correct setting with n20,n30 or n30i

[yankees123]

Just to confirm is it correct that using the n20,n30 or n30i should use the setting of pillows and not nasal?

[Coffee Man]

Pillows

[ragtopcircus]

That is correct. Resmed specifies the "Pillows" setting in the user guide for all 3 of those masks (and also for the P30i cushion, which fits the N30i frame).

[Osiris357]

Pillows for the n30i. I’m not sure about the other 2

[SarcasticDave94]

Pillows setting for all 3

[yankees123]

So fwiw is it also pillows for dreamwear nasal mask?
When would you use the nasal mask setting then?

[SarcasticDave94]

I could be completely off base, but I'd consider that Dreamwear a nasal setting when combining it with a ResMed machine. The technical info has that mask as a Respironics mask under their proprietary X1 mask setting. Just remember each mask has its own specific technical specs.

[ragtopcircus]

The Dreamwear frame is more restrictive (roughly 2X) than the Resmed P30i/N30i frame. If you sleep on your back, then the Nasal setting may be reasonable. If you sleep on your side on a firm pillow and feel like you aren't getting enough air with one tube pinched, I'd try the pillows setting (or X2 on a Dreamstation).

At zero flow, pressure is easy. The pressure in the mask is the same as the pressure in the machine. As airflow increases, so does the difference between the mask and machine pressures. The mask setting tells the machine how to compensate for that. Just picking a random number as an example, to maintain 10 cmH2O in the mask as you inhale, the machine may need to operate at 12 cmH20. As inhalation slows and stops, it can reduce the pressure back to 10. This is NOT the same thing as exhalation pressure relief - it is just compensation for resistance to airflow in the mask and hose.

If it feels like the mask sucks in when you inhale, then you may need to increase the compensation (Face->Nasal->Pillow on Resmed, X1->X2 or maybe even X3 on Respironics). I've tried all the way up to X5 on Respironics while awake just to understand what it was doing, but I can't imagine using a mask so restrictive that it needed X5 - yikes!

[DaveL]

Pillows

Thanks!

What does this setting do? 
Does it cause the cpap to increase airflow when pillows are set?

i have my second N20; I think my setting is on "nasal" not pillows.

[ragtopcircus]

FWIW, I use X1 on a Dreamstation for An F20 or F30 mask. With an F20 plus a Z1/Breas HME, I bump that up to X3 to compensate for the extra restriction (was on the fence between X2 and X3). That was the same for a Dreamstation Pro and a Dreamstation Go. I've since switched to the Resmed Vauto as my daily machine, but still use the Go as a power failure backup.

The key is just try it when you are awake to get a feel for how it changes. The correct setting will feel the most comfortable and cause the least mask movement as you breathe.