Adventures In Masks

[Oddprofessor]

Hi Everyone!

I've been reading but I haven't had anything to add to the discussion, but now I have a question.

I like my Wisp mask well enough, but since I am a side and stomach sleeper, I wondered if nasal pillows would have a lower profile and be easier to sleep with. I called my tech because I'm still in my 30-day window and asked to try the pillows. She showed me how they're supposed to go on, we figured out the headgear and off I went.

The first night I got a good seal, it seems, but I wasn't used to how it felt on, and had a very restless, CA-filled night.


Yikes. I kept waking, wondering if it was leaking, and not feeling confident.

Last night I tried and just couldn't stop the leaks. The pillows were hissing like crazy, and I finally thought "Enough!" and put the Wisp back on. I think I made the right call.


I'm going to try the pillows again; if I can get used to them, they may work better for my sleeping postures. But the Wisp is pretty good, I have to say.

[kaiasgram]

If you decide to give the pillows another try, you may want to experiment with different size pillows. A leaking, hissing set of pillows sounds like either the wrong size, or perhaps the headgear is adjusted too loose or too tight. Getting fitted by a tech doesn't always translate into the best fit for your actual sleeping environment with the machine on, in different sleep positions, etc.

[Sir NoddinOff]

The Padacheek fabric cover the the Wisp is a delight and improves your leak rate too. Love it.

http://www.padacheek.com/Wisp.html

[Oddprofessor]

Sir N, do you mean the mask liner, or the strap pads? I have a mask liner; I think I need to make the hole a little bigger. I tried it for a while, and finally took it off; it felt like it was obstructing my breathing.

But how does it suppress leaks? It seems to me that that very pliable, soft plastic would mold to the contours of your face better than the same thing covered by fabric.

Oh, and one more question. How do I stop the Wisp exhaust from going directly to my eyes except when I'm lying like a corpse on my back? I use the "over the head" rig to keep the hose out of the way, and I don't know if that makes a difference, but man, that is really annoying.

Vicki

[deerslayer]

i can't seem tolerate anything but nasal pillow masks. took some getting used to but am really taking to the breeze mask, since (my favorite)the headrest has been discontinued. the exhaust direction can be aggravating at times on some.
Good Luck !

[Oddprofessor]

Deerslayer, can you give me some advice about fitting the pillows? I have been messing around between the small and x-small. With the small, I get leaks (although one night I managed to get it seated right), and last night I tried the x-small and finally ripped it off in annoyance because it whistled when I breathed, and it seemed to be difficult to get enough air, although it wasn't leaking. I went back to my Wisp, but I'd like not to have the faint marks from the straps and the mask itself every morning. My skin doesn't bounce back like it used to!

Do you just push it up against your nose? I tried bending it slightly, so that the pillows separated a little while putting it on, hoping that it might seat a little better. I know a lot of people who love their pillows, and I'd like to love them too!

Vicki

[deerslayer]

hi Vicki,
here is a page with several informative videos
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... mask&sm=12
hopefully some others with experience with this rig can interject. a few ladies on here are good at reconstructing masks to be more tolerable. But for you to get uninterrupted sleep, there has to be minimal leaks.
Rested Gal is a good mentor among others on this forum.
what works for one will not for others, as you know....i have taken to the breeze . it comes with several differant options of pillow size.
all the best, stick with it gal !

[chunkyfrog]

If you have never tried a mask liner, one can be cut out of a dried-out soft baby wipe, a Viva towel, or even a facial tissue.

[Oddprofessor]

Deerslayer, thanks for the links. I watched one about the Resmed nasal pillows ('for her") and refit my headgear and tried the medium pillows instead of small, et voilá! An easy seal, good air volume, no feeling of suffocation... I slept with the pillows last night, and had lots more CAs than I have with the Wisp lately, but it's a new piece of gear so I didn't sleep well, and I always get a lot of CAs when I'm tossing and turning. Only 4 OAs, though, so I think this is worth pursuing. It certainly is easier to side sleep with these pillows than with the Wisp.

I'll give it some time.

[Lukie]

I read a post in which one person used a tiny amount of lanolin around and in the edge of each nostril to make a stronger seal. This pure lanolin is sold in the baby section of your pharmacy as it is sold to use on nursing mother's nipples.
That being said, I don't use my pillows much because I can't get a deep enough breath with them for some reason.
So I am back to my FF Quattro Air.