One Month Today!

Muse-Inc wrote:Congrats DreamOn! Wish ya lots more!

Thanks, Muse-Inc! I'm grateful for the special help you've given me.

~ DreamOn

Gerryk wrote:Keep at it and soon you won't really know you are wearing a mask when you sleep.

Funny you'd mention that. Most of the time I DON'T realize that I'm wearing a mask. Sometimes I have to touch my face to make sure it's there. Breathing feels totally natural now. In fact, it'd feel odd without it.

It is a shock to see myself in the mirror all masked up, though. Not a pretty sight. But that's okay. I never was a great beauty I suppose. The benefits outweigh the hassles.

~ DreamOn

Thanks, happysleeper! It looks like we joined the forum at just about the same time. Congrats on your first 8-hour compliant night! I hope you're feeling well.

Well, I definitely am improving. I'm over the zombie feeling of sleep deprivation from getting used to the mask, and I'm beginning to sweep up into feeling better than before I started cpap. I still feel tired in the middle of the day, but a nap with cpap now helps relieve tiredness! I'm not waking up tired.

My cpap was titrated to 6 at the sleep lab, but with 6 I was still having AHIs in the 15-20/hour range (started at 32/h). I'm now on apap, and I set the range at 6-10. I'm running an average air flow of 10, with AHIs now between 7 and 10/hour. Because this was a big jump in flow, I'm planning on watching my results with this adjustment for a couple of weeks, and if the levels stay above 5, making an appointment to see my physician. He wanted to see me in three months, but I'm not going to wait to feel better, and I want to consult with him before I adjust any higher. That balance of self care with a partnership with the doc.

Give me a head's-up if you see a pothole, so I can dodge it two weeks later.

A pothole for me was trying the circadiance sleepweaver mask. You are supposed to wash it every day, but I've found that to to do that I have to completely take the mask off of the headgear. Which means I must totally readjust the headgear every time I use it, which is no small feat. I've decided that I prefer my Optilife with nasal cushions, as I have adjusted it and pretty much been able to stay with that adjustment. Although when I sleep on my side it digs into my cheek. Still working on that. I'll try the ComfortLite 2 next; promises not to dig into my cheeks.

Cheers to progress!

Happy Sleeper

happysleeper wrote:A pothole for me was trying the circadiance sleepweaver mask. You are supposed to wash it every day, but I've found that to to do that I have to completely take the mask off of the headgear. Which means I must totally readjust the headgear every time I use it, which is no small feat. I've decided that I prefer my Optilife with nasal cushions, as I have adjusted it and pretty much been able to stay with that adjustment. Although when I sleep on my side it digs into my cheek. Still working on that. I'll try the ComfortLite 2 next; promises not to dig into my cheeks.

I believe that KatieW tried the Sleepweaver too, and it didn't work out for her. I know that she does use the ComfortLite 2 successfully.

My favorite nasal pillows mask (so far) is the AEIOMed Headrest. Love it! I find it comfortable to wear, and it vents upward, rather than outward. I like that because it doesn't blow air on my arm or covers all night. The hose goes above the head. It doesn't obstruct vision too much, and it's great for side-sleeping, as the mask doesn't press much against the pillow. No side straps either. It comes with two sizes of nasal pillows, and both (medium and large) seem to fit me fine. Unfortunately, my DME doesn't work with that company (so my insurance won't cover it), but it was worth purchasing out of pocket. I switch between the Headrest pillows and Mirage Activa LT nasal to give my face/nose a break once in a while.

I used the ComfortLite 2 during titration. I had two problems with that one: (1) It put too much pressure on my upper lip. That seems to be a very sensitive spot for me (presses on my teeth), but that may not be a problem for most people. (2) The pillows made a lot of noise, and I could feel whoosing air movement. I'm thinking I may try that on again, though, when my insurance will pay for another mask (in January). I've toughened up since titration night.

Let us know how things go for you. I hope you can get everything figured out soon. You are making progress, so that's great! Feeling better is what it's all about!

~ DreamOn

Everyone has a problem when they sleep on their side and it doesn't really matter what type of mask you have. The key that I found is the pillow you sleep on. I never used to have a down pillow because of my bad allergies, I always used a synthetic one. I found that I was moving the mask with this pillow and or making it dig into my face. I tried one of those contour foam cushions and used that for a while and now I am using a down pilllow. I got one of those covers for allergies and put that on then the regular pillow case. With the down pillow you can pretty much scrunch or somewhat shape the pillow so it's comfortable for you but doesn't mess with the mask.

Gerry

Gerryk wrote:Everyone has a problem when they sleep on their side and it doesn't really matter what type of mask you have. The key that I found is the pillow you sleep on. I never used to have a down pillow because of my bad allergies, I always used a synthetic one. I found that I was moving the mask with this pillow and or making it dig into my face. I tried one of those contour foam cushions and used that for a while and now I am using a down pilllow. I got one of those covers for allergies and put that on then the regular pillow case. With the down pillow you can pretty much scrunch or somewhat shape the pillow so it's comfortable for you but doesn't mess with the mask.

Thanks, Gerry. The design of the AEIOMed Headrest mask minimizes the amount of pillow contact, at least compared to the other masks I've tried. I also used to be allergic to down pillows, but now that I'm not breathing air from the pillow it may not be a problem, especially with a good allergy pillow cover. I hadn't thought of that! Too bad I dispatched the down pillows years ago. A lot of people like the contour foam pillow, but I've found that I do better with natural bed materials (such as cotton, wool, natural latex), so I didn't really consider that for myself.

I tried a buckwheat hull pillow a month or so ago. Although it was easy to shape (so you can leave an indented area for the mask), it seemed too hard for me and hurt the back of my head/neck. There are buckwheat hull/millet combo pillows that reportedly work great. I'll probably try the buckwheat hull again sometime, but I've found that my natural latex pillow works well. It has enough "give" that the mask doesn't press into it much. There are quite a few pillow threads on the forum, so I know this is a common issue with xPAP!

~ DreamOn