09-12-2017, 10:42 AM
A quick review of the Respironics Dreamwear Cushion Mask
A little while back I got the Dreamwear Cushion mask and thought I'd pop back wit a quick review after using it for a bit. A lot of people seem to like this mask, but if I had to desribe it in one word, it would be "inconsistent."
On one hand, the mask is extremely comfortable. The sleeves for the mask are nice and soft, the connector on top is just fantastic, you can sleep in a variety of positions with no hose dangling from your face, and all told it's got a nice fit and feel.
On the other hand... my AHI was all over the place, and despite my efforts I couldn't change this. I got AHI anywhere between 3 and 15+ in this mask. Also, there's a feeling that's hard to shake that the mask is leaking, even when it's not. Maybe a design thing, I dunno. The mask is an X1 type, but I'm not sure it fits well as a "full" mask. My Dreamstation has full/nasal masks as X1 and nasal pillows as X2, but there's no real in-between option.
Maybe I'd have better luck with the pillows, but this cushion wasn't for me. After trying the Dreamwear for a few weeks I'm back on my Wisp. It's still the best mask I've used, despite my complaints with it (so far I've used the Wisp, Nuance Pro, and Dreamwear cushion now). I may try it again with the pillows at some point. It was decent enough that I decided to keep it and not return it. As noted it's really comfortable to wear; it just didn't seem really effective for my apnea, whereas my Wisp has me constantly between 2.5 and 5 AHI.
I'd love to get a lower AHI, but I can't seem to eliminate every event, and higher pressures cause more CAs for me. 2.5-5 is a hell of a lot better than the 26 or so AHI I was diagnosed at, and the consistency with my Wisp is why I stick with it.
If you've got a Dreamwear, feel free to discuss it here. Who knows, maybe I'll learn something that makes it more consistent, or maybe we'll find out people had consistently inconsistent experiences with it.
On one hand, the mask is extremely comfortable. The sleeves for the mask are nice and soft, the connector on top is just fantastic, you can sleep in a variety of positions with no hose dangling from your face, and all told it's got a nice fit and feel.
On the other hand... my AHI was all over the place, and despite my efforts I couldn't change this. I got AHI anywhere between 3 and 15+ in this mask. Also, there's a feeling that's hard to shake that the mask is leaking, even when it's not. Maybe a design thing, I dunno. The mask is an X1 type, but I'm not sure it fits well as a "full" mask. My Dreamstation has full/nasal masks as X1 and nasal pillows as X2, but there's no real in-between option.
Maybe I'd have better luck with the pillows, but this cushion wasn't for me. After trying the Dreamwear for a few weeks I'm back on my Wisp. It's still the best mask I've used, despite my complaints with it (so far I've used the Wisp, Nuance Pro, and Dreamwear cushion now). I may try it again with the pillows at some point. It was decent enough that I decided to keep it and not return it. As noted it's really comfortable to wear; it just didn't seem really effective for my apnea, whereas my Wisp has me constantly between 2.5 and 5 AHI.
I'd love to get a lower AHI, but I can't seem to eliminate every event, and higher pressures cause more CAs for me. 2.5-5 is a hell of a lot better than the 26 or so AHI I was diagnosed at, and the consistency with my Wisp is why I stick with it.
If you've got a Dreamwear, feel free to discuss it here. Who knows, maybe I'll learn something that makes it more consistent, or maybe we'll find out people had consistently inconsistent experiences with it.
