newbie saying thanks for these tips that work!

Hi all,
I am another new "hosehead" (just couldn't wait to say that!), just completing my first month, and wanted to say a huge THANK YOU for the tips and info. I have found browsing this forum!!!! Just wanted to share the tips that are working for me, as I really thought I would send this machine back after my 30 trial, but a few good suggestions has made it workable for me.

Briefly....tried 3 different mask situations. First the Mirage Quattro which leaked around my eyes (tried eye patches but OUCH !!!) Then got the Swift LT for Her but couldn't deal with the hard time I was having exhaling through it. Then tried the Liberty and, well, that one is useless to me for so many reasons. So after some consideration to giving up, I tried the Swift one more time and had the bright idea (all on my very own!) to trim the pillows just a bit, and suddenly I could exhale without panicking and could use my machine!

But then, even though I was using a chin strap, I began having the blowfish syndrome and the puffing and mouth leaking, so I browsed this forum and tried taping and that helped. But now there was a new issue...rainout. So after again consulting the forum, I tried lowering my humidity which helped but was a bit TOO dry, so I got a hose insulator from a local Lamberts, and picked up a Sleepap pillow at the same time. And, after reading more on taping I found the suggestion of using Super Polident Adhesive Strips.

So last night I put it all to the test.....

Swift nasal pillows, trimmed
Chin strap in place
Lips sealed with Super Poligrip Adhesive Strip
Two small vertical pieces of tape as backup, 3M Microspore
Sleepap Pillow
Hose insulator in place, humidity set to 2.25
earplugs in (cheap foamie ones I do fine with)
eyemask on (Walgreens has an awesome neoprene one with Velcro, the best I've ever used!)
and finally.....voila!!!!!! Except two use the bathroom twice I SLEPT from 10:30 till 5:00am and woke up feeling energized and HAPPY!! Something very unusual for me! It's a lot of stuff to put in place just to go to bed, but hey, if it works I'm happy to do it!

So again, THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the great tips. I will continue to consult all my fellow hosers for the latest suggestions. And I'll keep you posted on how my new routine is working. Next I'm going to try the silcone putty on my Mirage just to see if that is a good backup plan.

Thanks and happy sleeping everyone!!

I just signed on to find out who it was who said to put the rice bag or whatever between your shoulder blades. I saw your post before I've had a chance to look. I think that helped keep my airway open somewhat. For the first time in awhile my AHI didn't go up, it was the same average as yesterday. Now I'm thinking of looking for one of those neck braces, the soft ones. I think keeping my chin up might help, too. While I'm at the drug store, maybe I'll look for that Polident and tape. Does that come from the drug store, too?

I can not believe all the stuff I put on my head when I go to bed at night. Last night I wore a knit cap, too, because I was cold.

I know, I have found that if I'm cold it doesn't matter how well my mask is working, I will not sleep! Now I put a hot water bottle under the covers at the foot of my bed and as long as my feet are toasty the rest of me seems to stay warm.

I found the tape at Kroger, but it still hurts peeling it off. A little mineral oil on a Qtip solves that problem though.

Also, I had read here, and found it to be true, that the adhesive strips dry slowly. It was still a little mushy when I laid down, but when I got up to pee at about 2:30 I had an excellent, dry seal. It is a less alarming feeling of keeping my mouth shut as opposed to the tape, as if I really needed to I could open my mouth. It would be sort of like having gum between your lips and opening, rather than the panic of having to peel tape off. I don't know that I could use ONLY the strips though, I think I will need to keep my chinstrap as backup, esp. to help with the blowfish thing.

Good luck!!

So the Polident is a strip?
I already have my nose strips. I'm starting to think that my head weighs more than the rest of my body by the time I saddle up for the night.
I've read many places that keeping your feet warm (usually with socks) helps the onset of sleep. I have various lovely (choke, cough) socks that I always wear if it's the least bit cool. I've also read that keeping your room cool is important. But if I'm cold I wake up so that's not true for me.

You can get the Polident paste but I read on here that the strips work better, so I tried them first. They are tiny strips that you wet, put between your lips and let dry. Simple and effective!

Our room is cool at night too, and that's what was causing the water in my hose and nasal pillows, the room temp was cooler than the humid air coming through the hose. Insulating the hose seems to have solved that problem.

I can't sleep with socks on for some reason. I can fall asleep with them on, but then I wake up with my feet feeling suffocated. The hot water bottle lasts all night and I can put my feet closer if they get too cold or farther if they are hot. Works perfectly, like they used to put heated flatirons in the foot of the bed years ago. Or hot bricks or potatos at your feet for a buggy ride.

Hey, what's the deal with the rice bag???? Used for what ????

mountainlvr wrote:Hey, what's the deal with the rice bag???? Used for what ????

http://www.talkaboutsleep.com/message-b ... php?t=3004

http://www.talkaboutsleep.com/message-b ... php?t=3146

I never did find the post (yesterday's) about putting something between your shoulder blades to open up the airway. I put down my corn buddy, which is a cotton sleeve with feed corn in it you can microwave for heat, and lay on top of it. It worked for one night anyway.
I just went to the drug store and got the dental strips. They did not have a neck brace...probably because this annoying chain has bought out every other drug store in the area, now we have almost no choice. I can probably figure out something to keep my chin up. I noticed that when I wake up my chin is tucked down...a coincidence?
This is kind of like a detective game, isn't it?