose connector, it doesn't turn freely enough on mine.

I'm going to try to stop talking about this mask now.

DickR · Post by **DickR** » Wed Feb 10, 2010 4:20 pm

I have been using the Sleepweaver almost nightly since August. It is by far the most comfortable CPAP mask I have ever used (I've gone thru 4 in the year since I was diagnosed with apnea). Yes, I said almost nightly -- if my nose is stuffy, I will occasionally revert to my Resmed Liberty so I can breathe thru my mouth.
So far, there have been only 2 small problems:
1. Because you have to wash the mask with soapy water every morning after use, the straps don't hold up real well. They are made in layers to accommodate the velcro, and I did have a problem with the layers separating. A quick repair on my wife's zigzag sewing machine put it all right again.
2. I have a beard and mustache, and I was getting downward leakage through the mustache at the sides of my nose, where the straps attach. After some experimentation, I discovered that the angle of the straps was not quite right - they needed to be pulling pretty much straight out to the sides instead of somewhat downward as they are designed. Moving them up so that they are actually over my ears solved the problem completely. This was not as comfortable as it might be, so it was back to the sewing machine. My wife sewed a couple of tubes out of material from a very soft old baby blanket. I slip these on over the straps at the points where they go over my ears, and they're really pretty comfortable. I don't know if this leakage problem is due strictly to the mustache or has some other cause. In any case, the cushions have proven to be a pretty workable solution, if somewhat dorky looking.
All in all, I am well satisfied with the Sleepweaver, and who knows - maybe they'll come up with a new strap system that provides a more elegant solution to my mustache leakage!

DickR · Post by **DickR** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 8:57 am

DickR

Re: SleepWeaver
by DickR on Wed Feb 10, 2010 5:20 pm

I have been using the Sleepweaver almost nightly since August. It is by far the most comfortable CPAP mask I have ever used (I've gone thru 4 in the year since I was diagnosed with apnea). Yes, I said almost nightly -- if my nose is stuffy, I will occasionally revert to my Resmed Liberty so I can breathe thru my mouth.
So far, there have been only 2 small problems:
1. Because you have to wash the mask with soapy water every morning after use, the straps don't hold up real well. They are made in layers to accommodate the velcro, and I did have a problem with the layers separating. A quick repair on my wife's zigzag sewing machine put it all right again.
2. I have a beard and mustache, and I was getting downward leakage through the mustache at the sides of my nose, where the straps attach. After some experimentation, I discovered that the angle of the straps was not quite right - they needed to be pulling pretty much straight out to the sides instead of somewhat downward as they are designed. Moving them up so that they are actually over my ears solved the problem completely. This was not as comfortable as it might be, so it was back to the sewing machine. My wife sewed a couple of tubes out of material from a very soft old baby blanket. I slip these on over the straps at the points where they go over my ears, and they're really pretty comfortable. I don't know if this leakage problem is due strictly to the mustache or has some other cause. In any case, the cushions have proven to be a pretty workable solution, if somewhat dorky looking.
All in all, I am well satisfied with the Sleepweaver, and who knows - maybe they'll come up with a new strap system that provides a more elegant solution to my mustache leakage!

fadedgirl · Post by **fadedgirl** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 10:05 pm

DickR wrote:DickR

I discovered that the angle of the straps was not quite right - they needed to be pulling pretty much straight out to the sides instead of somewhat downward as they are designed. Moving them up so that they are actually over my ears solved the problem completely.

YES I do this as well, I don't think it has anything to do with your mustache. Probably at least 75% of the time I find that I have the straps going directly over my ears. It seems that with a few minor tweaks the makers of this mask could vastly improve it, and I'm not sure why they aren't at the very least offering alternate versions.

Are you washing your head gear everyday? Or is it where the headgear attaches to the mask that its separating?