Frustrated Newbie - noise problems

[Complikatyed]

Hi,

I'm at week 2 with CPAP, 10 cm pressure, F-P Zest nose mask and becoming increasingly frustrated. I know it's unreasonable to have expected a miraculous change, but the first three mornings after CPAP were amazing! Now that my sleep debt has lessened, my ability to stay asleep with my CPAP has also waned. I can fall asleep with the ramp feature on because it's significantly quieter, but I'm really struggling with the inhalation noise waking me up two or three times a night. I've followed the advice I've found here about using an MP3 player (I've got it clipped to the forehead part of my mask) but unless I keep it playing all night, I wake up from the whooshing sound and have to turn the player back on again, which disrupts my sleep all over again.

It seems clear that I need to change masks, but I'd like to go in to my DME with some ideas of what to ask for. I've never been able to sleep with any kind of white noise, so I'm feeling right now like the inhalation sound is going to be a make or break for me. The earbud solution doesn't feel entirely safe for long-term, since my husband doesn't wake up for anything, and with two young kids I'm nervous about having both of us oblivious to kid voices calling for us in the night.

Any ideas for what mask to ask about or other (mom-friendly) tricks to keep from waking up with the whoosh?

[KatieW]

I use the ResMed Activa Lt nasal mask, and it's very quiet. I also use the ResMed Mirage Softgel, which fits the same frame. You could ask to try both of them, to see.

[patdart]

Hi,

I'm at week 2 with CPAP, 10 cm pressure, F-P Zest nose mask and becoming increasingly frustrated. I know it's unreasonable to have expected a miraculous change, but the first three mornings after CPAP were amazing! Now that my sleep debt has lessened, my ability to stay asleep with my CPAP has also waned. I can fall asleep with the ramp feature on because it's significantly quieter, but I'm really struggling with the inhalation noise waking me up two or three times a night. I've followed the advice I've found here about using an MP3 player (I've got it clipped to the forehead part of my mask) but unless I keep it playing all night, I wake up from the whooshing sound and have to turn the player back on again, which disrupts my sleep all over again.

It seems clear that I need to change masks, but I'd like to go in to my DME with some ideas of what to ask for. I've never been able to sleep with any kind of white noise, so I'm feeling right now like the inhalation sound is going to be a make or break for me. The earbud solution doesn't feel entirely safe for long-term, since my husband doesn't wake up for anything, and with two young kids I'm nervous about having both of us oblivious to kid voices calling for us in the night.

Any ideas for what mask to ask about or other (mom-friendly) tricks to keep from waking up with the whoosh?

I feel for you and as a former/current mother I understand about the need to be waked up during the night. I believe you will get used to the whoosh if you give it enough time, but I also understand your frustration. I'd call my doctor or DME about letting you try another mask pronto. Be sure to give it the full Monty by lying down in your favored position before accepting it. It is very important that you accommodate it for the sake of your kids one way or another so that you'll be around to stay up when they are teenagers!

[cflame1]

have you tried a fan or a white noise machine? I've been running my ceiling fan at night as a white noise machine almost since I started with my machine. I hear more of the fan then I do of my machine.

[Nord]

Hi,

I'm at week 2 with CPAP, 10 cm pressure, F-P Zest nose mask and becoming increasingly frustrated. I know it's unreasonable to have expected a miraculous change, but the first three mornings after CPAP were amazing! Now that my sleep debt has lessened, my ability to stay asleep with my CPAP has also waned. I can fall asleep with the ramp feature on because it's significantly quieter, but I'm really struggling with the inhalation noise waking me up two or three times a night. I've followed the advice I've found here about using an MP3 player (I've got it clipped to the forehead part of my mask) but unless I keep it playing all night, I wake up from the whooshing sound and have to turn the player back on again, which disrupts my sleep all over again.

It seems clear that I need to change masks, but I'd like to go in to my DME with some ideas of what to ask for. I've never been able to sleep with any kind of white noise, so I'm feeling right now like the inhalation sound is going to be a make or break for me. The earbud solution doesn't feel entirely safe for long-term, since my husband doesn't wake up for anything, and with two young kids I'm nervous about having both of us oblivious to kid voices calling for us in the night.

Any ideas for what mask to ask about or other (mom-friendly) tricks to keep from waking up with the whoosh?

You say that its clear that you need to change masks... but you don't say why.

The Zest is very quiet and there are some others that are pretty quiet too including the Activa LT and SoftGel.
But you will be disappointed if you are searching for quieter masks to eliminate the Darth Vader sounds.
Most of that sound is from the exhaust of the Flow Generator although some noise travels up the hose to the mask.

The Zest is very light and small for a Nasal mask and if it is sealing well.. don't be too quick to change... you should think twice.

The Activa LT is comfortable but heavy and big. On the plus side it is very quiet and has a very good exhaust port.
It also seals differently with a suction but for me it doesn't seal very well.
It needs to be extremely clean on the silicone and higher pressure (maybe 9 and up) with no EPR or C Flex.

Many masks are well documented in these pages... but there are so many variables that the search can be disappointing.

Just my thoughts... I am still looking and pretty unhappy.
BTW: The Zest is my back-up... not perfect but very good. F & P are generally overlooked.

Nord

[Janknitz]

The quietest mask I ever tried was the Mirage Micro--I swear I could not tell if the machine was running by sound with that mask. However, I'm a side sleeper and that mask hurt my nose and was hard to keep from leaking. I'm using the Swift LT now, and I can hear my breaths echoed and magnified by the little tube--it's really annoying some nights.

I'm a big proponent of the white noise and I often sleep with my iPod in. I have kids that I have to keep an ear out for too, because my husband is hard of hearing. I use a cheap secondary market earbud for comfort, the iBuds HURT! and I only put one in, so I'm not completely cut off from the sounds around me. Since my earbuds cost only about $10, believe me they are NOT noise cancelling--I can still hear the word beyond my iPod But it just gives me something to focus on that is not the CPAP, and then I can sleep except under the worst conditions. And I do leave it on all night--I usually have to charge it after two all night sessions. Sometimes I wake in the middle of the night just enough to turn it off, but not always.

My dad had a "pillow speaker". That was a flat speaker that went under his pillow and only he could hear his clock radio (this was a long time ago--it was one of the first clock radios with those "digital" flip cards!), but his ears were open to the world around him. I'm thinking about getting one because after a while my ear gets sore even with the smaller, padded ear buds. I also feel more "trussed" up between the nasal pillows and the ear bud--too many holes in my head are plugged