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Chipmunk cheeks/mouth puffing
#1
Chipmunk cheeks/mouth puffing
I use a nasal mask and mouth tape and I find that mouth puffing is causing me to wake up many times in the night. I practice good tongue posture during the day but when I fall asleep my tongue drops, breaking the seal with my palate and my mouth fills with air, waking me up. 
Has anyone overcome this with tongue strengthening exercises? If so, which exercises did you do? I’m aware of the one where you stick your tongue to your palate and then hold your mouth open. Any others?
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#2
RE: Chipmunk cheeks/mouth puffing
There is a kind of chin strap called the PAPCap. It is like a hat with straps that come down more over the cheeks than the jaw. It helps keep the mouth from filling with air. I only had to use it a few months before my face took the hint and stopped doing it.

I did a review of it here. Wow. Ten years ago. I'm old.

https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread...ght=PAPCap
PaulaO

Take a deep breath and count to zen.




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#3
RE: Chipmunk cheeks/mouth puffing
I sleep with both wrists bent and up against my cheeks and chin, sleeping on my side.  Besides the nasal mask and tape, whatever happens after I am unconscious is unknown to me.  I never awaken with inflated cheeks, probably because I have learned to apply tone to them and to raise my tongue to the 'natural' position.  Or, I really do have inflated cheeks much/some of the night, but I have gotten used to the sensation and don't really know that I'm puffed up when I awaken to turn over or next morning.

What you may want to do if you run out of options that work reasonably well is to practice living with the chipmunk cheeks.  Don your apparatus during the day when reading and let the flow inflate your cheeks.  Get used to the sensation, and also try to work that tongue up tight against the palate.  In time you will naturally conform at least to an extent.
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