Hypopnea and mask removal

[AshSF]

Ash, I like your analysis better than mine. Well done!

Thanks Sleeprider. OP's experience will tell if this is my inner 'Sherlock Holmes' or 'Inspector Clusoe'.

[ISnoreBadly]

Last night I slept again with C-Flex+ at 1 and spent the whole night with the mask on. I fell asleep before my wife did and she said she watched me for a while. A few times my mouth opened slightly, my lips fluttered and she heard some air coming out. Then she thought I was about to wake up but didn't. She said after about half an hour I turned on my side and that didn't happen any more.

SleepyHead shows 0 RERAs for last night, VS2 was 21 (from 19 the night before), obstructive went from 12 to 7, 5 hyponopeas (stayed the same), and clear airway went from 2 to 1. So that's better?

I have a chin strap that I've never used, I'm going to give that a try tonight.

So far I think AshSF is more Holmes than Clouseau....

[Adoniscmj]

I have been on an auto machine now for three months and I also take the mask off in my sleep all the time. I find that it is for many reasons. I get air in my mouth, nasal pillows discomfort, rain out, and ears popping plus stomach gas. I can't win it's always something. Like so many others my mask will end up on the floor and I wake up tired. I wish I could help you as it would also help me but I don't understand what I am doing wrong or why I just don't put the mask back on.

[ISnoreBadly]

Using the chin strap was a bust. I kept the strap and mask on for only 3 hours before I ripped the whole thing off. I'm not sure why, I just remember waking up, being P*ssed off at it and pulling the whole thing off and throwing it on the nightstand. Overall my AHI was 4.24 which is one of the top 5 worst since I've been using the CPAP. Last night I went back to sleeping without the chinstrap and pulled the mask off twice but put it back on within an hour.

I really need to figure out what to do here, I'm getting frustrated. I'm not sleeping as good as I can because I keep waking up to either take the mask off or to put it back on. I'm feeling better throughout the day (I can concentrate which I couldn't do before the CPAP) but feel like I can fall asleep by 6 PM every night. When I wake up my mouth it dry so I'm still mouth breathing. My wife suggested getting one of those CPAP pillows so I can sleep on my side easier but the reviews that I've seen are mixed so I'm not sure.

I really, really don't want to go with a FFM but am thinking that I might have to.

[ISnoreBadly]

I saw my doctor this afternoon, he reviewed the first month's data and said it looks like I'm doing OK with it, except for those blank spots where I'm pulling the mask off. We talked about different mask types and he asked if I'd like to try a full face mask, I told him I'd try as long as it didn't trigger my claustrophobia. He came back with an F&P Simplus. I'm going to give that a shot tonight and see I do with it.

He also suggested changing from CPAP @ 12 cm to APAP @ 8-16 and see how I feel with that. I'm going to try the FFM for a few days first then will change the setting. He said he'd call the DME and they could do it remotely but I'm able to do it myself so I don't have to wait around for them. ;-)

[ISnoreBadly]

I've been using the FFM for a few days and have changed my settings from 12 CPAP to 8-16 APAP. I am definitely sleeping better with the variable pressure (I'm not feeling as tired during the day) but am still having problems with taking the mask off during the night.

2 nights ago SleepyHead said I had one of the best nights so far (AHI it was 1.14) but it also showed that the mask was off from about 1:15 AM to about 3:15 AM. My wife woke me to tell me she heard the air from the mask, I found it on the floor next to my bed. That night I was sleeping on my side.

Last night I tried sleeping on my back, around 3:35 AM I not only took the mask off but also turned the machine off. AHI was 4.35 which is one of the worst I've had so far. However up to that point I kept the mask on.

My wife said that while I was using the FFM with static pressure she heard me making noises through my mouth (popping, snorting) like I did before I started using CPAP. She doesn't think I've been doing that with the variable pressure. SleepyHead does show a bunch of VS/VS2 events though (51 last night!).

I think my subconscious is sabotaging my therapy...

Any suggestions?