Stomach Sleeper Mask Options

[LikeaGlove90]

I’m struggling with leaks and comfort with the Evorra nasal.. however I've realized that I am probably closer to a stomach sleeper than a side sleeper.. I sleep in a sort of hybrid stomach side position.. So I may have been asking for the wrong kind of advice..
Are there any stomach sleepers out there?? If so, what is the best or best few options for a stomach sleeper?

Had it narrow down to either the Dreamwear cushion or pillow, or ResMed n30i?, or p30i.. maybe even Brevida.. I'm really hoping for something minimalistic..prob currently Dreamwear Pillows seem softer than the p30i alternative? Ergh I dunno!?! I tried the pillows very early on and gave up because they shredded my nostrils however perhaps I need to give it another go or the sizing might have been wrong/too tight etc?

I currently have a N20 & F&P Evora Cushion but the Evora is an odd shape so I don’t know if it suits my head; and the n20 frame is getting impacted by my soft collar and pushing off my nose.... I tape my mouth and have a soft collar to try and help with chin tucking.. which probably isn’t helping chin tucking being on my stomach?

So I’m after mask suggestions and In addition, If anyone has any ideas about how to alter your sleep position over time, more of a side sleeping position.. thinking perhaps this might help with leaks and chin tucking? A bit lost at the moment!

I have another thread around my therapy which I will need to post some more OSCAR reports too because I'm still struggling here too! This CPAP thing is so frustrating.

[sauerkraut]

LikeaGlove90;
I use a Resmed F-20 Airfit FFM . Sleep mostly on My left side ..
I put My left hand under My left temple and intentionally tilt My head back before falling asleep
using a single pillow ..
I also sometimes rotate My hips into a a semi stomach sleep position ..
Putting My hand under My head helps Me mantain a good seal with the mask I'm using ..
The position may help with Your choice of mask ..
You may want to try the F-20 Mask ..
I hope this information helps ..
Best of Luck !!
Steve

[cps22]

I am still struggling to find the right mask too. I sleep maybe 80% on my side and 20% on my stomach. I have had to go to a FFM because of air getting into my mouth from the airways and then popping out my lips (but I don't otherwise mouth breathe). Taping was not an option for me (it didn't work AND it freaked me out). A soft cervical collar helped somewhat, but I still needed to have a FFM to equalize the pressure on the inside and outside of my mouth to eliminate the problem.

As for the masks you mentioned: I started with the P30i. I didn't have any problem sleeping on my stomach with it, but the pillows hurt my nose. Then I tried the N30i which was really comfortable, but leaked when I slept on my stomach because the mask would shift from the pressure of my pillow (I have a thin, soft, down pillow to use for stomach sleeping). With either of those masks and sleeping on my stomach, I didn't have any problem with the air popping out of my mouth, and didn't even need the cervical collar - I guess because gravity was pulling my tongue/whatever other soft tissues towards the front of my mouth instead of to the side or back. But neither one worked for me for side sleeping because of the mouth popping. 

Maybe the N30i would have worked better (not leaked) in a small size instead of the medium I had (I'm sort of between sizes), but I didn't bother trying because I still had the mouth popping issue anyway. 

But depending on how your sleep and the sizing of the mask, you might not have the problems I had with the N30i leaking. If you don't think you'd have an issue with the mask shifting and leaking, it might work well for you. One thing to keep in mind is that the headgear for the N30i and P30i are the same, so if you buy one of them, you can try the other one by just purchasing the cushion for it (which is what I did). Also, did you try all the different sizes of pillows? I had the fit kit, so it had all 3 sizes, but the small was too small and the medium hurt my nostrils. (But also, I've read people saying that eventually the skin toughens up and you get used to it.)

I switched to the DreamWear FFM (plus a soft cervical collar), which resolved the mouth popping, and was actually not bad for stomach sleeping, but it was causing pressure sores on my upper lip where the 'corners' of the solid plastic piece sit, even though they're padded by the soft silicone. A few days a go I started trying the ResMed F30i. It's more comfortable to wear, but even though it's similar to the DreamWear, I can't sleep on my stomach with it. It shifts more than the DreamWear, and the exhaust vents in the mask are positioned differently so that the air shoots into the pillow or mattress and makes too much noise (and also shoots onto my hand, so I have to be sure to wrap my hand/arm in the blankets but keep them away from my face - it's fussy). 

As for altering your sleep position, you could try pillows. Because of both knee and shoulder surgery, I sleep with a pillow between my knees, and another that props up my arm so that it doesn't hang down along my chest and pull on my shoulder. If I want to sleep in a different position, I have to move the pillows - so I definitely don't around into a different position unless I am doing it deliberately. If you're sleeping with your lower body sideways and your upper body downward (which I used to do a lot pre-surgeries), you might find that having a pillow at your chest tucked under your arm will keep you from rolling downward into the hybrid position.

[Cpapian]

Stomach sleeper here too. I have a down pillow and just scrunch it up to support my face turned to the side. After a while on my stomach, I rotate. Getting up when well done. Currently using the N20. But all masks have worked just as well.

[PeaceLoveAndPizza]

Same here and the Evora works for me. I do use a CPAP pillow with cutouts so the mask does not get blocked or pushed into my face.

[carrawa]

I use the P10, rarely do i have nose issues, one every 6 months and i pull them tight, plus a pressure of 16-17 plus or minus.

Previously FX full face mask, only changed to be able to use ice packs.

[cps22]

@PeaceLoveAndPizza - what kind of CPAP pillow do you use for stomach sleeping? And how do you keep the exhaust vents on the mask from being blocked by your mattress? (Maybe that isn't a problem with the Evora since it looks like the elbow sticks out over the vents, and maybe that keeps them from being blocked?) And where does the air venting from the elbow get directed?

My DME recommended the Evora when I told him I was a side/stomach sleeper, but I had already tried the N20 (which I found very comfortable, but unfortunately didn't work for me), and in addition to fighting with the hose as I turn over, I couldn't stand the strong stream of air from the elbow, which was either annoying from the air stream itself (on my arm), or made too much noise (if directed towards the mattress). I assumed that I would have the same issues with the Evora. 

I have always used down pillows, mostly because I need to create an indent for my ear when I sleep on my side or it gets extremely painful, and because I can scrunch them to whatever shape/thickness I need. I haven't had any problem sleeping on my side with a mask, because I sleep with my head at the edge (as I've always done), and the mask is off the pillow. For stomach sleeping, I scrunch the pillow into a large C-shape so that it supports my neck, side of head, and temple, letting my head sit about halfway between straight down and straight to the side. But my face is just barely above the mattress that way. 

As I mentioned above, I've been switching between the ResMed F30i and the DreamWear FFM. Unfortunately I just can't sleep on my stomach with the F30i. Even when I'm able to resolve the annoying stream of air, I realized that because the exhaust vents in the mask cushion are below my mouth instead of above it as in the DreamWear, half of the vent holes get blocked because they're resting on the mattress. (I could fall asleep that way, I just don't think it's safe to have those vents blocked). I really can't sleep an entire night on my side - it hurts my hips too much. So unless I can make the DreamWear work for me (or find another mask that will work for both side and stomach sleeping without hurting my face), I don't see what else I can do other than change masks whenever I switch to my stomach and vice-versa, or go without a mask while on my stomach.

[PeaceLoveAndPizza]

I use the Contour CPAPmax Pillow 2.0. It is available from Supplier #1. It has cutouts on each side, so you can keep the mask vents from being occluded. It also has adjustable height, plus one cool and one warm side.

[cps22]

Thank you, I may try that. It's only money, right? 

[cps22]

By the way, I took your advice on the Caldera ReLeaf cervical collar, and it's working very well, thanks.