Sierra

Hi Mike,

It does sound like you are a candidate for apnea. But, wait until you have your results. If you want to pass the time before your test, do a little on line research on the type of apnea and in particular central vs obstructive apnea. The standard apnea is obstructive and is quite treatable with a CPAP. Central apnea typically does not respond to pressure and can even get worse with the pressure from a CPAP. You may also want to do a bit of research on machines before hand, in case you get hit the day of your diagnosis with having to make a choice. For standard apnea I would suggest an Auto machine like the ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet, or the DreamStation Auto. Both are good machines, but if you have a choice I think the AirSense is better. That is if you have any choice in the manner. If your test does indicate central apnea that is significant, you will want to have a long talk with your sleep specialist on the best way to treat it. Or, at least insist on a trial rather than outright purchase of a machine, just to see if a standard Auto CPAP will work for you. If the clinic offers a trial in any case that is a good idea. The hardest part about CPAP is getting a mask that is comfortable and seals. So if they offer any trials of masks take them up on it to find what works best for you.

There can be many reasons for poor sleep quality, and apnea is one of them. Your sleep test should tell you whether or not apnea could be a significant factor. So, do a little research on what AHI (Apnea Hypopnea Index) is, and become familiar with with the severity classifications. Standard mild apnea can often be treated with a dental appliance instead of a CPAP. Some find that less intrusive. However it is quite expensive and your insurance may or may not pay for it.

Hope that helps some. Most important become informed as you can about what apnea is and what the options for treatment are so you are prepared ahead of time.

I like the ones that are intended to be pillow protectors and have a zipper to keep the pillow inside the protector. Satin can be so slippery a standard pillow case will not stay on the pillow. Not tried the silk ones.

I am not sure there is any reason a nasal pillow mask would cause sinus issues any more than a full face. My son has a full beard but still uses a full face. His leak rate is higher than average though. My thoughts however would be to use a nasal pillow and mouth taping if air leaking out of your mouth becomes an issue.

The P10 is quirky. The straps are flimsy and weak, so it is hard to keep it on your head. I have overcome that by cutting the straps and getting my wife to sew them back together again with about 1" overlap. And I put a Breathewear Halo chin strap on after I have the mask on. I also use a satin pillow protector as a pillow case so my head slides around without dislodging the whole mess of straps.

My strategy on the hose routing is to loop it through the headboard so it come down in the middle of the bed. When I face the middle the hose goes down in a loop and back up to my nose. When I roll over to my back, I let the hose go across my stomach, (all under the covers) and kind of up my other side so I don't have the hose in the way of my arms. And then when I face the outside of the bed, it loops over and up the right side of the bed to my nose. Makes me wonder what elephants do with their trunk when they sleep!

In any case, I do all this because I like the way it fits to my nose, and doesn't dislodge off my face with pressure by the pillow.

Another option for your husband may be a dental appliance. I have no personal experience with them, but I understand they can deal with mild to moderate sleep apnea. If they can do that, then perhaps the also deal with snoring. You may want to start a new thread asking about it. There are a couple of sleep dentists that check in here, and would probably give you their comments on whether not it may be an option.

As for beds, we just upgraded for a king size. It turned out to be a major problem in getting it up the stairs to our bedroom. In retrospect it probably would have been better to buy two mattresses. If they are the right size I believe you can use king size sheets with them.

I don't think the noise is a leak issue. Those that complain about it seem to attribute it to velocity/noise in the side tubes. As for the intentional venting, that is normally based on the dead space the mask itself has. There should be no need for additional venting from the mask. But the bottom line is that the mask does not have to please everybody, just you! It seems that users all get to something that works for them, and that is a good thing.

Welcome to the forum. I certainly was anxious and suffered for it when I started using the CPAP. I suspect it is fairly normal. That said, there are a few things that may help some. The default minimum pressure on these things is 4 cm. That is quite low, and can be uncomfortable for going to sleep. If you have not picked up the machine yet, I would ask them to set up the minimum to about 7 cm if they are agreeable given your degree of apnea. The other thing to do is try using the machine and mask while watching TV. This will give you some time to get used to it, rather than trying it for the first time at bedtime. Hope that helps some.

With the minimum set for 6 cm, you could use the settings I posted above for the Auto Ramp mode. Just change the Ramp Start to 6 cm. If you can post some examples with the new comfort settings and the SleepyHead format changes it would be helpful.

Other options you might want to try for your husband is a chin strap and/or mouth taping. But if he is claustrophobic that might not work either. The Breathewear Halo is the best chin strap I have found.

The normal first step is to do a quiz to determine your risk for apnea, and if that is high, then do an actual sleep test. Here is a link to the quiz they do. Your doctor should have the forms also. The three tests are; STOP, BANG, and Epworth.

Sleep Apnea Screening Quiz