djam's therapy thread

[palerider]

It'd sure be interesting to see my 3 yo granddaughters reaction to Pops getting a mimi. Given that I'm always snatching hers - "big girls don't use mimi's".

Just point out to her, quite reasonably, that you're not a big girl.

[djams]

It'd sure be interesting to see my 3 yo granddaughters reaction to Pops getting a mimi. Given that I'm always snatching hers - "big girls don't use mimi's".

Just point out to her, quite reasonably, that you're not a big girl.

That's going into the back pocket. I'll find use for it, whether I get a mimi or not!

[Jay Aitchsee]

The Scunci alone works well for me, but I've thought that these adult pacifiers show promise.

Appreciate this Jay. Everything is on the table here. And this is something I never would have thought of on my own. Now I've got to decide is this goes above or below the mouthguard on the list. It'd sure be interesting to see my 3 yo granddaughters reaction to Pops getting a mimi. Given that I'm always snatching hers - "big girls don't use mimi's".

Yeah, I see them working something like a "mouth stopper" previously discussed in this thread. I think I would put it above mouthguard on the list. I never had much luck with the boil and bites. Mimi is a new one to me. I've always heard them called binkies.

I AM musing over the "frequently purchased together" items I see in that link. *headscratch*

Yes, very interesting

[djams]

Yeah, I see them working something like a "mouth stopper" previously discussed in this thread. I think I would put it above mouthguard on the list. I never had much luck with the boil and bites..

Seems like it would make a very effective stopper. I came to the same conclusion on the list position.

Mimi is a new one to me. I've always heard them called binkies.

Same here, binky. But this is what she named it early on and we just go with it.

[Jay Aitchsee]

Same here, binky. But this is what she named it early on and we just go with it.

Yep, sometimes you just have to

[djams]

Finally a full night of data with the nasal pillows. Again, with my min pressure reduced from 12 to 9cm.

Took me almost 2.5 hours to fall completely asleep though. Same thing I described before. I've gotten some of the SomniFix lip tape. So far they haven't been any help. Still experimenting with them. Don't know why they put the "breathing slot" in them.

In this chart, the first break is where I got up and took a couple of benadryl to help me get to sleep. I fell asleep around 1:45. The leaks are less than I imagined they would be. I'm guessing that this is mainly mouth leak, but don't know for sure. Mouth was pretty dry when I got up. I was able to fall right back to sleep after the bathroom break - very encouraging. There's lot's to like here, I've just gotta learn how to get to sleep with this mask.

I know that what I'm experiencing has been dealt with by countless members here, I've just got to figure out what works for me. I'll try not to be whiny about it.

[zonker]

I know that what I'm experiencing has been dealt with by countless members here, I've just got to figure out what works for me. I'll try not to be whiny about it.

too lazy to page back through, but are you using lansinoh? that's a brand of lanolin. it's used on the p 10 pillows to make guard against developing sore spots on your nose, but it also has a mild tacky feeling to it which helps the seal.

also, i found early that i need to sleep on the edge of my pillow with the nasal part sticking past the pillows edge. kept me from pushing the mask around.

other than that, i don't know what to advise.

[Pugsy]

Those 2 blocks of large leak....barely into large leak territory and when I see those and I know I slept through them I kinda shrug my shoulders and say "oh well" and move on.
Doesn't matter if mask movement or mouth breathing. It's barely into large leak territory and well within the machine's ability to compensate for.
Now that last chunk of large leak...pushing 40 L/min and getting up there and you are probably fine unless you start seeing some unknown apnea flags up there. It's still maybe only 15 to 20 minutes though...and not the end of the world IMHO.

We tend to assume that those big leaks are all mouth breathing leaks but it's not necessarily the case....you can get the same from mask movement leaks. I speak from experience because I had it happen and I was getting some really big leaks with a new mask a while back and I really needed to know if it was mask fit or mouth leak that I was fighting so I taped my mouth shut to eliminate mouth leaking...and I still had some big chunks in large leak and that was with the tape on my lips intact the next morning. I think it was when I was trying the DreamWear gel pillows...just couldn't quite get the mask movement eliminated well enough. I think that I would like to have tried an XSmall in those pillows but they don't make that size...the small is the smallest they offer and I think it just didn't quite fit my nose so great. At the time I was also using the Medium frame...so might have been that also and by the time I got a Small frame to try I had given the gel pillows away...so never tested the Small gel pillows with the small frame.

Now leaks that wake me up...anything that wakes me up is unwanted so I will try to fix little leaks even if they are disturbing my sleep.
When I sleep through the leaks...as long as not massively deep into large leak territory (think 50 L/min or more) for huge lengths of time...I really don't worry about it much. Not much I can do about last night anyway. Water under the bridge and doesn't mean it will happen again tonight. When I start seeing several nights in a row with some big chunks...it's usually time to shrink the P10 headgear or even replace it.

Do you normally have such a hard time falling asleep?
If you don't...what is it about the pillows that is doing that to you?

[djams]

I know that what I'm experiencing has been dealt with by countless members here, I've just got to figure out what works for me. I'll try not to be whiny about it.

too lazy to page back through, but are you using lansinoh? that's a brand of lanolin. it's used on the p 10 pillows to make guard against developing sore spots on your nose, but it also has a mild tacky feeling to it which helps the seal.

also, i found early that i need to sleep on the edge of my pillow with the nasal part sticking past the pillows edge. kept me from pushing the mask around.

other than that, i don't know what to advise.

Thanks. palerider had given me the heads up about Lanisoh. Now, I haven't even opened it up, as I have no nose soreness. I'll get it out tonight.

[djams]

Those 2 blocks of large leak....barely into large leak territory and when I see those and I know I slept through them I kinda shrug my shoulders and say "oh well" and move on.
Doesn't matter if mask movement or mouth breathing. It's barely into large leak territory and well within the machine's ability to compensate for.
Now that last chunk of large leak...pushing 40 L/min and getting up there and you are probably fine unless you start seeing some unknown apnea flags up there. It's still maybe only 15 to 20 minutes though...and not the end of the world IMHO.

My expectations were pretty low, and I was actually very happy with the leakline from last night. There's a much bigger problem to solve first.

Now leaks that wake me up...anything that wakes me up is unwanted so I will try to fix little leaks even if they are disturbing my sleep.
When I sleep through the leaks...as long as not massively deep into large leak territory (think 50 L/min or more) for huge lengths of time...I really don't worry about it much. Not much I can do about last night anyway. Water under the bridge and doesn't mean it will happen again tonight. When I start seeing several nights in a row with some big chunks...it's usually time to shrink the P10 headgear or even replace it.

Do you normally have such a hard time falling asleep?
If you don't...what is it about the pillows that is doing that to you?

And THIS it it! It's crazy what's giving me trouble. I normally have no problem falling asleep. But what's happening is, as I doze off, my tongue moves a tad, a little bubble creeps out and I'll get a little "pwit" from my lips. Or, my jaw will drop a little and there'll be the slightest little "hissssss" sound. Both of which wake me up. Evidently I'm very easily aroused from a light sleep. And this happens over and over and over. Some of the sounds are louder than this of course, but these little ones really frustrate me. So, I guess mouth leaks is giving me trouble.

I posted a 30 minute example while you were on vacation. viewtopic/t171979/djams-therapy-thread. ... 5#p1281630

This is my big challenge right now. Stopping the pwits and hisses.

[DreamDiver]

...
This is my big challenge right now. Stopping the pwits and hisses.

You're in good company. When you figure it out, please let us all know!

[zonker]

Thanks. palerider had given me the heads up about Lanisoh. Now, I haven't even opened it up, as I have no nose soreness. I'll get it out tonight.

okay hope it helps. seems like your having tiny bits of air escaping, from what you just posted to pugsy. and dreamdiver is right, we all seem to get that going. it's just frustrating that it's happening so much with you.

what really gets me is i'll get these tiny air bubbles up in my throat. it's almost like miniature belches but not quite. that usually happens in my swj in that last hour before i get out of bed.

who knew this stuff was going to be so hard?!?

[DreamDiver]

what really gets me is i'll get these tiny air bubbles up in my throat. it's almost like miniature belches but not quite. that usually happens in my swj in that last hour before i get out of bed.

who knew this stuff was going to be so hard?!?

Yep... Zonker, check out aerophagia on this forum. That's the mini belches you talk about.

For me, it happens at any pressure over 12 cm H20. So I keep my max pressure there. For the S9, I also put my EPR at 3 so that it would further alleviate aerophagia. Have you got your EPR dialed in for your needs?

viewtopic/t52082/AHI-Sweet-Spot-and-Ast ... hitis.html

[Pugsy]

Tape your lips shut...tape them really shut...lets see if your cheeks inflate and that wakes you up.
Take some OTC sleep aid right before bedtime...whatever is safe for you that works.
If you have some sort of RX sleep aid...take it. We gotta get you to be able to fall asleep and not set you up for the insomnia monster setting up residence. He's real hard to evict once he sets up shop.

If it's any consolation to you...it took me about a month to figure out a way to keep my mouth shut (ended up taping after first saying no way in hell) after trying everything else and finally figured out that taping was the least annoying thing I tried.
My mouth opening was more out of habit than anything else. My nose was always clear but I think I was so used to gasping for extra air during the night that the mouth opening thing was just a bad habit. Took me about 3 months to unlearn that habit for the most part.
I probably still do it a little even now but it's never for very long and I sleep through it so I don't care.

[djams]

Tape your lips shut...tape them really shut...lets see if your cheeks inflate and that wakes you up.
Take some OTC sleep aid right before bedtime...whatever is safe for you that works.
If you have some sort of RX sleep aid...take it. We gotta get you to be able to fall asleep and not set you up for the insomnia monster setting up residence. He's real hard to evict once he sets up shop.

I've been thinking about insomnia possibly creeping on because of this too. Certainly don't want that. I actually went and picked up some OTC sleep aid today. So I'm really glad to hear you make this statement. I don't like the idea of taking something to fall asleep, that's a slippery slope to get on. But my thinking is, maybe if I take them for a little bit, I'll figure out how to get the noises stopped during that time.

My beard prevents full taping, but I am trying the SomniFit lip tape. Not so hot so far, but I feel like I'm still trying to figure them out. Haven't been able to get them to stay on. I am using the scunci, and I know that is helping.

If it's any consolation to you...it took me about a month to figure out a way to keep my mouth shut (ended up taping after first saying no way in hell) after trying everything else and finally figured out that taping was the least annoying thing I tried.
My mouth opening was more out of habit than anything else. My nose was always clear but I think I was so used to gasping for extra air during the night that the mouth opening thing was just a bad habit. Took me about 3 months to unlearn that habit for the most part.
I probably still do it a little even now but it's never for very long and I sleep through it so I don't care.

This does help. Just knowing that this isn't a cake walk, but you've figured it out eventually.

I think what needs to happen here is "brain training", do NOT flip the wakeup switch for pwits and hisssssses. They're harmless!