Removing mask during sleep

[ham7137]

Hey all--

I just started therapy two nights ago. I seem to be taking the mask off, totally unaware of it, about 1.5 hours into sleep. I wake up with it laying on the floor. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep myself from doing this???

Thanks for any help!

[sleepy_john]

Duct tape, bungee cords, and cable ties?

I had the same problem when I first started and ended up trying 3 or 4 different masks until I found one that didn't drive me crazy. I couldn't stand anything over my mouth or a chin strap of any kind and would rip off the mask after a couple of hours sleep. I finally ended up with the swift FX nasal pillows and now I am fine all night.

[snnnark]

Some people remove the mask if they feel they are not getting enough air. What pressure are you on? You can fill in the details of your machine and mask etc in the "User Control Panel" under the search at the top of the page.

In fact if you do a search on mask removal you'll find that a lot of people have had this problem. And solved it!

[freshair]

I did the same when I started but I don't do it anymore, I feel very comfortable with it now, was the machine off when you discovered the mask on the floor---it takes time to get use to these things and then you'll find out that you can't live/sleep w/o it--FA

[snuginarug]

I did a couple of searches and only came up with a few results. One suggestion I have seen is to use tape to affixed to both mask and skin, so that when you remove the mask, the discomfort of peeling tape off the face awakens you. And just brain storming ideas here... are there reasons that therapy starts off ok and then becomes uncomfortable, prompting you to take off the mask? Do you use a humidifier? Does your nose become puffed up or stopped up? Do you experience dryness of mouth or nose? Do you roll into some position that makes the mask uncomfortable? For example, trying sleep on your stomach? Just sort of grasping at ideas. Since you are so new to therapy, I wouldn't be too alarmed yet. It may just be an initial adjustment, and stop of its own accord. Keep us posted!

[mrvn159]

I've been on cpap for almost 1 year and I still remove my mask in my sleep (and turn off the machine). Don't realize it until my husband wakes me because my snoring wakes him (usually between 3:00-4:00 am). And I NEVER remember doing it.

My pressure is only set at 7. I didn't think that was high enough to really make a difference. I'm not a stomach sleeper, just back and sometimes side. It does happen more with the Swift FX or LT than the zest, but it does happen with all of them and if I get more than 1 night a week without pulling it off, I feel lucky. I haven't tried taping the mask or straps to my face because I'm allergic to tape and the itching would drive me nuts...I would definitely rip it off sooner.

Doctor says my reports look good and isn't concerned about me pulling off the mask...so I guess that means I shouldn't worry...yea, right.

[Geminidream]

Ham7137,
This mystery is one that can be caused by a multitude of things. As others have responded, it just takes some time to get acclimated to this object on your face. Let's face it, its not a natural thing. Your pressure may not be high enough, and it takes some to find the mask that suits you best. I went through 3 different ones before I found the one that is perfect for me. I just passed a year on CPAP therapy and its finally going smoothly...with one exception. I am like mrvn159 and still on occasion will take off my mask and turn off the machine for a couple hours. This happens maybe twice a month. I have chalked up it up to just my subconcious still resisting the idea of something on my face while I sleep. My numbers are always good and I do sleep well so at this point I am not terribly worried. Since you are so new to this therapy, you need to eliminate the other possibilities of issues so you can start getting the benefit of the therapy. As time goes on, you will get it figured out, just don't give up. This is a great place for help and support.

Melissa

[snuginarug]

How ya doing, Ham?

[ham7137]

Hi all...thanks for your feedback. I updated so you can see the equipment I am using as well. So..an update. I continue to remove the mask shortly after falling asleep. I tried a zest nasal mask last night, hoping it would be harder to get off and would at least wake up while taking it off. Alas....no such luck. I still pulled the mask off and it must have been more difficult because I also ripped the hose as well. ARGH...frustrated as all get out.

[Suetois]

You have my sympathy. I'm about two months into this and just switched from a FF mask to a nasal mask earlier this week. I'm pulling the mask off during the night too. I'm doing it about three or four times a night. Then I wake up later (I'm assuming snoring is waking me up) and put it back on, only to repeat the whole thing until about 6:30a.m. when I give it up for the night. I'm *so* tired. I saw my sleep doctor on Tuesday. He reduced the maximum pressure on my machine from 18 to 14, and we changed the mask because the FF mask simply couldn't contain the pressure at the upper setting. (I also tried a nasal pillow mask, but that puffed up my nose at full pressure, so I knew that wouldn't work.) The nasal mask can stay sealed (I took some advice I got here, and had the technician help me fit the mask at the upper pressure instead of just at the lowest setting), but I'm still messing with it in my sleep. My doctor also gave me Lunesta, but that's not knocking me out enough to do any good. Ambien didn't even make me feel sleepy, so that didn't work either. I don't have any trouble at all with falling asleep even without a sleeping pill, but I can't figure out how to stop myself from taking the mask off over and over again. Handcuffs? LOL.

Sue

[cflame1]

some folks have taped the mask to their face... some have used socks or mittens on their hands.

What I can tell you is that for the majority of them the problem does go away.

[freshair]

Just when I thought I had the "unknowingly" mask removal syndrone corrected, IT'S BACK, woke up at 3am with mask off and machine blowing like the dickens, looks like it was blowing for 3 hrs--oh well----FA

[Bokes]

I have done the same thing - waking up with mask on floor, machine blowing away. Sometimes I do remember taking it off as the noise or leaks kept me awake - other times I am sure I did it in my sleep.

I think as you become more accustomed to sleeping with your mask e.g. eliminating leaks, noise, getting proper fit and mask, you should see less of this. Then again, I am a novice at CPAP and am learning as I go with help from this site.

[harry33]

if you really want to stop removing mask in sleep simply tape it to face so the pain will wake you and remind you to leave it there

otherwise you are simply playing games with yourself, IMO.

[trike-mike]

Funny this popped up today... I haven't been around a lot lately as has been a monumentally busy time of year at work. I was going to sign off the new year with a thanks to everyone who helped me overcome just this very thing. For me it was a combo of getting used to the therapy, the mask, and the pressure. My original pressure was far to low. With this combo set right (and the mask varies by what I am feeling like) it is the norm for me, after 3 months, get 5 - 7 hours non-stop with great numbers and waking refreshed.

This is not to say that it doesn't still happen from time to time but usually there are extenuating circumstances like a cold that would've made it hard to sleep even without CPAP. Overall, however, if I'm asleep, the mask is on.

Just when I thought I had the "unknowingly" mask removal syndrone corrected, IT'S BACK, woke up at 3am with mask off and machine blowing like the dickens, looks like it was blowing for 3 hrs--oh well----FA

freshair... sorry to hear that it feels like it's back but I suspect, like me, it is a passing thing. As to the mask off and the machine blowing for 3 hours, try setting both the "Mask Alert" and "Auto-off" to ON. That way, the machine will beep at you for while to see if it can raise you to put it back on and if you don't wake up, simply gives up and shuts itself off. The beeping didn't always wake me in the early days of the 1.5 - 2 hour mask yank but it did enough to get me back on, often before the machine shut itself off.