Taking the mask off

Has anyone had a problem with taking their mask off in the middle of the night without really knowing it? If so what resolved that problem for you? Was it a pressure problem? A mask fit problem? Or did you stop doing it as you got used to cpap therapy?

Thanks
MelMel

Well I have been on the machine for about 2 months now and I still find myself doing that exact same thing.

I’ve concluded it has something to do with the comfort level. The first month or so I would have my mask too loose and it would whistle or gap a lot.

The past 2-3 weeks I cinched that baby up really tight so it is quite uncomfortable but it rarely wakes me up from gaps or leaks but I think I still unconsciously take it off due to the lack of comfort. I put a bandaid on my nose or it will leave a mark and a sore. It also leaves a mark around my mouth but that goes away shortly after I get up.

Soon I am going to get the Resmed Ultra Mirage FF mask that so many others have mentioned and hope that solves the problem you are mentioning.

Snorenomore,
Enjoying not waking up so often hearing those three special words, "you're snoring again."

MelMel,

I laugh everytime I remember the morning after my first night with the mask and my bipap machine. I woke up a little groggy, wondering what that noise was. I then noticed my mask was lying on the floor next to me, apparently having been taken off in my sleep. At first I got real sad, thinking my first night was a failure. But then I had a revelation. I had slept for 5 full hours all in one position...I had not moved from my position I was in when I fell to sleep. May not sound like much to you, but to me this was a major accomplishment. It meant that for the first time in quite a long time, maybe even years, I had slept soundly for 5 whole hours!!!

I do feel much better, especially more alert during the day. But I still struggle, since I started mid-November, with waking up in the night. Once or twice the mask came off in my sleep. But often I consciously took it off, from anguish over dealing with the high prescribed pressure I must have. Some nites are bad. But overall things are slowly improving. When things go badly, I remind myself that I still feel so much more alert and awake during the day, which is what I'd been praying for all along.

Wish you luck. Keep in touch with the forum. It may help.

Linda

Last night I woke at 3:30 to find the mask off and machine turned off. I checked the machine and I'd only slept for 45 minutes. I put the mask back on and again woke without it when the alarm went off. I checked again and found I'd gotten another 1:15 for a total of 2 hours. I feel like crap today.

It's very frustrating. I think I'm going to put some stuff over the switch to make it more difficult to turn off without waking up. If I didn't turn the machine off, I'd be OK. Having the mask off, but still blowing air would wake me up.

Over the last 9 years I have had several incidences of mask removal. For the fist few weeks, getting used to CPAP the mask was off almost every night. After getting used to it, the mask stayed on with rare exceptions except when it was uncomfortable,or leaking. I found that after a while a once comfortable mask would start to irritate me and once again, off it would come. After trying many masks, I recently acquired a Res-Med Mirage Activa and find it to be the best mask yet, being extremely comfortable for me and virtually leakless. So far so good! The right mask is out there for you--you just need to find it. When you are comfortable you will sleep the night! I have no personal experience with it, but my respiratory therapist says mask removal can be caused by noy enough pressure. Good luck in your search for a comfortable mask, and don't get discouraged!!!

Hi Mel:
Yes, 2x's in 3+ wks I've taken my ''swift'' and chin strap off, DO NOT REMEMBER IT doing this, and actually have been laying on it, so it's tested the "squashed test" by me. I don't know why I took it off, but it was toward morning, after 6-7 AM, so I guess I think that's enuf? Don't know, can't worry about it.

I think it's just the end of the discomfort zone for me. I wear the swift and am getting the NIKE mark on my cheeks. I have lost wt and mayb my chin strap is giving me a mini chin lift. Now if I could lift everything else and hide it all,I'd be happy. But that's another whole msg. board. lol

GO Liam I know you have to answer this one.
I've thrown out the line..!

MelMel wrote:Has anyone had a problem with taking their mask off in the middle of the night without really knowing it? If so what resolved that problem for you? Was it a pressure problem? A mask fit problem? Or did you stop doing it as you got used to cpap therapy?

Thanks
MelMel

gailzee wrote:I wear the swift and am getting the NIKE mark on my cheeks. I have lost wt and mayb my chin strap is giving me a mini chin lift.

Well, your answer is clear. You say you've lost weight. Probably using exercise. Check in your closet. Your sneakers and exercise equipment, they all say "Reebok" don't they? Clearly someone from the Reebok company is sneaking in and taking it off so that by the time you get up and exercise, you aren't advertising a competitor.

Get a mask that leaves the Reebok logo on your cheeks, and you'll probably find someone has made it difficult for you to take the mask off until you're just ready to walk out the door.

Liam, who's mask, oddly enough, leaves "Just DO It" on his cheek.

I think I'll get me ex DME'er to get a tatoo, JUST DO IT.

hah.

Liam1965 wrote:

gailzee wrote:I wear the swift and am getting the NIKE mark on my cheeks. I have lost wt and mayb my chin strap is giving me a mini chin lift.

Well, your answer is clear. You say you've lost weight. Probably using exercise. Check in your closet. Your sneakers and exercise equipment, they all say "Reebok" don't they? Clearly someone from the Reebok company is sneaking in and taking it off so that by the time you get up and exercise, you aren't advertising a competitor.

Get a mask that leaves the Reebok logo on your cheeks, and you'll probably find someone has made it difficult for you to take the mask off until you're just ready to walk out the door.

Liam, who's mask, oddly enough, leaves "Just DO It" on his cheek.

Not to sound like I'm trying to top anyone....but I had an interesting experience the first month I was on CPAP. I really never took my mask off before this incident but one night I was dreaming and I remember someone in my dream telling me that the mask made too much noise. So not only did I take it off but I completely dismantled the head gear too! I woke up a couple of hours later and had to reassemble the head gear and reattach everything before I could go back to sleep!

I remember reading a post by a guy on another message board. He had gone so far as wearing oven mitts to bed to try to make it more difficult to undo the mask clips. Still was taking it off with no recollection of doing so. He was also turning off his machine even though he had moved it out of reach.

One night he set up a video camera. It caught him sitting up, removing the mask, walking to the machine, turning it off and getting back in bed. No awareness or memory of doing any of it. I don't remember if he said he ever got over that habit or not. But he was amazed to see himself get up and go through so many deliberate motions with absolutely no memory of it in the morning.

I have'nt ever taken my mask off but I regularily turn off my alarm clock in the middle of the night without knowing it.

MelMel,

This is a problem that a small percentage of new users have but usually resolves itself with persistence. It is a subconscious action. You spent all you life without this stuff, even if it is helping, the body says get this off me. This may sound odd but continued use or desensitization to wearing the mask will fix this problem.

Desensitization, here I go again sounding crazy, works best by putting on your mask and wearing it a couple of minutes a day. Or on a day off, take the cpap and mask and go sit in your recliner, connect it all up and take a nap. Also, go to bed a little early, put the mask on turn on the cpap and try to relax. Watch some TV, even if it is a little hard or annoying. I think you get the idea. Just try and get yourself or your subconscious acclimated to the mask and that it's not a big deal wearing it.

I know this may not work for everyone but in my experience, sleep labs sent patients to the place I use to work for so we could desensitize the patient. The patients were not getting any sleep during a titration which means bad test results and no answers. We had a standard but adjusted according to the need of the patient. We started by scheduling a couple of appointments. The patient would come in and basically spend 30 minutes to an hour talking about everything cpap related, find a comfortable mask, wear it a while talking to our therapist and then the RT would connect a cpap at the lowest pressure(4cm) and let them see what that felt like. Then have them lie in bed and see if the mask still felt ok. Have them move from side to side and then just relax to see if they could handle the cpap pressure and the mask. Usually by the 2nd appointment, the patient would come in, have some more questions, maybe ask for a different mask but would have the mask and cpap running pretty quick and drift off to sleep. Then back to the sleep lab for the titration.

I think anyone could overcome this problem of pulling the mask off. Honestly all this stuff I've typed even sounds odd to me. But even with no memory....a video doesn't lie.

As with all cpap related suggestions, this only my opinion but I hope this helps, I have seen it work.

Sincerely,
ICP

ICP,

Sounds like a great program. I agree, one does get desensitized. After a couple months using my Swift, I often wake up and forget I even have it on. That's a nice feeling! My guess is the less obtrusive interfaces are the easiest to get comfortable with. Nice to see your expert advice.

Wader,

Masks are always the first step for sure. You gotta start somewhere you feel at least a little comfort. Then start getting all the rest in line.

ICP

MelMel wrote:Has anyone had a problem with taking their mask off in the middle of the night without really knowing it? ....

Ever since reading this posted topic, I've noticed I've ripped off my mask twice while asleep. Power of suggestion? Could it be I was dreaming about this post? Both times I woke up, noticing a strange sound which turned out to be my mask lying right next to me. Hmmm.


Linda