Mask leak or mouth leak?

[cure1245]

I'm at wit's end here: I switched to nasal pillows a couple months ago from an FFM a couple months ago and I absolutely love it, but I'm still getting sporadic leak problems: some nights I have an LL% well below 10%, like 1% to 5%, other nights I'm well over 15%! I've been told that mask leaks are detectable as spikes, and mouth breathing is usually flat tops, but I have some of both I think. Can someone more knowledgeable than me take a look at these two graphs and tell me what I'm seeing?

   
   

[Sleepster]

The "flat tops" you speak of just mean that the leak is lasting for a long time. In your chart you can see a leak lasting from 2:45 to 3:45. That usually indicates that your mouth was open and air was leaking out. A spike would mean a leak that lasts for a short time and may be due to the mask dislodging when it pressed against your pillow, or something like that.

I would recommend you switch back to the full face mask to eliminate the mouth leaking. The fact that your upper lip is sore is an indication that your nasal mask is not fitting correctly.

[HappySailor]

I'm relatively new to CPAP too, but have experimented with several masks. I use nasal pillows too. 

So my first question is about your sleeping position.
On your back the mask should stay in position, but this seems to be the worst position for OSAS.
On your side or prone... the mask could shift easily when you move, causing a leak.

I sleep on my stomach and have made a special pillow so my nasal pillows won't leak when I move my head.


Cheers,

Charan

[cure1245]

The fact that your upper lip is sore is an indication that your nasal mask is not fitting correctly.

I didn't say that; I'm not sure where you read that. Subjectively, I've felt better and more rested after switching to the Dreamwear pillows. The face mask was significantly worse, though: I would wake up several times a night and never truly got it to fit.

[cure1245]

I'm relatively new to CPAP too, but have experimented with several masks. I use nasal pillows too. 

So my first question is about your sleeping position.
On your back the mask should stay in position, but this seems to be the worst position for OSAS.
On your side or prone... the mask could shift easily when you move, causing a leak.

I sleep on my stomach and have made a special pillow so my nasal pillows won't leak when I move my head.


Cheers,

Charan

I'm definitely a stomach sleeper, and I toss and turn quite a bit in my sleep; I also like to sort of bury my face in my pillow, which I'm sure doesn't help the matter. Could that also cause a more regular mask leak that would appear as mouth breathing? FWIW, my mouth doesn't feel particularly dry in the mornings, either.

[Mrzocor]

I was using a hybrid for quite a while, and still had lots of mouth leaks.

---

11% I was getting over 20 every night. I never used to get much over 7. Don't know what happened.

[Sleepster]

I didn't say that; I'm not sure where you read that. Subjectively, I've felt better and more rested after switching to the Dreamwear pillows. The face mask was significantly worse, though: I would wake up several times a night and never truly got it to fit.

Sorry, I must have read that somewhere else.

Anyway, if your old full face mask didn't fit properly contact your equipment supplier and try a different type of full face mask.

[HappySailor]

It's very simple to cause a leak when lying on your stomach. 
Lay in bed like you normally do and then turn your head into the pillow. Your mask will slip and start to leak. 

I've made a flat pillow. It's a piece of foam about 7/8 inch thick and nine inch square with rounded corners.
Covered it with softer foam and then a pillow case.

I lay on it with my nose just over the edge. That way my mask doesn't touch the mattress. 
When I turn my head, the mask just edges over the other side. 

The only problem is the head-turning itself. 
Don't know how to fix that.

I could make a picture of it if you're interested.

Regards,

Charan