Mouth blowing open

[MaxINTJ]

OK, so I restarted using my CPAP 5 or 6 days ago and have been managing with it all night long (@8 hours). My data shows I still have really crappy sleep, but at least it has not further injured my neck.

One of my current issues (other than still being dead tired), is that if I fall asleep or roll over onto my side or back, my mouth blows open. If I am facing mostly down it doesn't happen as my tongue blocks the air. SO, I'm assuming on my side or back that my tongue slide back resulting in a wind tunnel which dries out my mouth and/or wakes up my wife.

Apparently my skin is relatively sensitive as the Dreamwear mask with pads still leaves marks on my face when I lay on it. Tape will leave marks and I have heard chin straps really don't work. The one mentioned in another post looks like something you would put on a kidnap victim to keep them quiet - it is huge. I may as well get an ace bandage and wrap my head like the invisible man.

Hoping for some ideas here - this is what I get for NOT stomach sleeping 100% of the time...

[Guest]

Another new guy here, starting week 6 of therapy. I was a lifetime stomach sleeper too. I switched from a full mask to the Dreamwear nasal pillows (against the doc and DME's recommendation because of the 17/21 pressures) with one of the Ruby chin straps to keep my mouth closed and it works great. I had to go from the medium frame to the large to account for the thickness of the strap.

I started using a body pillow to help me sleep on my side. After a couple of weeks of that I noticed that I was waking up more and more on my back, which I've never done before. Not sleeping on my stomach has solved eye issues, shoulder issues, neck issues, mask leak issues, and my AHI is typically less than 2. MyAir gives me gold stars pretty much every day. I haven't slept this well in . . . well, ever, it seems like. It is possible to transition away from being a stomach sleeper.

[Esme]

I have the same problem with my Dreamwear, which I use alternately with a full-face mask. When I use the Dreamwear, I have to don full regalia - that is: chin strap, cervical collar and paper medical tape placed vertically over mouth. It sounds ridiculous, but I actually sleep pretty well that way. Any of those methods individually is not sufficient to prevent mouth leaks for me, but combined they do the trick. Maybe try more than one?

[Guest]

Another newish user with a ResMed 10 and Dreamwear cushion wondering....
I have never yet managed to get my AHI numbers below 4-5.
The last few nights I've been increasing the pressure 6.5 - 6.8 - 7
And....my AHI numbers aren't going down but my LL numbers are going way up.

Question: should I reduce the pressure until I eliminate the LLs or attack this from another perspective?
At lower LL numbers, my AHI numbers seem better not worse....

And another question: How do I determine if my LL is caused by the higher pressure blowing my mouth open or my mask awry ???

Thank you. I have registered but not been activated. I am not a troll.

[Pugsy]

And another question: How do I determine if my LL is caused by the higher pressure blowing my mouth open or my mask awry ???

Only way to know for sure is to tape the lips closed and the tape has to still be in place in the morning.

I did this not long ago with the DreamWear I was trying...getting lots of leaks and didn't know if it was mouth or mask movement.

Believe it or not...this was with my lips taped shut so all mask movement.
https://imgur.com/Ix7WFrf

[MaxINTJ]

Another new guy here, starting week 6 of therapy. I was a lifetime stomach sleeper too. I switched from a full mask to the Dreamwear nasal pillows (against the doc and DME's recommendation because of the 17/21 pressures) with one of the Ruby chin straps to keep my mouth closed and it works great. I had to go from the medium frame to the large to account for the thickness of the strap.

I started using a body pillow to help me sleep on my side. After a couple of weeks of that I noticed that I was waking up more and more on my back, which I've never done before. Not sleeping on my stomach has solved eye issues, shoulder issues, neck issues, mask leak issues, and my AHI is typically less than 2. MyAir gives me gold stars pretty much every day. I haven't slept this well in . . . well, ever, it seems like. It is possible to transition away from being a stomach sleeper.

Ugh, I was always under the impression that going to sleep was to be a relaxing experience. The Dreamwear mask is PLENTY of bionics for me - start adding more stuff like a chin strap, tape, who knows what else, and it's going to feel like suiting up for battle instead of relaxing for sleep

On top of that, I'm dreading the ENT appointment this week - I just have a bad feeling that they're going to find I have a naturally small airway (I have always snored) and that age is now letting it collapse further and more easily. The cure for that is UPPP surgery, and unless they are going to induce a coma for 2-3 weeks (morphine drip might also work), I can't see doing it. I just don't have enough body fat to not eat anything for 2+ weeks.

[MaxINTJ]

=======

logical fallacies
you are so maxESFP not intj

Expert in MBTI now?

cpap did not hurt your neck

Doesn't matter how many times you say it, it doesn't make it true.

you can sleep quite well on your back once you accept that doing it will make your apnea better and not hurt your neck as a lagniappe

Obviously you didn't read my post, otherwise you would know the issue is with side and back sleeping - which will NOT help my UARS or whatever it is.

a good shrink might help you get over your hangup with wanting to sleep on your tummy

Ahhh,,, the pot looking for a kettle to call black...

maybe a plastic bag over your head taped tight around your neck with the hose stuck in the back
then you could sleep on your stomach with no cpap causing your neck to hurt
although you will keep damaging your neck even more like you did with all those years of sleeping that way

Now there's something I think you should try out and report back. Try it with and without a hose plugged in the back.

[Pugsy]

Ahhh,,, the pot looking for a kettle to call black...

Took the words right out of my mouth. He's really good at it though. Probably what he does best which is sad to say.

[Marillion]

One option would be to try the Ultimate Chin Strap by Russ McMillan. Just google Utlimate Chin Strap. That one keeps your lips fairly closed as well as your chin. They do have a money back guarantee. Another option is to try one of the thinner chin straps, google the "Halo Chin Strap." It's what I use and it has stopped my mouth breathing for the most part. Occasionally I will get some air escaping from my lips but it's very rare and not enough to bother with.

I used to always sleep on my stomach but have since adapted to sleeping on my back. To be honest it has worked out much better for me and I feel much better overall sleeping this way than on my stomach as I used to do.

[MaxINTJ]

One option would be to try the Ultimate Chin Strap by Russ McMillan.

This is the one that looks like something you would put on hostages to keep them quiet.

I'm sure it works, but that's the one I was referring to when I mentioned the Invisible Man - having your whole head wrapped up with straps, belts. wraps, etc..

Maybe my tongue will get used to doing it's job instead of slacking off. But then again, side and back sleeping are just a small part of my sleep time - even now.

[Guest]

Ugh, I was always under the impression that going to sleep was to be a relaxing experience. The Dreamwear mask is PLENTY of bionics for me - start adding more stuff like a chin strap, tape, who knows what else, and it's going to feel like suiting up for battle instead of relaxing for sleep

Trust me, it could be a lot worse. I've been taping my damned EYES shut and wearing special eye covers for three years to try to reduce the constant disgusting discharge caused by floppy eyelid syndrome, the extraordinarily ugly sister to sleep apnea. Try making your way to take a leak with your eyes taped shut some time, tripping over f-ing golden retrievers every other step. Less than a week after forcing myself off my stomach my eyes are clear and I can see again, and now I rarely wake up at night at all.

By contrast, filling the little tank and putting on the strap and mask takes me less than a minute at bedtime. And now going to bed is something I look forward to. Pushing that stupid button is one of the highlights of my day now.

[Pugsy]

I always called that Ultimate Chin strap the "Mummy wrap".
To repeat what I have seen said..."ain't no way in hell"....
But to be fair some people use it and like it and that's why everything has that big YMMV sticker on it.
I have seen one...someone sent it along with a box of other donated/unwanted cpap stuff. Not sure if I still have it or if I passed it along to some poor unsuspecting soul.

On my "to do" list is "go through the donations box and get rid of crap"...but that is way down on the to do list.
Now that I am feeling better I have more things to do that will give me immediate gratification and I am all about immediate gratification right now. Right now I am fixing up an old but beautiful door that someone in the past buggered up and I am finally getting around to making it pretty again.

If the mouth blowing open didn't disturb your sleep (which is already fragile) and your wife's...I would say don't worry about it right now. It's the least of your problems. There's a good chance with time and training your tongue will earn to keep that back door shut and problem solved.

Gotta go back outside...need to put a coat of poly on some wood I just stained.

[MaxINTJ]

Ugh, I was always under the impression that going to sleep was to be a relaxing experience. The Dreamwear mask is PLENTY of bionics for me - start adding more stuff like a chin strap, tape, who knows what else, and it's going to feel like suiting up for battle instead of relaxing for sleep

Trust me, it could be a lot worse. I've been taping my damned EYES shut and wearing special eye covers for three years to try to reduce the constant disgusting discharge caused by floppy eyelid syndrome, the extraordinarily ugly sister to sleep apnea. Try making your way to take a leak with your eyes taped shut some time, tripping over f-ing golden retrievers every other step. Less than a week after forcing myself off my stomach my eyes are clear and I can see again, and now I rarely wake up at night at all.

By contrast, filling the little tank and putting on the strap and mask takes me less than a minute at bedtime. And now going to bed is something I look forward to. Pushing that stupid button is one of the highlights of my day now.

I had never heard of that syndrome before but it sounds nasty. Not sure why it was cured by changing position though - it's not like there is enough height difference for gravity to have an effect (like veins in the legs being so far below the heart). I'm glad it's cured, just curious about why...

[MaxINTJ]

I always called that Ultimate Chin strap the "Mummy wrap".
To repeat what I have seen said..."ain't no way in hell"....
But to be fair some people use it and like it and that's why everything has that big YMMV sticker on it.
I have seen one...someone sent it along with a box of other donated/unwanted cpap stuff. Not sure if I still have it or if I passed it along to some poor unsuspecting soul.

OK, mummy wrap is applicable - maybe it was invented for other uses - 50 Shades of Grey anyone?

[Guest]

I had never heard of that syndrome before but it sounds nasty. Not sure why it was cured by changing position though - it's not like there is enough height difference for gravity to have an effect (like veins in the legs being so far below the heart). I'm glad it's cured, just curious about why...

Sleeping on your face forces your eyelids open and rubs your eyeball and the inside of the lid against your pillow. As you would expect, none of those parts react well to that. Not everyone with OSA has FES, but most everyone with FES has OSA.