Is there such a thing?

[jasminechichi]

I have found a mask I like, yet I do have a problem. Once a night I wake up for no real reason, but I will remove the mask and drop it beside me and immediately go to sleep. The machine is continuously delivering a rate of 12 until I turn it off in the morning when I wake up.

Even though I remember doing it, I don't intentionally do it. If I can overcome that urge to not remove it (short of tying my hands down) I will quickly go to sleep and will wear the mask all night long.

My question is, is there a cpap machine that will alarm if the user removes it for a certain amount of time? I know it is too late for me, I understand I was given a very basic machine (given is not the word...I was charged a horrible amount).

What do you all do if you have this problem? I really don't want to set an alarm to wake me up every night at 3 so I can check to see if I am wearing the mask, because if I am, and I haven't removed it by then, I don't want to wreck my sleep or tempt myself in removing it.

I have just had my repeat sleep study about 2 weeks ago was bumped up from a rate of 10 to a 12. I am feeling really good when I do keep my mask on most of the night. The nights I remove it, I wake up with a splitting headache.

[Muse-Inc]

Some machines do have a"Mask Off" alarm. Some have resorted to taping the mask to their face so if they try to take it off during the night, the tape pulls and wakes them up. CONGRATS on success with the new pressure!

[Rustyolddude]

There should be a mask/leak alarm on your machine. Press the + button, then right arrow until you find the Mask Alert feature and enable it.

[millich]

Mine has a "mask alert" alarm but it's far quieter than the machine blowing 12l/min. There's no way it would wake me up.

[timbalionguy]

The IntelliPAP Autoadjust has such an alarm, but I have never experienced conditions that would invoke an alarm. So I have no idea how loud it is.

[jasminechichi]

There should be a mask/leak alarm on your machine. Press the + button, then right arrow until you find the Mask Alert feature and enable it.

Thank you! I found it and tested it. Millich is right though,it is quiet. I found the alarm to be no louder than a flea bark.

I am afraid if the sound of the cpap air escaping next to my ear doesn't wake me up, the alarm certainly will not.

[millich]

I found the alarm to be no louder than a flea bark.

Thanks for the chuckle! Great start to my day.

[Rustyolddude]

Flea Bark? Oh my, now I'm having Rube Goldberg hallucinations...

Flea barks, scares bumblebee, bumblebee lands on flower, flower falls over and hits tongue depressor seesaw which starts a marble rolling down a path that tips a can full of ball bearings onto a a snare drum.......

[YouMaySayImaDreamer]

The Intellipap has an auto-off mask function that turns it off if the mask free-flows for something like 30 seconds.

I like that. I don't like that I gotta have the mask running to check data.

[Rebecca R]

I am struggling with taking my mask off too--it is getting better though. I suspect I take it off when I get a leak and I can't figure out how to fix it in my sleep.. So I am trying to work on getting rid of the leaks.

Is Rube Goldberg similar to Allen Ginsberg?

R

[Rustyolddude]

The Intellipap has an auto-off mask function that turns it off if the mask free-flows for something like 30 seconds.

I like that. I don't like that I gotta have the mask running to check data.

There is an an Auto-Off on the M-series as well. It takes about 45 seconds or so with the mask off before it shuts down. You have to enable it in the clinicians menu.

[BlackSpinner]

Rather then tying your hands - how about wearing mittens? They do that for babies who scratch themselves. Use some tape to make them harder to take off while asleep.
The other option is to attach the mask straps to your hair with a clip or elastic. Pulling your hair out is painful enough to wake oneself up.

[lfzguud]

I had the same problem - taking the mask off after a couple of hours and going right back to sleep. Did that from October 2007 until just last month. Soon as I found this forum and learned some more about my machine and condition, I found that the EPR setting refered to on the prescription was not set on my machine. Once I set the EPR as prescribed, the mask stayed on all night.
Now, I'm not saying that you need to set the EPR on your machine, what I am saying is that if your body is unconsciously telling you to take the mask off then there is probably a good reason why. In my case it was because my body couldn't fight the difficulty exhaling for more than a few hours.
Double check your settings - there might be a reason why you are ditching the mask. I'd recommend trying that BEFORE trying to make it ditchproof.

[neverbetter]

The mittens are a great idea if you have an old machine that doesn't have alarms.
The mittens have been a friend to many of us our first few weeks.

[Hawthorne]

Someone also suggested tube socks on your hands to keep from taking the mask off. Tube socks don't have a thumb spot for that "opposible" thumb which may work in mittens and you'll get that mask off!