taking mask off

[pksteph]

I've had my CPAP for a week now. I keep taking my mask off in the night. Then I later wake up and put it back on again. I know this happens a lot to new people, but, I was wondering how long most of you experienced users took to sleep through the night with the mask on?

[Elle]

I kept mine on first night and thereafter but I am a good sleeper most of the time so it wasn't a big adjustment. Some people here have tricks for keeping masks on and I am sure they will be along to help you. Good luck with your therapy.

[chunkyfrog]

Are you taking it off in your sleep, or waking up to do it?
Most take a while to get up to all night--that's normal.
Taking it off while still asleep is a little less common, but there are tricks to that, too.

[Starlette]

Put a sock on the hand. If you take your mask off with left hand, sock goes on left hand like me. If you take your mask off with right hand, sock goes on the right hand. I got anxious when attempting to put a pair of socks on both hands.

First and foremost, you want to make sure that you're getting enough pressure. Sometimes, folks will take off their masks when they're not getting enough air. I just started this week wearing a sock at night. I'm keeping mask on longer when I remember to put a sock on my left hand.

Starlette

[SleepingUgly]

I've seen lots of posts by people who remove their mask in their sleep, and I've done it a few times myself (and a few times slept with mask on and machine off! ) Do you feel like you can breathe well with it? Sometimes people take it off because they feel they can't breathe well, and they may need a pressure adjustment. I think (this is a guess) that the majority just aren't used to it and there's something irritating about it, so they remove it without being aware they are doing so. If this persists, you can tape the mask to your face in a spot or two. This will make it a little trickier to remove without waking up more fully, or the sensation of the tape pulling will wake you. You'll realize what you're doing and decide not to.

[SleepingUgly]

I like Starlette's idea better than mine. Try hers first.