I do not get good sleep
I was diagnosed with SOSA about 12 years ago. Every time I hear someone talk about how much better they sleep, I wan’t to scream. I have never experienced this effect. I have used many, many masks of different types. I know if I could just sleep on my back it would help, but I don’t I start on one side, go to the other, and then toss about. All masks leak, and even a small leak wakes me up. Am I the only person with this problem?
RE: I do not get good sleep
Aaarghhhhh .... didn’t want to read that! I was diagnosed about 3 months ago and have had a couple of good nights where I thought I had nailed it. Not happening!
I have tried nasal mask, nasal pillows but because I am a mouth breather, was having major leaks. Now I am using Phillips Dreamwear full face and have tried the small, medium and medium wide masks which all seem to leak badly. I start off well but during the night, something moves and I get major leaks which then send AHI up.
Hopefully there is a good mask out there somewhere for all of us who are struggling with leaks.
GOOD LUCK!
RE: I do not get good sleep
What exactly is SOSA?
I did a search and came up with nothing. 
RE: I do not get good sleep
I use a chin strap to keep my mouth shut, rather than use a full face mask. I figure the more area that needs to seal, the more possibilities of leaks. I haven’t ever had a mask that doesn’t leak. I wish you much better luck than what I’ve had! This morning about 1:30 I ripped everything off my face and threw it (Made a mess with the water from my humidifier), but I was so frustrated I payed in bed and cried. I’m 71 years old and I was laying in bed crying because of my mask. Something’s wrong with that!!!!!
RE: I do not get good sleep
Oh, hey, I’m so sorry. (Another 71-year-old California woman here.)
One thought, if a nasal mask or pillow mask would be better for you: try taping your mouth. I kept feeling it was somehow cheating, and also dangerous. In fact it has been an essential part of my therapy, not a cheat. As for danger, in case the power goes out, I have a circuit alarm plugged in, and I would not tape if I felt queasy. (Inhaling vomit is the other danger we’re warned against.)
I use tape. It is very gentle on the skin and does the job. Kind of pricey, so I’ll mention that other people do well with several layers of micropore tape, hitch is much cheaper.
I have switched after a year from a ResMed P10 to an Aloha pillow mask. It almost never leaks, which is amazing. Everyone’s face is different, so I’m not really recommending you try it. My thought instead is that the mask quest often does goes on and on and sometimes really pays off.
Do you think you would stay on your back if you wedged pillows against your sides? Or somehow strapped tennis balls on the sides of your hips so turning onto your side would be uncomfortable??
RE: I do not get good sleep
(01-31-2020, 11:02 PM)Big Guy Wrote: What exactly is SOSA?
I would assume it is Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea
RE: I do not get good sleep
I am not sure if the following will help as given your age it may be a bit more difficult for you, but when i was first put on the CPAP machine i did not have very good sleep and my leak rates were off the charts.
I am a mouth breather so have no choice other than to use a full face mask (i use a resmed Quattro) and in search for a good night sleep i resorted to changing from sleeping in a bed to sleeping in a Hammock...........
It may sound crazy but my AHI went from being consistently above 3, often hitting 10 to now being consistently below 1. My new monthly average is an AHI of 0.3 and my peak leak rates have dropped from 120 to about 10. I still have leaks around apnea events, but they are nowhere near what they were when i was in a standard bed.
I suffer Fibromyalgia and what seems to be an ever increasing list of complaints and found that sleeping in a hammock was the most comfortable nights sleep i have had and i could see via sleepyhead (and now OSCAR) that it was having a positive impact on my health and sleep and definately my leak rates.
I have this week come down from the hammock and into a waterbed and have noticed an increase in my AHI and leak rates, but these are still far below the levels i was achieving by sleeping in a standard bed.
I can also see from my data when i have gone to stay at my sisters house as both my AHI and leak rates increase dramatically and i put this squarely down to having slept on a standard bed.
So i would suggest if you cannot get on top of your leak rates that you consider the move to a hammock.........if set up right they are very easy to get into and out of and you can put yourself into a perfect sleeping position. Alternatively maybe consider a water bed?
RE: I do not get good sleep
No, many people have issues with leaks. Recording yourself sleep and going through your OSCAR data with the video open can show you what sleep position is most associated with the leaks.
Nothing I post is medical advice and should not be taken as such, always consult a medical professional for guidance.
02-01-2020, 12:30 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-01-2020, 12:31 PM by Gideon.)
RE: I do not get good sleep
Take a suggestion from a 69 yearold fart and read the Mask Primer, It includes many hints on masks including trial strategies, managing mouth breathing, and fit.
RE: I do not get good sleep
(01-31-2020, 10:57 PM)Robylla Wrote: Aaarghhhhh .... didn’t want to read that! I was diagnosed about 3 months ago and have had a couple of good nights where I thought I had nailed it. Not happening!
I have tried nasal mask, nasal pillows but because I am a mouth breather, was having major leaks. Now I am using Phillips Dreamwear full face and have tried the small, medium and medium wide masks which all seem to leak badly. I start off well but during the night, something moves and I get major leaks which then send AHI up.
Hopefully there is a good mask out there somewhere for all of us who are struggling with leaks.
GOOD LUCK!
I am only 1-1/2 months in to therapy, and I too started with Dreamwear FF, and tried 2 sizes. I liked minimal size the mask, but couldn't get it to stop leaking when turning over. I moved to the Air Touch F20, the one with the memory foam. Again I had to play with size to get the right one, but I am really quite happy with it. The memory foam allows it to be worn very loose which is super comfy, and I can sleep with my face directly on my pillow without the mask being pushed off to the side causing leaks. The soft memory foam just moves with the mask, and fills in the gaps preventing leaks. The F30, and the new F30i look like a good choice as well. I may try one of those at some point, but for now the Air Touch F20 is working well. I'm a mouth breather so FF is pretty much all I can use.
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