CPAPtalk.com

I also have trouble with that mask. I don't mind the darth vader sound - actually found that relaxing. It was the leaks that were giving me a lot of trouble. I'm going to experiment over the next couple of days. This may simply be a mask that doesn't work for side sleepers. If I use my gel pillow, I can sleep on my back so presumably, it should leak less. I really want to make it to work because it is really a comfortable mask otherwise. I'll try to report back, but won't be back until Sunday.

My Swift FX also slides up my head at night. I also wish I could solve that. The P10 works best, but it bruises my nose (head too big for straps).

SewTired wrote:I also have trouble with that mask. I don't mind the darth vader sound - actually found that relaxing. It was the leaks that were giving me a lot of trouble. I'm going to experiment over the next couple of days. This may simply be a mask that doesn't work for side sleepers. If I use my gel pillow, I can sleep on my back so presumably, it should leak less. I really want to make it to work because it is really a comfortable mask otherwise. I'll try to report back, but won't be back until Sunday.

My Swift FX also slides up my head at night. I also wish I could solve that. The P10 works best, but it bruises my nose (head too big for straps).

There is a member on here (maybe Jan?) that knows how to make an addition to headstraps with velcro (I think) so they won't slide up. Maybe Jan can point us in the right direction?

SewTired- an FYI: the P10 headgear comes in two sizes. I don't recall the exact measurements (your DME will have them or cpap.com), but the blue headgear is longer than the pink one.

I am interested it this thread, I too wear a DreamWear set. Most of the time I don't have any trouble but
some nights I get a lot of noisy leaks and I haven't figured it out yet. Last night I woke up with the alert
on my CPAP going off because I didn't have my mask on. When I figured out what was going on a went to
put the mask back on one side of the snap together nasal interface had come undone. I guess I had a rough night.

I am a stomach sleeper and tend to bury the left side of my face and mask into the pillow so I think it's pretty hard to
keep a mask on straight, I think this is where my mask has trouble. It starts making noise and I have the hardest time
getting it to stop finding no matter what I do it'll start leaking again. The large leak rate of my machine usually says zero
but I know it is leaking. I have found that tightening the straps helps, maybe my straps are getting older and stretching.

Oh well, I hope you get it figured out.

Bryan

Yeah, noisy leaks is just the right word. I have played around with it more during the day and have tried to figure out what causes the noise. Seems like it has something to do with the nose cushion. I am using a small frame, which is perfect. However, the small cushion may be too snug when I sleep on my side. I just ordered a medium cushion for it and will try that.

Thanks for all the helpful input, everyone. I would really love to use this mask, but don't know if it will be possible for side sleeping. It is SO comfortable when I lie on my back.

Oddly the head pillow makes a difference. I have a very soft pillow where my head sinks in. It seems to make a kind of wind tunnel for the exhale ports.

I sleep almost exclusively on my sides with the DreamWear. I find that I have to wiggle around a bit if my TMJ joint is compressing the silicone tube strap against the pillow. Otherwise I hear the air rushing through.

You can sew a length of Velcro hook tape (the scratchy side) into the back of the strap to keep it from sliding. I think I need that, too.

Jonny515, do you mean the soft pillow helps? because I have a Mypillow that is too soft with most CPAP masks I have tried. If so, maybe I will try it.

Unbelievable, but after trying Jan's suggestions and lowering the height of the hose hanger a little, the mask no longer leaks when I lay on my side. Incredible. After these changes, I was not able to get it to leak or make any noise. Thanks so much, Jan. I can't believe it worked!

I will also take your suggestion to hold the back strap in place.

Janknitz wrote:I sleep almost exclusively on my sides with the DreamWear. I find that I have to wiggle around a bit if my TMJ joint is compressing the silicone tube strap against the pillow. Otherwise I hear the air rushing through.

You can sew a length of Velcro hook tape (the scratchy side) into the back of the strap to keep it from sliding. I think I need that, too.

I've found that if one side is compressed then there is enough air from the other side to keep it going.

Janknitz wrote:I sleep almost exclusively on my sides with the DreamWear. I find that I have to wiggle around a bit if my TMJ joint is compressing the silicone tube strap against the pillow. Otherwise I hear the air rushing through.

You can sew a length of Velcro hook tape (the scratchy side) into the back of the strap to keep it from sliding. I think I need that, too.

I've found that if one side is compressed then there is enough air from the other side to keep it going.

No, sorry the other way. I think that a super soft pillow makes the noise worse. Your head sinks into the pillow, and then the sound from the exhale ports creates something like a wind tunnel. Therefore, I did better with a firmer pillow, of course YMMV.

PEF wrote:Jonny515, do you mean the soft pillow helps? because I have a Mypillow that is too soft with most CPAP masks I have tried. If so, maybe I will try it.

Unbelievable, but after trying Jan's suggestions and lowering the height of the hose hanger a little, the mask no longer leaks when I lay on my side. Incredible. After these changes, I was not able to get it to leak or make any noise. Thanks so much, Jan. I can't believe it worked!

I will also take your suggestion to hold the back strap in place.

Holden4th wrote:

Janknitz wrote:I sleep almost exclusively on my sides with the DreamWear. I find that I have to wiggle around a bit if my TMJ joint is compressing the silicone tube strap against the pillow. Otherwise I hear the air rushing through.

You can sew a length of Velcro hook tape (the scratchy side) into the back of the strap to keep it from sliding. I think I need that, too.

I've found that if one side is compressed then there is enough air from the other side to keep it going.

The problem is t that air can't get through, it's the sound of the air conducted in my bones.

Janknitz wrote:You can sew a length of Velcro hook tape (the scratchy side) into the back of the strap to keep it from sliding. I think I need that, too.

Thanks so much for the info, Jan! Have a nice weekend

Janknitz wrote:it's the sound of the air conducted in my bones.

well, now, I don't think we can help you with your noisy bones

Well, as much as I really wanted to use this mask, I managed to pull disaster from the jaws of victory. The last time I tried to sleep with it, it did not leak or make noise. But then I noticed how uncomfortable and bulky this mask was while sleeping on my side. The end of the nose piece on the side I was sleeping on was digging into the side of my face next to my nose, so I took it off and used another mask for the night.

So I thought maybe the nose piece, which was a small, was maybe too small. I ordered a medium. In the meantime I did not use the mask at all because it was hopelessly uncomfortable. I just got the medium nose piece and put it on the mask. Now the noise is even louder than ever and I have not been able to stop it. I put the small nose piece back on and now that makes noise also. I think I am going to give up on the Dreamwear!

PEF wrote:
I also noticed that when I experiment with the mask during the day, the noise is barely perceptible with all the normal "daytime sounds". But at night it is so quiet here that it sounds louder, so maybe I should just create a little background noise, like soft music or a "white sound" tape.

I am also going to have to do something about the back strap riding up, IF that keeps happening. As I said in my last post, there have been some power issues here the last few nights that may have effected my sleep. So I will try again in a few days. Tonight I am going to use my P10 because I am so tired.

I could never sleep without my white noise. Its getting hotter too, I would highly recommend a fan right by your bed. I sleep with a fan even when it's cold out.