Help - Being wokeup - yes or no???

Pam · Post by **Pam** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:20 am

Last night I went to bed before my husband did. He came in the room and woke me up to tell me I my mask leaking. I adjusted my mask and went back to sleep. A little while later he did the same thing, woke me up because of a leak. Again i adjusted the mask and went back to sleep.

Sometime during the early morning hours he woke me up and told me to close my mouth. I did and went back to sleep. A little while later he woke me again to tell me to close my mouth. Well he ended up doing this 2 more times.

So all in all he woke me up 6 times last night. Normally when I get woke up I can't go back to sleep but I was so exhausted last night that at least I was able to get back to sleep right away.

Sleep is important of course, and so is preventing Apneas. So guys what do you think would it be better to just let me sleep or wake me up all the time.

Thank you for you opinion on this, I truly value you opnions and knowledge.

Pam

pberg3571 · Post by **pberg3571** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:34 am

I too have been struggling, and am new to cpap. One thing all the nice folks here have taught me, is that treatment is not effective, if your leaking air from your mouth or other places, but mainly from your mouth. They taught me to wrap an ace bandage under my chin, and over the top of my head, (not to tight) to keep my mouth closed, and it seems to be working for me. Also if it keeps leaking out your lips, I was told to use denture strips on your lips, but I haven't had to use that yet. I personally would rather be nuged or woken up and told of any leaks, so the treatment is effective. Good luck and this is the place for answers!!

bdp522 · Post by **bdp522** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:36 am

My husband is the best leak alarm around. He wakes me for every leak, I fix it and go back to sleep within minutes(sometimes seconds). I think this is a good thing. I get better sleep with no leaks. I rarely have leaks now, but when I do, He's there to alert me to them.

Brenda

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:17 am

Well, the fact that you could go back to sleep after all those "wake ups" when usually you can't indicates that CPAP is working for you despite the leaks. Maybe not ideally but it is working.

As far as being woke up to be told "I was leaking" .... I don't take well to someone waking me up and usually a bad leak will wake me anyway. My PERSONAL preference would be do NOT wake me up to tell me I'm leaking. Today's machines handle leaks pretty well and large leaks, sometimes even the minor leaks, will wake me. But that is MY PERSONAL preference. Whatever works for you is the best way to handle it.

Obviously your leaks were waking him. And it is sweet that he cares. Crochety ole broad that "I" am I'd probably go sleep in another room until my CPAP mask and I came to proper terms.

I know I was very surprised, early in my CPAP treatment, with my straight CPAP set at 8 cms, to see that when I had some large leaks my CPAP was actually able to go up to 10.2 cms of pressure in an effort to overcome that large leak!!!

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:30 am

Slinky wrote:Well, the fact that you could go back to sleep after all those "wake ups" when usually you can't indicates that CPAP is working for you despite the leaks. Maybe not ideally but it is working.

I was just going to say the same....

Pam wrote:So all in all he woke me up 6 times last night.

Which means he woke up about 6 times last night. And as I remember it, he also washes your mask and humidifier for you. I guess he's feeling very very responsible and worried -- and you guys have to figure out just who is responsible for what, and when and why.

If it were me I'ld probably say something like: "Dear hubby, this is my issue. I'll do the mask washing, and result reading. though I really appriciate how helpful you are - and please wake me up only if the noises disturb you. Between the software reports I get from the machine, and my body's ability to handle things, I think I'll get the leaks and mouth breathing licked soon.... Do you think we should sleep in separate rooms till I get a handle on this therapy, just so you don't wake up so often?"

Guess I'm a crochety ole broad too....

O.

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JeffH · Post by **JeffH** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:35 am

Start taping your mouth and you will get to sleep instead of being awakened.

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:39 am

If you are, ozij, you are a much more diplomatic crochety ole broad than I am!!!!

I guess, the best advice, is what works best for you, Pam. What would you prefer?

And Jeff's suggestion of taping your mouth shut or another method such as the ace bandage as a home made chin strap or the PoliGrip gel or strips as PBerg suggested is a reasonable alternative that might do the trick for both you and your husband.

TerryB · Post by **TerryB** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:15 am

I have come to rely on the elastic bandage over the head and the Polident strips to stop all mouth leaks. The mouth leaks were the only thing which caused significant treatment problems. The small leaks associated with hisses and squeaks are within the machines ability to adjust, the large leaks from the mouth are not. These days I don't even try to take a weekend nap with all the 'stuff' because I won't really get any rest.

I'd also ask not to be wakened unless the leak was a problem for my partner.

Good Luck,
TerryB

dieselgal · Post by **dieselgal** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:40 am

Sounds like your getting more sleep than your husband.
Your profile says you are using a Soyala FF, if so how come he wakes up when your mouth opens????

Pam · Post by **Pam** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 9:32 am

dieselgal, I do have a FF but haven't worn it yet. I wear a nasal mask.

Got the FF for when my allergies kick in. Was thinking of wearing it or using the ace bandage tonight and some of the other suggestions I have received here. I don't think I sleep with my mouth open very much. But I sure did last night for some reason.

Everyone: Thank you for all your suggestions. They are really helpful.

Pam

Sal_In_Ga · Post by **Sal_In_Ga** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 9:54 am

It is so comforting and reassuring -like a warm, loving hug- when my husband wakes me and says, "Put your mask on, Angel." Knowing that he is there and that he cares, I go right back to sleep. Next day, I am feeling guilty because I have awakened him with my snoring, then he has lost sleep.

Mask

Additional Comments: Equipment isn't correct, S9 ASV w/H5i