Removing mask during sleep
Recently I have gotten the bad habit of removing my mask during sleep.
It could be helpful with some sort of alarm from the CPAP when the mask is disabled for more than eg. 30 minutes during nights. I don’t think the Dreamstation have such a feature, but let me know if you have other ideas on how to mitigate this problem.
RE: Removing mask during sleep
This is a common problem at the start of treatment, I have known users to do this for months after they start treatment. What you have to do is get your brain used to the idea that you have a mask on your face. You have to put it back on the instant you find you have taken it off.
You can get used to it but sitting with it on, in the evening, first with just the mask and no tubing or machine attached. After you get used to this try attaching the machine.
As for your question about an alarm on the Dreamstation, I am not sure, I know some machines had alarms for large leaks, but not sure about the Dreamstation. I found the alarm on my old machine a very annoying alarm as it would be forever going off when I moved around.
However, if there is one it will go off when you took the mask off.
It should be in the manual if there is one.
I'll have a quick look.
I am NOT a doctor. I try to help, but do not take what I say as medical advice.
Every journey, however large or small starts with the first step.
RE: Removing mask during sleep
I had a quick look through a clinitians manual, a very long one that even told you how to rest and replace everything. It was a pdf filf of some 200 pages and I was looking at it on a phone, it was jumping about a bit and it was very small print. However, the only alarms I saw for the machine were on the display. I have never seen so comprehensive manual before.
There might still be an alarm and I missed it, but it looked like all alarms were display ones.
Maybe someone with a Dreamstation can confirm this.
To get yourself used to a mask, sit while watching TV or reading. No hose connected then after a while sit with the machine on.
Worth a try, nothing to loose.
Good luck.
I am NOT a doctor. I try to help, but do not take what I say as medical advice.
Every journey, however large or small starts with the first step.
RE: Removing mask during sleep
Give it some time. You will get used to the mask. You are doing well.
10-13-2018, 09:22 AM
(This post was last modified: 10-13-2018, 09:23 AM by SarcasticDave94.
Edit Reason: edit for accuracy
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RE: Removing mask during sleep
The way I had to beat this mask removal bad habit was to mask up again as soon as I realized that I had removed it. I also used some wake time to get adjusted to the mask while reading, etc. when I was an ASV machine noob.
BTW It takes over a month typically to "create" a habit. Keep at it, and even if you have a setback, don't beat yourself up about it. Pick yourself up, dust off, and get back into the saddle.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
RE: Removing mask during sleep
I didn't start pulling off my mask in my sleep until I had my cpap over a year. The primary cause for me appeared to having my chin close to my chest. That can really cut your breathing. So, practice arranging your pillow so that your head doesn't sink towards your chest and/or get a soft cervical collar to train your head to stop doing that.
12-13-2018, 06:49 AM
(This post was last modified: 12-13-2018, 06:51 AM by Fats Drywaller.)
RE: Removing mask during sleep
This happened to me, only as an isolated occurrence, last night. It surprised me because it was so unusual for me; I'd been assuming it was only likely to happen in the first few weeks, which for me were last spring. My only clue about a cause is that I did have more dreaming activity than usual, some kind of action-adventure (Frantic Eye Movement, heh), and woke up early because of that.
Chin-tucking as a cause is a possibility, I guess. Maybe I should start wearing a collar.
Just from curiosity I did a search for AB discussion threads about it (using an external search engine because "mask off" is one relevant phrase in page titles and it includes a naughty three-letter word), and found a couple dozen of 'em over the years.
I don't have questions about it. I just wanted to mention it as an outlying data point: it could happen to anyone, at any time, even when you thought you were completely comfortable with all of this stuff.
