How should a chin strap fit

Hello All. I am on week three of my new CPAP therapy. I am still utterly stunned by the lack of information and guidance my doctor provided to me before prescribing the machine. I saw three different doctors at the Cleveland Clinic. They basically just said you need to use a machine, use it for four hours a night and see you in 45 days. Frankly, I cannot imagine how they could have given any less information. So....
I tried using a large mask that covered my entire nose for about a week. I could not get comfortable. I then switched to the Respatronics Dreamware nasal pillow. I was able to get used to this in about a week with watching tv with it. My new problem is this.... right before I go to sleep my mouth opens up. I am not a mouth breather but I think the air pressure is blowing my mouth open. The pressure is not high. I have an auto machine. My pressure after it ramps up is between 6 and 20 but it has never been above 7. This is very frustrating. Of course, it happened twice so now I worry about it and cannot sleep. My question is this...... if I use a chin strap how tight should it be? I did not need one at my sleep study but apparently I do now. (Unless I am consciously opening my mouth because I am worried about it.) Should I be able to open my mouth with the chin strap on? Can the chin strap cause jaw problems or other issues?

Any description of how the chin strap should fit would be appreciated.

With a nasal pillow mask, I always put the chin strap on first.

How tight? Well, i have to use tape, and recently I started using just tape (from walmart, "durapore" written on the inside cardboard) and no chin strap. no matter how tight the chinstrap, I have to default to tape to keep the seal.

A tight chinstrap or headgear can really irritate the scalp in a painful way.

Effectively, but without pain.

Is there a smooth CPAP chin strap?

This one is smooth but a bit cumbersome:



See this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkByHPBPwXc

True dat.
Chin straps are torture.
I had one once.
Worst bondage fetish ever!

Chin straps are supposed to be GENTLE reminders to the mouth for it to stay closed. They aren't supposed to be a second form of vise grips or torture nor should it ever cause pain anywhere.

Chin straps won't prevent the mouth from opening if it really wants to open and they won't prevent mouth breathing if the mouth really wants to mouth breath. Heck, you can clench your teeth together and slightly open your mouth and breathe in easily through clenched teeth.

But for a good many people the gentle reminder is enough to keep the jaw or chin from dropping down and really opening the mouth and that way reduce mouth breathing.

PapCap was the only model that fit that description.
Lightweight, cool, and soft--not at all like the thick, stiff, HOT neoprene nightmares I had tried.

Speaking of the PapCap, if anyone tried and didn't like their PapCap and want to sell it, please PM me. Earl

I tried a chin strap when I started, and I'm sure they work for some people, but it was a waste of time and money for me. It certainly couldn't hold my mouth closed. I didn't give it enough time to see if it could act as a reminder. I'm just glad I seem to have just learned to keep my mouth closed as I sleep.
Jim