Bad Habits While Sleeping

[Joe_0206]

During the night I remove my mask and turn off the machine. This is done while I'm deep in REM sleep in an incoherent daze, so I have no idea why I'm doing it.

Has anyone else caught themselves doing this? And, what did you do to break the habit?

[RomeinDNVR]

Hey Joe--

I struggled with this a lot when I first started on cpap therapy. I tried wearing mittens, taping the mask to my face, socks on my hands etc. None of it really made a difference. One thing that worked very well for me was buying a thin balaclava used as a helmet liner. Put your cpap mask on and then detach the tube. Put the helmet liner on over your cpap mask and position the face opening so that your mask is not blocked. Reconnect your hose and you are set.

I found by doing this it was almost impossible for me to take my mask off without waking up in the process. I still resort to this once every couple months when my brain decides it doesn't want to wear a cpap mask anymore. After a couple nights I am fine again.

Another plus using this method is that the helmet liner is very easy to wash and your mask straps do not contact your skin and hair directly so they don't have to be washed often at all.

Hope this helps.
Rome

[HerbM]

Not me, but I have seen this reported by multiple people on various forums -- and always there are others who volunteer it "happens" to them as well.

Consider some strategic tape that will require enough effort to remove that you will need to be more conscious.

[mgaggie]

One year in, and I still do it occasionlly. I don't do anything to stop it, just put my mask back on when I realise whats happened

[kona0197]

I seem to be doing it every night this last week. It's highly annoying.

[Ladyflower]

My husband does it every once in a while too. He'll go to sleep with it on and wake up and realize he took it off during the night. I've seen him do it on occasion when I'm still awake. He just pulls it off and sets it on the table next to the bed and then rolls right back over. I just figured he was weird.

[Kennerly]

Hey Joe--

One thing that worked very well for me was buying a thin balaclava used as a helmet liner. Put your cpap mask on and then detach the tube. Put the helmet liner on over your cpap mask and position the face opening so that your mask is not blocked. Reconnect your hose and you are set
Rome

This.

I really thought my pap journey couldn't get any stranger but I guess it just did. I've used every other technique you mention, and still 2 years in I'm struggling with demasking. So what kind of helmet are the liners designed for?

[Joe_0206]

My husband does it every once in a while too. He'll go to sleep with it on and wake up and realize he took it off during the night. I've seen him do it on occasion when I'm still awake. He just pulls it off and sets it on the table next to the bed and then rolls right back over. I just figured he was weird.

That's what I'm doing. When I wake, I think "when the hell did I do that?"

Joe

[Joe_0206]

One year in, and I still do it occasionlly. I don't do anything to stop it, just put my mask back on when I realise whats happened

I wonder if hypnosis would help? I've never considered it.

[Joe_0206]

Hey Joe--

I struggled with this a lot when I first started on cpap therapy. I tried wearing mittens, taping the mask to my face, socks on my hands etc. None of it really made a difference. One thing that worked very well for me was buying a thin balaclava used as a helmet liner. Put your cpap mask on and then detach the tube. Put the helmet liner on over your cpap mask and position the face opening so that your mask is not blocked. Reconnect your hose and you are set.

I found by doing this it was almost impossible for me to take my mask off without waking up in the process. I still resort to this once every couple months when my brain decides it doesn't want to wear a cpap mask anymore. After a couple nights I am fine again.

Another plus using this method is that the helmet liner is very easy to wash and your mask straps do not contact your skin and hair directly so they don't have to be washed often at all.

Hope this helps.
Rome

I may try tape. Or, maybe a staple gun!

[robysue]

I really thought my pap journey couldn't get any stranger but I guess it just did. I've used every other technique you mention, and still 2 years in I'm struggling with demasking. So what kind of helmet are the liners designed for?

Skiing and snowboarding helmets immediately come to mind.

[RomeinDNVR]

This is the one that I use. It is thin and comfortable.

http://www.amazon.com/Seirus-Innovation ... B0018BJT6G

[Kennerly]

RobySue:

"Skiing and snowboarding helmets immediately come to mind."

Of course. Downright obvious to someone from Buffalo.

[Kennerly]

@RomeinDNVR

Thanks