SleepWeaver Issues

[xenablue]

I picked up my new SleepWeaver mask on Saturday morning, excited to try it out that night. I spent some time messing with it to make sure I knew how to put it on, adjust the straps etc., instead of waiting until bedtime to wrangle with this almost weightless mask. I was amazed at how comfortable it was!

First night, didn't adjust the straps very tight at all - tried to let the inflation of this mask create the seal I needed, however woke up several times to air leaking on one side just above my lip and right under my eye. That night my AHI was 0.4, but the leaks were hovering around the red line most of the night.

Second night - I adjusted the mask more snugly, didn't seem to have as many leaks or wake up as much, but data showed differently. AHI was 0.1 (YAY!), but leaks were just as bad again.

I changed my machine to a nasal mask instead of pillows. Pressure is 9.4, so pretty low.
I woke with marks on my face like indented cat whiskers LOL - a new Halloween costume idea!
I'm a side/stomach sleeper, and love the comfort of this mask right away and it doesn't seem to leak just because I change positions, it just leaks.
Not talking about the air that vents through the fabric, but, for want of a better description, 'squirts' from a couple of places around the outside.

I know there are a couple of SleepWeaver users here - and would be grateful for any advice or ideas.

Cheers,
xena

[n0hardmask]

I picked up my new SleepWeaver mask on Saturday morning, excited to try it out that night. I spent some time messing with it to make sure I knew how to put it on, adjust the straps etc., instead of waiting until bedtime to wrangle with this almost weightless mask. I was amazed at how comfortable it was!
First night, didn't adjust the straps very tight at all - tried to let the inflation of this mask create the seal I needed, however woke up several times to air leaking on one side just above my lip and right under my eye. That night my AHI was 0.4, but the leaks were hovering around the red line most of the night.
I changed my machine to a nasal mask instead of pillows. Pressure is 9.4, so pretty low.
I woke with marks on my face like indented cat whiskers LOL - a new Halloween costume idea!
I'm a side/stomach sleeper, and love the comfort of this mask right away and it doesn't seem to leak just because I change positions, it just leaks. Not talking about the air that vents through the fabric, but, for want of a better description, 'squirts' from a couple of places around the outside.
I know there are a couple of SleepWeaver users here - and would be grateful for any advice or ideas.
Cheers,
xena

Hi, Xena. Your initial experience is probably typical.. very comfortable but leaky. FYI, Circadience says the mask, for leak purposes, is similar to Mirage Nasal.
I talked about some attempts I've make in "Sleepweaver mask, parts and humidifier use" on Mon Oct 17, 2011 8:46 am. I tried to photograph my mask to show the improvements I have made to reduce minor leakage. It turns out the (porous paper) medical tape is not visibly different enough to detect in the photos, so no posts.

With the mask inside out, I taped over the seams near the outer edges where the lower headgear attachments are, since they are the more serious leaks for me. After almost 3 months of wear, it also starts to show stretched stitch marks along seams that tend to squirt air right up into the eyes, so I added some tape to those as well. Probably added at most seven to eight inches of tape total, and tightened up the leaking to an acceptable level... though I can't compare with plastic masks. I don't so far use the hard masks.

Humidity: lately, the weather has dropped down out of the 100's in Texas and I have turned up the minimal humidity I use from 2 toward 4. This appears to have made keeping a seal slightly easier, though I can't imagine why humidity would help seal... good luck, Xena, in your new adventure in comfort with the cloth mask.

[Emilia]

I only used the SW for about a month when I first started cpap a year ago. I had some minor leakage where the mask sat on the bridge of my nose. I used a cushy 'blister' band aid -- the kind that is somewhat oval in shape and made of silicon type material with some cush to it. That did the trick beautifully..... Those bandages are a bit pricey so it may not be a good 'all the time' fix. I eventually moved on to my Swift LT and haven't looked back.

[xenablue]

Emilia, I use a Swift LT and FX, so if I can't find a way to cut down on the leaks dramatically with the SW, then will go back to the Swifts. I do get some nare and nasal irritation if I use the one nasal pillow mask for too long, so change them often, but the SW gave me a wonderful respite from the irritation, so I'm really hoping I can make the SW work as it's soooo comfy!

I have some cushy blister bandages, so will try those, or maybe a liner of an old cut up t-shirt might do the trick as well.

Not giving up by a long shot yet - it's only night 3 tonight, but welcome any and all ideas.

Cheers,
xena

[n0hardmask]

Some additional thoughts. I have found out that 'universal headgear' is generally a bit large, so I've had to tweak both my and frau's headgear. In fact, I'm currently trying a Respironics FFM headgear on my Sleepweaver to see if I can make a better fit. But you may want to use a mirror and try pinching a little of the headgear to see if it's a big long is some of the straps; if so you can safety pin out the extra. Also, I ran across the handy fitting tips for this mask (not my wording, except Italics at end of couple of them).
FITTING YOUR MASK
1. Turn your machine on.
2. Take a "nose dive" into the mask.
3. Once on, take two to three deep breaths to help the mask form a seal around your nose.
4. If the side straps are loose, tighten them, however leave them loose enough to fit one finger under.
5. The mask should not touch your eyes, if the mask is too close to your eyes, loosen the top strap and pull down on the mask to reposition. A mirror may help with positioning.
6. If you are having problems achieving a seal, pull down on the mask to reset the seal and repeat step three.
ADJUSTING FOR LEAKS
1. With your CPAP or Bi-Level machine on and at your prescription pressure, pinch the portion of the mask directly over your nose, pull the mask slightly away from your face, towards your feet, and gently release.
2. If you experience leaks from the sides of the mask, adjust the Neck Straps by unhooking the tab from the strap and pulling the straps out to tighten the mask, then re-latching the tab to the strap. & Don't overtighten, just good'n'snug
3. If you experience leaks into your eyes, adjust the Head Strap. & PULL the whole mask and headgear down slightly on face.
4. At times it is possible to stop leaks and get a better fit by loosening the mask just a bit, then repeating Step 1 above. & Careful to not overtighten top line or it will creep toward the eyes.
...The problem I have had lately is the whole headgear slipping at night, thus I'm trying the more robust FFM headgear.

[Tip10]

My experience with the SW, I've been using it exclusively for about 7 months, is that it does have a bit more in the way of leaks than some of the other masks I've used, BUT....

1) are the leaks below the threshold of the machine to compensate?
i.e. are they below the magic 24 line so that you can rely on the AHI data to be accurate? Mine tend to stay below the line unless I do encounter a spike here or there (rare but they do occur), leaks may push up towards it but they stay below it.

2) are your AHI numbers better than with other masks?
Mine tend to be quite a bit lower than when using other masks for whatever reason.

3) how are you sleeping and how do you feel?
My experience is that I seem to sleep much better and feel much better overall when using this mask.

Okay all that being said if your answers mimicked mine and were Yes to all of the above questions then my recommendation would be to not get hung up on the leaks -- you are below the level necessary for the machine to compensate and you are getting good sleep and it seems to be working on the OSA.

Personally, I've never been able to sleep completely through a night with any other mask -- I routinely sleep through the night with the SW. Yep it leaks -- so what ? So long as its controlling you events and you are sleeping well and feeling good does it matter if it leaks a bit??
You'll also likely notice that it leaks differently with different SW masks -- I have three and they each have their own idiosyncrasies -- one, for whatever reason leaks less than the other two. One other thing I've noticed is the headgear stretches out really badly and really quickly so that it constantly needs to be readjusted -- not a major thing but this is not a set and forget mask -- I figured out how I needed it set and now just adjust based upon feel every night.

EDIT -- glad to see I'm not the only one who has issues with the headgear! I'm going to try and get the SW working with a cap one of these nights. I ended up sewing an additional velcro tab onto the straps inside of the existing one and then trimming off the existing tab in order to shorten them up and found that works pretty well once they've stretched out.

[xenablue]

Thanks n0hardmask - figured on hearing from you first LOL.

I'll try a bit of tape and see if that helps. I was wondering if even something like a cloth cushion like Padacheek might help.

Am only 2 nights into the this, so I'm nowhere near the point of giving up. I wasn't too keen on the 'cat whisker' marks on my face this morning, but it's all a work in progress.

Cheers, and thanks again.
Xena

[Emilia]

For your nasal pillow masks.... are you using Lansinoh on your nares to eliminate the irritation? I was fortunate enough to learn of it before I got my Swift LT and bought it. I have used it every single night and have never had any irritation or soreness at all. If you haven't used it....it is found on the baby aisle of stores near the nursing stuff. It is in a lavender/purple tube and is for nursing moms to use on irritated nipples. It is a wonderful product. Costs about $10, but one tube lasts a year. I just bought my second tube.

[xenablue]

Emilia - yes I tried Lansinoh in/on my nostrils, but no matter how little or much used, the pillows just slipped all over the place.

I'm hoping now that I can swap between the Swift masks and the SleepWeaver, my nose will be happy.

Chees,
xena

[M.D.Hosehead]

I keep trying to make SW work for me. I've used various liners, silicone ear plug stuff, and taping it on. I've tried elastoplast to stretch out my nasolabial folds. I've even tried sackcloth and ashes. Maybe the blister bandages will work.

[Gaga58]

Hmmm...glad to read these postings as I have hopes to try the Sleepweaver come Dec. when my insurance allows me another mask! I've heard good things about it and it just looks comfortable so was hoping to have a really nice backup nasal mask. I use the Swift for Her and love it, but would like a better change out than my Comfort Gel, if that's possible!

[xenablue]

n0hardmask - yup, went through all those steps - a few times -pretty much what the instructions show (and the DVD). Still having some leaks near eyes and above my lips. Am going to try a liner of some kind and see how that goes.

Tip 10 - Thanks for the info -
My leaks are mostly below the magic '24' line with the very occasional spike, but definitely more leaks than with my Swift masks, and consistently higher all night, although I mostly have air 'squirting' in a couple of places.

My AHI is actually better (only my 3rd night) at 0.1, 0.2, 0.1 - it's always below 1.0, but more often around 0.4-ish.

I'm sleeping and do actually feel better the last couple of mornings, but the 'squirting air' does wake me. The first night the air in the mask made my face quite cold where the mask sits, but 2nd night I hooked up my humidifier and climateline hose and upped the temp and that fixed the cold issue.

I'm comforted to know it's not just me that has the leak issues with the SW, and as my AHI is great, figured the leaks were of more nuisance than a health problem.

Regarding the headgear - I contacted Circadiance prior to ordering my mask to make sure I'd receive the new Advance headgear/mask which is more suitable for wider sizes of head/face as I have a small head and nose. Also told my DME when they ordered my mask to make sure it's the Advance model, otherwise they'd be returning it for the right one. I do have the Advance headgear and have no problems making it fit snugly for my li'l head.

I really appreciate the help on this - have been looking forward to ordering this mask for months and want to make it work not just to keep my AHI low, but so I can sleep all night without waking up to mini-cyclones blowing in my face LOL. It's definitely an incredibly comfy mask.

Cheers,
xenablue

[xenablue]

Last night I had to ditch the SW mask in favour of my FX. I made a nice thin fleece liner, which did stay in place and seemed to fix my air squirting problem... until I laid down. It was still better than the other nights, but after a couple of nights with such broken sleep, I was fit to be tied after 3 hours of wrestling with the thing!

Still not giving up, but need a couple nights of good sleep, so SW experiment can wait until the weekend when I can sleep in if needed.

Am wondering if moleskin might work better as it's 'stickier' than fleece - any thoughts?

I'm going to email Circadiance today also.

Cheers,
xena

[ems]

Am wondering if moleskin might work better as it's 'stickier' than fleece - any thoughts?

I'm going to email Circadiance today also.

Cheers,
xena

Personally, I wouldn't want the moleskin on my face.

Interested in what Circadiance has to say. SW mask didn't work for me for the same reasons. Eventually it will be perfected. But, for now, I'll stick to my Swift FX.

[xenablue]

ems - I'm keen to get a response from Circadiance also LOL. Will certainly post here when I do.

Cheers,
xena