Chin strap question

[zonk]

Whisk me luck trying a nasal mask with a chin strap. I am a side sleeper and the full face mask keeps leaking despite using a liner

Good luck.
Have you tried lowering the minimum pressure 14?

[Sleepster]

If you can eat, how does a chin strap prevent air escaping during the evening

When you fall asleep the muscles that control the motion of your jaw relax. Your jaw drops and the pressurized air escapes out your mouth. This is called mouth-leaking.

Some people can prevent it from happening. Some need a chinstrap to help. Others have to go with a full face mask.

[PaulaO2]

No, not at all. You can still talk, drink, and probably even eat.

If you can eat, how does a chin strap prevent air escaping during the evening

Well, you don't put on the mask and chinstrap until you are ready for sleep. Google sleep hygiene.

If you are trying on the mask and getting used to everything by wearing it during the day, eating with the air on would be odd and may cause you to swallow air. I'd suggest taking it all off for that activity.

[Roxy]

I was not clear with my question. If the chin strap allows that much jaw movement, how does it prevent the mouth from opening and allowing air escape while you sleep? I put a resmed chin strap on today to see how it feels and it didnt really seem to provide any real resistance. I will try it tonight but can't imagine how it will prevent me from opening my mouth while I sleep

[zonk]

I will try it tonight but can't imagine how it will prevent me from opening my mouth while I sleep

Chinstrap wont prevent you from opening your mouth but it can assist in minimizing mouth leaks
Its more like a bicycle training wheels ...It require patience and practice to work.
Its not going to happen overnight breaking long time habit of mouth breathing
It might help to practice breathing through your nose during the day so it can become second nature to breathe through your nose while asleep

[Roxy]

That makes sense. Do most people who use a chin strap also gave a full face mask to use when you have a cold or do you go without cpap at those times?

[Sleepster]

I was not clear with my question. If the chin strap allows that much jaw movement, how does it prevent the mouth from opening and allowing air escape while you sleep?

I guess I wasn't clear with my answer. When you fall asleep the muscles that control the movement of the jaw relax. Then your mouth falls open. The chinstrap provides just enough force to stop that from happening.

I didn't believe it would really work, either, but it does. At least for me and for a lot of others.

[zonk]

That makes sense. Do most people who use a chin strap also gave a full face mask to use when you have a cold or do you go without cpap at those times?

Full face masks can be god send to use when having cold or stuffy nose but they just don,t work for me
I don,t go without CPAP just try to use FFM as much as I can and might swap masks during the night

[PaulaO2]

When I have a cold, I don't do anything different except make sure the humidifier is clean, fresh, and full. The pressure of the air keeps the congestion out of the way.

Of course, as soon as I take the mask off in the morning, I can't breathe through my nose at all for some time.

[archangle]

I use a 3 inch non-adhesive Ace bandage wrapped 3 times around my head and held in a loop with safety pins. I can slip it on and off without undoing the safety pins.

Cheap, somewhat breathable, easy to adjust, simple to try.

A chin strap helps makes it take more force to open your jaw. It simply makes your jaw more likely to stay closed.

Even with your jaw closed, your lips can still open and let the air out, so chin straps won't work for everyone.

You want to seal your mouth with your tongue, not your lips. Try to keep your tongue pressed against the top of your mouth and seal off the air at the back of your mouth. You may be able to train yourself to do this by pressing up when you mask up and put the mask and chin strap on.