I keep taking the mask off at night unconsciously. How to stop it?

My therapy hours range from 2.5 (common) to 6.5 (uncommon). But never the 8-9 hours that I sleep. I go to sleep with my mask on, and wake up without it. I never consciously take it off.

My doctor recommended trying a full face mask ( I use nasal), nasal pillows, and in general to experiment with different mask types. Which do you recommend for this issue? Anyone here ever managed to solve the problem of preventing your body from unconsciously removing the mask? I use a Lowenstein primsaSmart for reference.

Couple things to try:

1) Put adhesive tape on your cheeks over the strap of the headgear so when you try to take it off it, the tape pulling on your cheek will annoy you and wake you up

2) If your hair is long enough, put a hair clip or bobby pin over the strap and just like the tape suggestion, it will probably wake you up if your hair is getting pulled

Then if you wake up, you'll realize what your doing, settle back down and fall asleep. There were many mornings I'd wake up with the mask right next to me, no recollection, so you're not the only phantom mask remover!

NoddingHacker wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 28, 2020 11:04 am

My therapy hours range from 2.5 (common) to 6.5 (uncommon). But never the 8-9 hours that I sleep. I go to sleep with my mask on, and wake up without it. I never consciously take it off.

My doctor recommended trying a full face mask ( I use nasal), nasal pillows, and in general to experiment with different mask types. Which do you recommend for this issue? Anyone here ever managed to solve the problem of preventing your body from unconsciously removing the mask? I use a Lowenstein primsaSmart for reference.

staple it to your head? sorry, poor joke.

try wearing a headband over the straps. that MIGHT stop you from fully removing the mask.

good luck!

oh! and welcome to the zoo.

In addition to the good advice already given, I'd also like to add....don't give up! I had this same problem for a long time (I use a nasal cushion if it matters). While I didn't follow the advice to use tape to wake me up (which probably would have shortened the process), I did use good old fashioned stubbornness and eventually I was able to sleep through the night with it on.

I find if I secure it tight enough that it's not uncomfortable... when i go to take it off, it takes a bit of effort, that I know it would.. 1 come off on it own or 2 wake me up if I had your problem.

I found I was taking my full face mask off also and I would wake up with having held right above my face. I had been a bipap used for about 10 years then. So it wasn't because anything was new.

I finally figured it out. I simply was not getting any air to breath. So I took my mask off to breath instead of suffocate. It just a survivor mode for yourself. First I checked to see if the mask was too lose and slipping and clocking my nose to get air.Then I made an appointment for my Respiratory Therapist about trying another mask. They can also send you home with a home test to see how your'e breathing at night to see if you need increased pressure and last then I went to a sleep DR and was tested overnight. Seems I needed to go to a stronger bi pap setting The first time I did keep removing my mask I went to a bi pap. My problem with breathing was breathing out. I could not so I took my mask off. My DR said sooner or later some people will need to go to a bipap machine.

I hope you understand this and maybe get yourself ok if you understand my long winded explanation. If you have any question or have gotten you problem fixed just let me know

CDER

Wear mittens to bed.
Be grateful you don't sleepwalk.
Mike Birbiglia (stand-up comedian) sleeps in a zipped up sleeping bag and wears mittens
to prevent himself from walking off a balcony. (He did--and was injured)

Mittens, or even socks over your hands.