Respironics Dreamwear mask - Quick review, pics and a tip!

Hey Pugsy thanks so much for collecting the data. That's amazing!

I might try to jury rig flexi-hose from somewhere with the original Dreamwear swivel to avoid the leaks you've identified.

That said, I can't tell at this point if the leaks affect treatment. I'm new to CPAP treatment in any case so there are many variables at play.

I hope your headache goes away. Take care!

Pugsy wrote:Okay...I did a leak test with the Swift FX short hose on the DreamWear and compared it to the regular hose connection.
Image below...Swift FX first and DreamWear on the right.

Remember Respironics machines report total leak. The Swift FX hose is venting more...when is to be expected since there are more holes and you can feel the extra force. It didn't leak around the swivel attachment though.

Got up to around 28 L/min with the Swift FX...total leak and only about 14 with the DreamWear swivel.
You can the the bottom leak line for the FX isn't at 0.0 but the DreamWear bottom leak line is at 0.0 which is where it should be while awake and I know that there are no leaks.

This was a real quick test and I have a bad headache so tomorrow I plan to repeat and give it a little more time.
This is excess leak but it isn't huge...I don't know how this would impact therapy but I would assume it shouldn't unless someone already has substantial leak and the extra 12 to 14 L/min makes the machine not be able to sense properly.
This was a low pressure test...I need to do a higher pressure test and see where it wants to go...
I will do that tomorrow when I don't feel like crap...

Pretty cool project!

Its alot more comfortable with the other masks hose connected?

It connects/ pops right in?

Hi Physician,

1. No pressure on my teeth, but there was some pressure on my upper lip. Just enough to feel something's pressing against it, but not painful or uncomfortable.

2. I don't hear anything from the nosepiece, or the swivel vent for that matter. I suppose there is some noise, but nothing irritating. Certainly nothing as loud as the Swift FX nasal pillow, though even that I found tolerable. However, it does get somewhat noisy if something gets in front of the vent. But this is the case with any mask I think.

3. The straps don't pull on my cheek in a noticeable way. That said, the tension varies with the pressure as air goes through the cheek straps to the nose piece. Higher pressure, greater inflation, more pressure on the cheek. It doesn't result in any discomfort, though the nose piece might become looser if the chin strap deflates. But I can't say for sure.

4. I don't think the nose piece actually moves out of place when I was sleeping on the side, but there's always a small element of doubt for two reasons. First pressing against one cheek strap (when you lie on it) makes the strap feel like it's slackening, and therefore the nose piece is coming loose. I suspect this is imagined rather than real on the Dreamwear because the nose piece is big and a rather snug fit if installed properly. Second, when you sleep on your side, there's a good chance there will be "blow back" from the vent onto your face as air hits your pillow and bounces off which could be mistaken as a leak. This is especially the case when you first turn to your side. Perhaps I'm still new at this but any sensation of air rushing out makes me get all paranoid about leaks.

What I can say is although I still don't feel 100% confident that the nose piece stays in place when I'm sleeping on my side with the Dreamwear, I feel significantly more assured than with other nasal pillows.

Physician wrote:Ultimax:

Good thoughts. Agree.

1. Did you feel excess pressure on your upper lip and/or teeth ?

2. Did the turbulent noise from the nosepiece keep you awake ?

3. Did the straps pull on your cheeks ?

4. Did you find the nose piece move away from your noise when side sleeping ?

metsfan302 wrote:Pretty cool project!

Its alot more comfortable with the other masks hose connected?

It connects/ pops right in?

Yes, that's right! I think it's a fluke of a design coincidence as both masks are by different brands.

The Swift FX hose is much lighter and more flexible than the S9 CPAP machine hose so it responsds to movement a lot better. If I were to connect the mask to the machine hose directly, the heavier hose would fight any movement and pulls back, and that's where you get the sense that you're a puppet on a string!

I tried this last night. It does work, but is not a perfect fit. If you compare the two connectors side by side, the gap between the flanges is much narrower on the Resmed, and the outer flange is smaller diameter than the Dreamwear. These two things make it very easy for the Resmed connector to push into the Dreamwear tube with not much pressure. Several times during the night, I woke up to leaks at the connection and had to re-seat the connector.

While a lightweight and flexible short hose might be a nice addition to this mask, I just don't think it is necessary unless you need the extra length. With enough slack, a tubing clip keeps the hose where I need it to be. https://www.cpap.com/productpage/cpap-hose-clip.html

If you need more length, this would work well...I have tested it and it fits fine:
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/circad ... -tube.html

garagelogician wrote:I tried this last night. It does work, but is not a perfect fit. If you compare the two connectors side by side, the gap between the flanges is much narrower on the Resmed, and the outer flange is smaller diameter than the Dreamwear. These two things make it very easy for the Resmed connector to push into the Dreamwear tube with not much pressure. Several times during the night, I woke up to leaks at the connection and had to re-seat the connector.

While a lightweight and flexible short hose might be a nice addition to this mask, I just don't think it is necessary unless you need the extra length. With enough slack, a tubing clip keeps the hose where I need it to be. https://www.cpap.com/productpage/cpap-hose-clip.html

If you need more length, this would work well...I have tested it and it fits fine:
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/circad ... -tube.html

Yes I take your point. Using the Swift FX hose isn't ideal and it does leak some, as Pugsy pointed out. I haven't had problems with the connector being dislodged at night, though.

Before I started using the Swift FX hose, I tried various to be as comfortable with the original swivel and S9 CPAP hose. But turning in my sleep invariably would result in the hose tugging at my mask and the accompanying sensation of my head being pulled. I think it's because of the extra weight of the hose pulling down on the swivel as it swivels, even when there's sufficient slack. The same probably still happens with the Swift FX hose, but as it's much lighter and more importantly, flexes better, I don't feel that tugging.

I'll fiddle around with the original swivel and S9 hose a little more to see if I can get it to work better.

Just started using this mask last night and I noticed that there was no leak reading on MyAir. I'm using an Airsence 10 Autoset machine with the mask setting on Nasal Mask. Should the mask type be changed? Is so what type. Thanks for your help.

Hardav04 wrote:Just started using this mask last night and I noticed that there was no leak reading on MyAir. I'm using an Airsence 10 Autoset machine with the mask setting on Nasal Mask. Should the mask type be changed? Is so what type. Thanks for your help.

Total newbie to CPAP and to this forum but I have the same machine and want to change to the DreamWear. I think this would be classified as a nasal pillow mask. Is there a nasal pillow mask setting?

Hardav04 wrote:Just started using this mask last night and I noticed that there was no leak reading on MyAir. I'm using an Airsence 10 Autoset machine with the mask setting on Nasal Mask. Should the mask type be changed? Is so what type. Thanks for your help.

I have the same machine, have been using the Dremwear for almost two months on the nasal mask setting. Some nights I actually have no leaks, the only time I really have leaks is from my mouth dropping open.

I don't think you need to change a thing.

story1267 wrote:

Hardav04 wrote:Just started using this mask last night and I noticed that there was no leak reading on MyAir. I'm using an Airsence 10 Autoset machine with the mask setting on Nasal Mask. Should the mask type be changed? Is so what type. Thanks for your help.

Total newbie to CPAP and to this forum but I have the same machine and want to change to the DreamWear. I think this would be classified as a nasal pillow mask. Is there a nasal pillow mask setting?

It is not a nasal pillow mask.

I thrash around a lot when I sleep and was initially worried about the pull from the top of the head with the Dreamwear mask, which I just started trying out this weekend. However, I have a Hose Buddy (https://www.cpap.com/productpage/HoseBu ... ystem.html) and if I give the heated hose some slack, I haven't had a problem with that.

I'm not ready to declare the Dreamwear a game-changer after so little time, and my leak numbers have been similar to the gel pillows I was using previously, but my AHI numbers have been way down in comparison, so we shall see. I have a good feeling that I won't wear out the frame as quickly, though, due to its design, which would be nice. I am hoping Pad-a-cheek or someone comes up with a covering somehow for the nasal part, because it's cold at my house at night and I'd rather not return to the dark days of rain-out.

I posted this thread with instructions on how to make your own cozy to fit the lower portions of the Dreamwear mask. I am using the provided flexible pads to cover the upper parts. So far no real problem with rainout.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=108505&p=1034523#p1034523

My DME set my machine to the nasal pillow setting for the Dreamwear mask. Is that incorrect?

Thanks,

UMTerp