Chin Strap compliance

Yesterday afternoon the brown truck of joy delivered a box from my DME containing a Ruby adjustable chinstrap, as ordered by my sleep doc. At bedtime I put the thing on, put on my mask and promptly fell asleep. I slept for just under three hours. I woke up very uncomfortable and wide awake. In the short term, it made my existing problem with insomnia much worse. In it's favor, it did totaly eliminate my already low leak rate. It had been 0.02L/s and for the time I slept with the chin strap it was 0.00L/s.

The thing feels like a bondage device, and in my current sleep deprived mode, I am in no mood for such fun and games. I had no difficulty adjusting to wearing a nasal mask, in fact I welcomed it, but I don't see how I am going to adjust to this short of being drugged every night.

I guess what the improvement in my leak rate tells me is that I do some mouth breathing. I do not have access to the graphic data so I do not know if this occurs in a peak that somehow disturbs my sleep, but I tend to doubt it. I sent off the uploaded data from my machine this morning so my at least my doc will be able to look at it.

So, my question is, what would she need to see to justify my trying to adjust to sleeping with my head in a vice?
I've read all of the threads about taping, fixodent etc.. Do I really need to go there?

Thanks

Forgot to say my AHI (pre-chinstrap) was <1 with 0.0 apneas. Am I not justified in thinking that my SA is being successfully treated?

stanps wrote:Forgot to say my AHI (pre-chinstrap) was <1 with 0.0 apneas. Am I not justified in thinking that my SA is being successfully treated?

I was just going to ask your other numbers.

If it were me with an AHI less and 1 and leak around 0.02 L/sec, I wouldn't worry about the chin strap.
Instead I would worry about getting whatever else is affecting your number of hours asleep, under control. There are other things that affect how well we sleep besides sleep apnea. I am fighting that battle myself.

stanps wrote:Forgot to say my AHI (pre-chinstrap) was <1 with 0.0 apneas. Am I not justified in thinking that my SA is being successfully treated?

I'd say you're totally justified, especially if you're feeling better. I have no idea why the doc thought a chinstrap was needed, with numbers like those.

BleepingBeauty wrote: I'd say you're totally justified, especially if you're feeling better. I have no idea why the doc thought a chinstrap was needed, with numbers like those.

She did it because, at one point, I was told that I was snoring. That was before I increased my pressure (without her permission ). Since then my snoring has been reduced to a slight nasal snore, I think cause by congestion.

My numbers are similar, but I have to use my PAPCap to keep from mouth breathing. A 0.02 L/s leak is barely anything. I would say you don't really need the chinstrap unless your leak starts to go up. I would hang on to it.

I'd say your sleep hygiene/architecture is what you should focus on. Anyone else want to chime in?