10-14-2014, 07:23 PM
PAPcap by Pur-Sleep
to 
- comfort - does what it says it is supposed to do
- eliminates hose head hair!
- creates major flat hair!Pros:
Works! As long as it is in place
Comfortable since it is made of cloth
Not overly warm at night
Headgear stays in place because it sticks to the cloth (but...)
Cons:
Because it is cloth, my headgear is a PITA to put on over top of it
The chin strap part is way, way too long, creating curled, stiff mess on sides
Shifts forward during the night
My situation: for some reason, after years of using CPAP, I starting mouth leaking. Not opening my mouth, just leaking air through my lips. I tried a few tricks but finally got Supplier #1's version of the Ruby Red chin strap. My thinking was the way the straps were on the cheeks, it would keep my cheeks from filling with air. I didn't need it to hold my mouth closed, just keep the air from escaping. It kinda sorta worked but I had problems with the material and the design. Someone suggested I try the PAPcap. So I did.
The PAPcap is made from cloth, not neoprene. It has no give at all except at the ends of the piece that goes around the chin. And even then, it doesn't so much "give" as just holds the hook-and-loop in place. So while the fake Ruby stretched over time, this thing doesn't.
It fits over the top of my head like one of those bandana cap things. Then a strap goes from one side to the other and acts as a chin strap. Simple. The cloth is thin but sturdy. I've not ripped it yet. Folks with long bangs may not like this thing unless they can manage to keep the bangs back long enough to get the cap on. I needed a hair cut and was fighting this thing every night. It got me to get my hair cut sooner than I normally would have! Same problem for folks with thick hair, too.
According to the manufacturer, it is designed to prevent mouth breathing:
Quote:The best solution for “mouth breathing” is the most simple approach: A comfortable chinstrap that simultaneously closes the jaw and seals the lips by pressing the bottom lip upward about one centimeter. However, a relatively large amount of tension delivered to the bottom of the chin is required to accomplish this.
Does it work? As long as that strap is in the right place, yes!! But since we move around and the thing is not stapled into place, it won't work all night. It is easy to reset, though. When I wake up leaking air, I find the chin strap loose usually because the entire thing has slid forward and is covering my eyes. I've been slowly tightening the head strap part, which is helping, but the strap still shifts. And we're back to the stapling it on part. But keep in mind, the Fake Ruby Red leaked too but it was still in place. I consider the PAPcap an improvement and I'm willing to put up with a little bit of adjusting since I am waking up less often.
The big problem I had with it was the chin strap's extra material on the ends. It is way, way too long. It is a chin strap for a human, not a horse. I don't know why they made it so freakin' long. Anyway, shortly after I got the PapCap, I was able to sleep on my side for a while and started developing headaches. The headaches were all in one location and I had a very tender spot near there (not unusual). The tenderness got worse (that was unusual). One morning as I took off the headgear, I had to actually peel the PAPcap out of the divot it was forming in my skin. I went to work to find a solution. Instead of centering the strap, I moved all the excess to the opposite side (I sleep entirely either on my back or on one side). I also took a look at the head strap to make sure that when I returned to back sleeping, I did not have the same problem. That strap is not as wide nor as stiff and so far have not had any problems with it.
Overall, I like it. For the most part, the noises have stopped. They never really did with the Fake Ruby Red. I do still wake up blowing air but the data shows it is minimal and still within what the machine can handle. I am getting good sleep, waking up less often, falling back asleep faster.
PaulaO
Take a deep breath and count to zen.
Take a deep breath and count to zen.
