Mask leaks after about 5 hours

I've been using a ResMed Quattro FX full-face mask for a couple of years, without any problems. But starting a week or so ago it has begun leaking after I've sleep about 5 hours. The leak sounds are not big and long, but usually brief and sort of a squeak loud enough to wake me. Often I'm not fully awakened but enough to tighten the straps a bit and the leaks usually go away. In the worst case, I push lightly against the middle of the mask and the leaks stop.

With this mask, they say to not make it too tight, but I have found I must make it sort of snug -- and that has worked for a couple of years, up to now. The problem is I often have to tighten the straps so much, around 3 a.m., it is quite uncomfortable (painful) the rest of the night. So the next night I loosen the straps a bit, to the usual tightness I've had for months, then must tighten them again during the night, after sleeping maybe 5 hours, to silence the leaks.

I think what is happening is the major strap across the back of my neck slowly compresses the flesh there until it has the effect of becoming loose. When I take the mask off in the morning, there is a considerable groove across the back of my neck. It eventually goes away during the day. If the strap there were 3" wide, I don't think it would happen because the force would be spread over a much larger area of the neck. Just putting a pad under the strap won't help because it won't widen the distributed area, unless the pad is rigid across its width.

Nothing else has changed, except I've put on 3 pounds, and some of them seem to be on my neck. I changed the mask cushion, but that did not help.

Anyone here encounter this and have a workable solution? Thanks for any suggestions.

I had a similar problem and determined that the issue was facial oil getting built up as the night wore on.

You might want to try both washing your seal daily with warm water and baby shampoo, then washing your face thoroughly every night with warm water and soap before bedtime. This protocol sounds simplistic but it has helped my leaks tremendously.

And oh by the way, I too have to keep my strap tighter than most folks suggest. I've come to believe that like most mask advice it's a personal thing. Essentially, if it works for you then you're doing it right!

I should add that your headgear may need replacing.

Good luck!

Thanks, old dude! Good suggestions. I'll try them all.

How often are you replacing the cushion?

englandsf wrote:How often are you replacing the cushion?

I change it about every two months. When these leaks began, I changed the cushion, but it did not make any difference with the leaks.