Nasal Pillows compared to Full Face Mask

[Rengah]

I've been having higher than normal AHIs and poor sleep with my full-face mask so I thought I would drag out my old nasal pillows that I tried a couple of years ago but used mouth tape this time. I set up my CPAP, tested and lowered the pressure on the day of the 21st and I guess that is why Oscar labeled the 20th incorrectly. I wasn't very comfortable with the pillows but the results were pretty good. I'll keep using them awhile and see how things go. Any advice or comments would be appreciated. Thanks.
7/19/23 - full face mask - min 16 max 20
7/20/23 - full face mask - min 16 max 20 
7/21/23 - pillows - min 15 max 20
           

[staceyburke]

The 19th and 20th you had positional apnea.  You can see that by looking for grouped O or H apnea.  The 21st you had no positional apnea (no grouped apnea).

Positional apnea can NOT be controlled by pressure changes.  You have to find out what position you are getting into and cutting off your own airway.  Have you changed your sleep position?  Sleeping on your back?  Using more (or new) pillows?  These things can cause positional apnea by chin dropping to your sternum and cutting your airway.  Think of it of a kinked hose – nothing can get through – you have to unkink the hose…

IF you can’t make a simple change like changing to a flatter pillow helps then you will need a collar.  I have a link to collars in my signature at the bottom of the page.  It shows people who are not wearing a collar and the SAME person wearing a collar.  There is a huge difference between the two.  But I think you can manage it as you did on the night of the 21st without the collar...

[Rengah]

Thank you Stacy! 

I can only sleep on my back without a pillow due to a bad neck with multiple fusions. 

The 19th and 20th were bad sleep nights probably because of the positional apnea that you pointed out. Thank you again. 

I'm not sure why the nasal pillows helped on the 21st??? 

I do have a soft cervical collar, but it raises my head just enough to make it painful to sleep, but I may have to try it again.

[Melman]

I doubt the improvement on the third night had anything to do with the change in masks. For some other reason your position was different on the 3rd night and your chin didn't tuck to your chest. I hope I'm wrong but I suspect you will experience some nights with positional apnea using the pillows as well.

[Rengah]

Thanks Melman. I'm not sure what I can do position wise, since I don't use a neck pillow and have to sleep on my back, but I can try the SCC again. Here's another pretty good night's sleep (at least for me) with the nasal pillows but my leak rate is up there.
   

[Rengah]

I tried a SCC on the 24th with the nasal pillows but without mouth tape and had a terrible night sleep. I just couldn't get comfortable. It wasn't a fair test because I didn't use mouth tape as I have been with the nasal pillows, but I didn't want too many new things at once. The 25th I went back to just nasal pillows and tape and had a good night's sleep. I'll try a SCC again with mouth tape but I'd like to get a few good night's sleep first.