At my wits end....

Archangel--

I go through the motions every night to convince myself that I need this therapy to live. I have the mask alarm on, but with all the noise that my oxygen concentrator makes it is barley auidble over it and I have not found a way to turn up the volume.

I wish I had any recollection of taking my mask off and putting it on, I have enough will power to make myself do as you said, walk around etc then mask back up and go to bed.

Janknitz--

I have looked at my data and I don't have any clusters or signifigant pressure increases/decreases before the leak line peaks, the only clusters I have are right when I go to sleep and right before I wake up.

In the morning the tape, mittens, ski mask are all removed and my mask is back on... I really can't explain it, you would think that with all the effort it takes to remove everything and then an hour or so later to put the mask back on I would wake up and/or remember doing so.

I really hope that this ace bandage will work, going to sleep looking like I am on an antartic expedition is really getting old!!

RomeinDNVR wrote:In the morning the tape, mittens, ski mask are all removed and my mask is back on... I really can't explain it,

Aliens.. I tell you...aliens. At least they are putting the mask back on when they are done with their experiments.

Pugsy--

I am beginning to think that my Cat, Rosa, grows opposable thumbs at night and is doing it!

Rome -- maybe some safety pins -- or several -- to secure that ace bandage... make it a real b---- to get off!! Good luck and hopefully good sleep!!

I did the same thing last night with my FFM, and I don't like that especially when I have to work the next day in midst of the fog and sleepiness.
I will say it doesn't happen every night. More so with the FFM than the other masks I've used *shrugs* Last night, I only used it for an hour so says the data. That hour didn't look too bad, just a dink cluster of four events before I took it off. The leak rate was a little high too. So if you find something that works, pass it along.

Starlette

Well, the ACE bandage worked for the first night, I kept my mask on all night with no issues at all. Sunday morning and this morning I woke up with everything off in a pile next to my pillow... sure enough I had taken my mask off for about an hour each time and then woke up with it on and the machine running.

I am running out of ideas, I think I will try saftey pins on the ace bandage attaching it to the ski mask tonight. I really hope that does the trick.

Rome

Rome,

Maybe it's time to start from ground zero, chill, kick back and begin afresh as a newbie...
Wear your mask while reading, watching tv, etc. I just wonder if your face and subconscious are retaliating and trying to say to you "not on this face with that FFM thing " You subconscious just may be scared to have something over the face to that extent and you need to reassure it that everything is OK. I know I had to. Try that for some nights.
I wonder if that will do the trick.

Starlette

I will try your suggestion tonight Starlette, thanks.

Not that I'm any expert whatsoever, but I wonder what you'd see if you had a videocamera aimed at you overnight for a few nights? It might give you some information as to what your status really is when you take the gear off, and whether there is something that provokes you to do it.

I find it very interesting that you not only remove the gear, but that you replace it after some hours. It's almost as if you are sleepwalking (or at least, partly conscious) during that interval.

RomeinDNVR wrote:In the morning the tape, mittens, ski mask are all removed and my mask is back on... I really can't explain it, you would think that with all the effort it takes to remove everything and then an hour or so later to put the mask back on I would wake up and/or remember doing so.

I really hope that this ace bandage will work, going to sleep looking like I am on an antartic expedition is really getting old!!

Quite a few years ago, a guy ("Jeremiah") over on talkaboutsleep wrote about having the same problem you have, RomeinDNVR -- removing his mask during sleep without realizing it.

He videotaped himself one night. Here's what he saw himself doing:

http://www.talkaboutsleep.com/message-b ... 6755#26755

Some of the people who replied in his thread thought increased nasal congestion during the night might be causing him to do that. Don't know if that's the case for you.

RomeinDNVR wrote:Almost every night I am removing my mask and setting it next to me for 1.5 to 2 hours (from the data off my machine)

RomeinDNVR,

It doesn't look like anyone has recommended this to you, but I remember reading about an idea that might help you.

If you can tell from your data approximately when you are taking the mask off, set an alarm for somewhere close to that time of night. When it goes off, maybe get a drink of water, make sure your mask is secure and go back to bed.

With any luck, you may "re-set your internal clock" to stop taking this off or at least you may get a second period of time sleeping with the mask on.

If you find you wake up and the mask is still on for a few days, start slowly extending the time (maybe in 15 minute increments). You might be able to train yourself to keep it on from this method.

@ Java - That is a very good idea!

Starlette

Great idea Java. Hopefully he is regular (the time he does it... not his bowel movements) when he pulls the mask off otherwise it might be hard to do.

John

@Java

That is a great idea, the time that the data stops is very consistent, between 2am until about 3:30am.

@Starlette

I took your advice last night and I have good news! I didn't put anything else on besides my mask last night and I kept it on all night, however I was using my nasal mask and not my FFM. But it is encouraging.

@Rocketgirl

I do have a HD web cam that I could setup on my computer to record me while I am sleeping, it would be interesting to watch the entire process (and probably a bit scary!!!)

I am coming down with a nasty cold so I am pretty certain that I will be using my FFM for the next few nights, hopefully with the same results as last night.

Thanks again to all for your continuing advice and support.

Rome

*SNOOPY DANCE!!!* Yay!

Now as the Christmas song goes...(revised of course)
"One breath in front of the other, soon you'll be sleeping towards sleep nirvana"