Loud noise from vent air holes

[Swall1]

I am new to the resmed vpap auto. I recently had a third sleep study and my settings were changed from 11/6 to 17/12. I've tried different masks and I'm currently using a chin strap and a nasal pillow. The machine and mask are quiet until around 1:30 AM when my husband is nudging, poking, etc me because he says a lot of air that is noisy and high pitched(as he puts it "it sounds like a freight train") is coming fro the vent holes. Any suggestions???

[STL Mark]

You may want to look to your data and see if the 1:30 time is about when the pressure tops out. If these are not leaks one option to a lawyer is letting him use a separate bedroom.

[trish6hundred]

Hi Swall1,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Just a thought, could it be that your mask has moved slightly out of place and you are getting leaks?
Hang in there for more suggestions and best of luck.

[Paptillian]

Another thing to check is if there is something in front of your vents when the noise is happening. I've noticed that an otherwise quiet nasal pillow mask gets quite loud if something is in its path, like a pillow, bedding / covers, or even an arm. Next time you get a 'nudge' from your husband, try to pay attention to how you are facing and what the air from the nasal pillows might be hitting.

If you're a side or stomach sleeper, you may need to move your face closer to the edge of the pillow so that the mask clears it.

[DreamDiver]

I am new to the resmed vpap auto. I recently had a third sleep study and my settings were changed from 11/6 to 17/12. I've tried different masks and I'm currently using a chin strap and a nasal pillow. The machine and mask are quiet until around 1:30 AM when my husband is nudging, poking, etc me because he says a lot of air that is noisy and high pitched(as he puts it "it sounds like a freight train") is coming fro the vent holes. Any suggestions???

Swall1,

Welcome.
Having had a similar happenings with my own nasal mask when I was using one, it sounds to me like condensation in the vent holes. It's a bit like rainout, except sometimes, it can be restricted to the exhale ports on the nasal mask. When water gets stuck in the vent holes, it can change the shape of the air going out of the holes turning what is designed to be a relatively silent vent into nothing short of a dog whistle for humans--especially for the CPAP user's sleeping partner at night, unfortunately.

I used to keep a soft terry face cloth on my nightstand to wipe the vents. Gently daub the outside of the vents on your mask. The excess moisture will be sucked into the cloth and the vents should quiet down.

If you don't have one, consider trying a heated climateline hose. If you are using one, try using the auto climate settings and put it at least a few degrees above the room temperature.

An alternative would be to try a different nasal mask with vents that are arranged differently, or perhaps a full face mask.

Sleep well.