Leaks around cushion

Thanks to all of you to take the trouble to read my first post, or question, in this case. I was given the Airsense 10 with heated air with a full face CPAP mask a few weeks ago. I am very enthusiastic about the possible solution to my sleep apnea problem but have had a problem with leaks around the cushion. I call it the mask but the respiratory technician calls the rubber part that seals against my face the cushion. So I'll refer to it as the cushion so all of you will know just what I'm talking about. In the mornings when I cut the machine off, there is a smiley face indicating that there wasn't a major leak. But what happens during the night is that as I start to fall asleep, my facial muscles relax which causes a small leak which produces a slight hissing sound. This hissing sound wakes me up and I have to start the falling asleep process all over again. Please note that this is not from my mouth opening, but from the facial muscles relaxing. It's so annoying and preventing me from getting the benefits of the therapy. I'm surprised with all our modern technology that the engineers can't come up with a foolproof mask that will stay sealed throughout the night. Last week I was given a mask from another manufacturer but the problem is still about the same. I'd appreciate any suggestions any of you might have. I apologize if I've put this post in the wrong section. It's my first post and I'm still learning the system. Thanks to all of you and the very best to you.

It's hard to anticipate the changes in the face during the night. One person's face might change a lot and the next person's face might not change much or at all.
Also facial oils can be a factor...sweat or more oil during the night can affect things.

Which machine did you get and what pressure are you using?
And what pressure are you doing the initial fitting?
If your machine is auto adjusting the pressure maybe you need to fit to the higher pressure during the night.
A fitting at 6 cm doesn't work so great if the pressure hits 12 or more.

You might look into using a mask liner. Those little leaks may not be all that big in terms of what the machine reports but any leak that disturbs sleep is unwanted even if it is a teeny tiny leak.

So if using a higher pressure in the middle of the night...try fitting to anticipate the higher pressure if you are initially fitting for lower pressure.
Or add a mask liner and see if that helps keep the small leak less annoying.

I had the same problem but solved it by putting Cetaphil face cream (Comes in a jar) on my face before putting the mask on. I'll snug the mask pretty good at first, connect to the mahine, turn on & waitabout 2 minutes to make sure no leaks, then I hop in bed. Then I will slightly push the mask against my face, then loosen all straps a bit to relieve face pressure without causing a leak. Of course the Cetaphil is good treatment for your face too. Sometimes during the night I may have to re-snug the straps a bit if I get leaks.

Buzz410

Mask liner from padacheek.com