taking off mask while asleep

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
cathomas
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 5:47 am
Location: Bentonville, AR

taking off mask while asleep

Post by cathomas » Sat Mar 12, 2011 10:00 pm

Surely I'm not the only one who does this. I wake up to find my mask next to my bed and cpap off. None of the straps are unbuckled, I evidentally just slide it up over my head. I have no memory of doing this and don't know how to correct it. I have an appt with the sleep dr on the 29th, but wanted to see if any of you have had this problem/found a solution for it?

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Pugsy
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Joined: Thu May 14, 2009 9:31 am
Location: Missouri, USA

Re: taking off mask while asleep

Post by Pugsy » Sat Mar 12, 2011 10:09 pm

This happens to many people. Try taping the mask to your skin in 2 or 3 places so that when you try to remove the mask the minor discomfort will cause you to wake up and stop. It eventually should stop and maybe only happen on a rare occasion.

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cathomas
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 5:47 am
Location: Bentonville, AR

Re: taking off mask while asleep

Post by cathomas » Sun Mar 13, 2011 12:49 am

I will try the taping thing. That might be enough to wake me up before I get the mask off.

Thank you!

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Kahfree
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Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:35 am

Re: taking off mask while asleep

Post by Kahfree » Sun Mar 13, 2011 1:55 am

cathomas wrote:Surely I'm not the only one who does this. I wake up to find my mask next to my bed and cpap off. None of the straps are unbuckled, I evidentally just slide it up over my head. I have no memory of doing this and don't know how to correct it. I have an appt with the sleep dr on the 29th, but wanted to see if any of you have had this problem/found a solution for it?

I am still doing this and its frustrating. I have been using the cpap since January. I hope that it stops soon. Good luck with your mask issues also.

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Wombara
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Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2011 3:25 pm

Re: taking off mask while asleep

Post by Wombara » Sun Mar 13, 2011 3:00 am

I did this for a while. I tried the 'alarm method' where I would set an alarm for the middle of the night. If I woke up and the mask was on, I just went back to sleep, but if I woke up and the mask was off then I would put it back on, then go back to sleep. It's kinda counter productive, making yourself wake up in the night, but it works.

The other method that worked for me was the 'wife nag process'. Taking the mask off caused my mask to become very noisy before it turned itself off. This actually caused my wife to wake up and then my wife would then wake me up.

Some how, I managed to grow out of it in a few weeks.
I've written and published a book about my Sleep Apnea and CPAP experiences to try and help others. More information at http://www.stead.co/book

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Geminidream
Posts: 118
Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2009 8:25 am
Location: Ohio

Re: taking off mask while asleep

Post by Geminidream » Sun Mar 13, 2011 5:34 am

You are definitely not alone and it does get better (assuming you have a mask that is comfortable and is the right fit). Once in a great while I still do it too...but very rarely. When it was more often, I could have set the alarm, but I did not want to disturb my other half with that. Turns out, I would start snoring enough for that to happen any way and get a nudge and a bit of a nag to put the mask back on.....LOL.

nobody
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Re: taking off mask while asleep

Post by nobody » Sun Mar 13, 2011 6:05 am

I do that every now and then and sorry to say I have no advice. Maybe these machines need an alarm on them. I also reach over and turn on the humidifier during the night and have no memory of it in the morning...just wondering why the heck it is on when I usually don't use it.

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