need a mask for side sleeping

When I used a full face mask(I am 100% toss/turn side sleeper) I used the flexifit 431

lvwildcat wrote:When I used a full face mask(I am 100% toss/turn side sleeper) I used the flexifit 431

I've only been on CPAP for 60 days. I use the Opus Nasal Pillow mask and after some tweaking I love it. I had problems with it leaking until I tied some string around the nasal pillows to pull them closer together. I toss and turn a lot and leave the swivel hose free-floating. I do find that I have to keep the straps across my cheeks fairly tight in order to keep the seal. I have satin Pad-A-Cheeks but I still have lines on my cheeks in the morning. Small price to pay for how great I now feel!

Babette wrote:I'm a side sleeper. My mask choices in order are:
1) Nasal Aire II . . . .

Darn, I should have taken a look at this when we were at the workshop. I've decided to give the Nasal Aire II. I love the Comfort Gel, it's so comfortable : ) Exept that when I got the petite it was too small and the small I now have is a bit too big. I'm looking for a mask that will work well with side sleeping and will fit.

What issues do you have with this mask?

Gasp, did you try to "boil" the mask for a better fit? Supposedly, it can be heated and molded for a better fit.

I'm a confirmed side sleeper, mostly my right side as I was originally trained not to snore into my spouse and now to keep exhaust air blast off of same.

I have had no trouble with Activa and a bit with Optilife (but I've about got the hose and adjustments right so its almost there). I've had high "masknea" counts (my term for lots of arousels to fix leaks) trouble with Comfort Gel and Swift. I use a buckwheat hull pillow that a pocket can be made for a mask or it can hang over an edge comfortably.

It looks like lots of choices for you to check into.

Chris

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): activa, hose, swift

wow thanks for all of the responses !! im thinking about trying out the breeze,looks to me like it would be the easiest one with nothing on the side of the head to be pushed around or knocked loose ,i am a little concerned about the back of it tho not sure how comfortable that will be when on my back.i really don't want to be switching masks in the middle of the night trying to get comfortable, some one sent me a message about a pillow that they like to use,that doesn't sound like a bad idea but i cant open up some websites at work so ill check it out when i get home tonight!!
please keep the suggestions coming thank you everyone for your help

mch441 wrote:im thinking about trying out the breeze,looks to me like it would be the easiest one with nothing on the side of the head to be pushed around or knocked loose ,i am a little concerned about the back of it tho not sure how comfortable that will be when on my back.

I used the Breeze quite happily for over a year (before finding the even more comfortable..for me...Twilight NP) but I slept only on my sides using the Breeze.

Most people find the Breeze rather uncomfortable for sleeping on your back. If I tried to sleep on my back, the least head movement tended to either shove the Breeze forward/down (losing its seal) or would pull it backwards and up like a skyhook tugging at the nostrils.

However...cool lab rats came up with good "fixes" involving completely removing the back of the headgear. Sleeping on one's back (as well as sides) with the Breeze can be improved quite a bit with a creative fix:

LINKS to Breeze nasal pillows / nasal mask topics
viewtopic.php?t=3935

Linda3032 wrote:Gasp, did you try to "boil" the mask for a better fit? Supposedly, it can be heated and molded for a better fit.

I'm going to give that a try this weekend, however my DME today said that this would not eliminate the pressure I feel on my upper lip or eye by the bridge of my nose. The mask is just too big. Darn! It's so soft and comfortable otherwise.

mecocosm wrote:I recommend the Bravo. I find it very comfortable for side sleeping. The pillows, tubing, barrel etc are soft and the headgear gives it stability and the pillows don't disloge easily when I toss and turn.

My DME said they don't carry the Bravo, or the Nasal Aire II (a mask I'm looking) because they don't use reinforce hose. He said that the soft hose can be pinched and that the hose absorbs pressure - I'm meeting with him next week so will find out what he meant by that later.

Do you find the Bravo hose flattening when lying on your side?

Snoozing Gonzo wrote:.... I've had high "masknea" counts (my term for lots of arousels to fix leaks) trouble with Comfort Gel and Swift.

Great term! I think it should be official and put on Wikipedia : )

Gasp, I can easily let you try my Nasal Aire II on. I've got all the pillows except the ones I'm using out on loan right now. As soon as they come back, I'll holler at you.

But if you can AFFORD to just get one, go ahead. If you hate it, I know several folks on the Forum who would be interested in it. Heck, I'd probably buy it from you to have a spare...

For reference, I'm using the Medium Plus prongs. The NAII comes with several sets of prongs, but you have to decide which "kit" is likely to contain the set you want. They come in rough size groupings. I'd say to go with the one with the MP prongs in it, as it seemed to offer a nice range, in my opinion.

Call anytime! You know my number. BTW - I'm headed to Port Gamble this Saturday for a WCWA reenactment. If you are so inclined for a road trip.

Huggers,
Barbara

I'm a one side then the other sleeper, and had the same darn trouble. Just get comfortable and the mask would start leaking.

One thing that was suggested on this board was a pillow made from Buckwheat hulls. They form very well, so you can adjust your pillow to reduce pressure on your mask. I got mine from Target for about $20 as I recall. And it has made a big difference!

One caution though. These pillows are noisy at first (when you move around). Your ear is right on the buckwheat as it crunches around, but it is surprising how fast one can get used to it.

Also, mine seems to be cooler than the foam pillow I used to use, so that's a plus for me here in the South.

Some other folks really like their CPAP pillow. I think that's what it's called. The biggest complaint about that one seems to be that it is pretty thick, meaning your head might be up higher than you'd like.

Doh! I said above that I had a flax seed hull pillow. The flax cereal I had for breakfast must have affected my mind. I have a buckwheat hull pillow and love it with CPAP.

Chris

gasp wrote:

mecocosm wrote:I recommend the Bravo. I find it very comfortable for side sleeping. The pillows, tubing, barrel etc are soft and the headgear gives it stability and the pillows don't disloge easily when I toss and turn.

My DME said they don't carry the Bravo, or the Nasal Aire II (a mask I'm looking) because they don't use reinforce hose. He said that the soft hose can be pinched and that the hose absorbs pressure - I'm meeting with him next week so will find out what he meant by that later.

Do you find the Bravo hose flattening when lying on your side?

I think he is referring to the 2 silicone tubes. I did not experience a problem with either of the 2 tubes getting pinched and cutting off air flow when I slept on the tube. Moreover, there are other ways you can route the tubes so that you can side sleep without laying on the tubes. You can take a look at the photos on http://www.respcare.com/bravo/info.htm

Babette wrote:Gasp, I can easily let you try my Nasal Aire II on. I've got all the pillows except the ones I'm using out on loan right now. As soon as they come back, I'll holler at you.

But if you can AFFORD to just get one, go ahead. If you hate it, I know several folks on the Forum who would be interested in it. Heck, I'd probably buy it from you to have a spare...

For reference, I'm using the Medium Plus prongs. The NAII comes with several sets of prongs, but you have to decide which "kit" is likely to contain the set you want. They come in rough size groupings. I'd say to go with the one with the MP prongs in it, as it seemed to offer a nice range, in my opinion.

Call anytime! You know my number. BTW - I'm headed to Port Gamble this Saturday for a WCWA reenactment. If you are so inclined for a road trip.

Huggers,
Barbara

Thanks so much for the offer. I think I'll just buy it. When I began on this forum, even before titration, I envisioned having a wall of hooks inside my closet that would have a wide choice of masks. That way, depending on if I need to mouth breath (allergies kicking up), nose breath, travel where I don't have my adjustable bed, etc., I'll have any mask I want.

BTW, my AHI is down to 3.9 (up from a low of 2.6). Last night was a can't get comfortable on my side with this mask that is a bit big for me night. My AHI and leakage numbers went up accordingly.