Back to ffm *sigh*

[allynpsych]

Feeling a bit frustrated. I love my swift nano for her nasal mask because it's comfy and I can sleep on my side and fall asleep right away... Problem is, as soon as I fall asleep, my tongue drops and the air leaks out of my mouth, even though my husband says I'm never opening my mouth. The last 4 nights I've been above the 24 L/min threshold. I'm going back to the ffm for tonight to see if that helps.

[palerider]

maybe it's because tongues don't have anything to do with keeping the air from rushing out of your mouth.

it's all in the nasopharynx behind the tongue.

you pretty much need to do the opposite of what you do to blow up a balloon.

[green wings]

I just looked at a pic of your mask - it looks like a great design. I use a Wisp nasal mask.

I have had the "lip flutter" thing happen while I'm awake where air escapes from my mouth. Makes me feel like a fish.

Would a chin strap stop the leaks from your mouth? I'm probably going to get one soon. I've been procrastinating.

On an entirely unrelated topic, how do you avoid getting your hands/forearms tangled in your hose when you sleep on your side?

Are you able to sleep comfortably on either side or only facing the xPAP machine?

The Wisp is really the only mask that I've used. Its hose is routed over the top of my head.

I am wanting to try a nasal pillows mask, but I am reluctant to give up the hose-over-the-head design.

Thanks!

Feeling a bit frustrated. I love my swift nano for her nasal mask because it's comfy and I can sleep on my side and fall asleep right away... Problem is, as soon as I fall asleep, my tongue drops and the air leaks out of my mouth, even though my husband says I'm never opening my mouth. The last 4 nights I've been above the 24 L/min threshold. I'm going back to the ffm for tonight to see if that helps.

[SideSleeper]

I use a Wisp with a Respironics Premium Chinstrap. It does help.

[MitchS]

Like Green Wings and SideSleeper I think a chin strap may help with your leak problem. I wouldn't be able to use my Nuance nasal pillows without my Ruby chin strap. I had way too many leaks until I got the chin strap. I haven't had a large leak since I started using the combo several weeks ago.

I still haven't completely mastered the tongue suck method either, but I'm getting there. It takes a lot of practice.

[Inspired]

I just looked at a pic of your mask - it looks like a great design. I use a Wisp nasal mask.

I have had the "lip flutter" thing happen while I'm awake where air escapes from my mouth. Makes me feel like a fish.

Would a chin strap stop the leaks from your mouth? I'm probably going to get one soon. I've been procrastinating.

On an entirely unrelated topic, how do you avoid getting your hands/forearms tangled in your hose when you sleep on your side?

Are you able to sleep comfortably on either side or only facing the xPAP machine?

The Wisp is really the only mask that I've used. Its hose is routed over the top of my head.

I am wanting to try a nasal pillows mask, but I am reluctant to give up the hose-over-the-head design.

Thanks!

Feeling a bit frustrated. I love my swift nano for her nasal mask because it's comfy and I can sleep on my side and fall asleep right away... Problem is, as soon as I fall asleep, my tongue drops and the air leaks out of my mouth, even though my husband says I'm never opening my mouth. The last 4 nights I've been above the 24 L/min threshold. I'm going back to the ffm for tonight to see if that helps.

Dreamwear nasal pillow is over the head design and I loved it except for the fact that I'm a mouth breather and was unable to tame that. So I've had to give up the wonderful comfort of the Dreamwear due to mouth leaks. You might like it.
I Started FFM last night and it was "horrible" to quote Sleepyhead daily report. Hopefully I can tweak it to less than horrible because I'm not feeling very "inspired" at the present.

[allynpsych]

So, I used the nasal mask last night with a knitted head band pressed into service as a chin strap, tightened with a hair tie on the top of my head. The head strap of the mask helped keep it in place and I had no large leaks! MyAir gave me a 20/20 score for mask fit! So... I guess I'm adding chin strap to my set up. I also used a thin cotton sock with a hole in the toe and some of my daughter's hair ties as a make shift hose cozy. I have a heated climate line from the machine but the hose that connects to the nasal mask is unheated. No rain out last night either. Wore it for 4hr, 7 mins last night with 0.4 events per hour, so not too bad!

[green wings]

Congrats on finding a solution, Ally. Sounds like you're quite the improviser. Headband, cotton sock, hair ties - I was imagining that combination & smiling.

[MitchS]

So, I used the nasal mask last night with a knitted head band pressed into service as a chin strap, tightened with a hair tie on the top of my head. The head strap of the mask helped keep it in place and I had no large leaks! MyAir gave me a 20/20 score for mask fit! So... I guess I'm adding chin strap to my set up. I also used a thin cotton sock with a hole in the toe and some of my daughter's hair ties as a make shift hose cozy. I have a heated climate line from the machine but the hose that connects to the nasal mask is unheated. No rain out last night either. Wore it for 4hr, 7 mins last night with 0.4 events per hour, so not too bad!

Congratulations, allynpsych. I love your innovation. Don't you just love it when a good plan comes together?

By the way, you can cut a 6' hose cozy in thirds to make three short hose cozies. The 6' cozies usually cost less than a single short hose cozy. The hair ties would work to attach them also. As long as you get the fleece ones there shouldn't be any sewing. I used a dab of super glue on the thread on the seam at the cut to to keep it from unraveling.

[FrankNichols]

I spent the last two nights trying to get my P10 to work for me using the large and medium pillows. Last night was with the Respironics chin strap. Last night was a disaster with everything slipping and sliding and nothing staying where ir belonged and lots of big leaks. I made a couple adjustments today when I could see what I was doing. I go to sleep after my wife4 and so try to not turn on lights. Getting all the new straps that things on right in the dark was "interesting".

Todays second nap worked pretty well. I made a couple adjustments and put it all on a couple times with my eyes closed. I think I have it down now, I have high hopes for tonights sleep.

Oh, and for all you big guys out there, I am 6'1 250lbs and it turns out the small pillows work better for me - I didn't try them the first two days, I just figured they were for little people. But, the small was much more stable and leaks were much more under control in todays nap test!

Who would have thunk.