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Moondoggy
+0 points
·
almost 6 years
ago
Original Poster
I just wanted to throw out a recommendation for the Phillips Respironics DreamWear mask. I've been a CPAP user for 5 years now and previously the only mask that I could get to work for me was a Resmed Mirage Softgel mask and even with that mask I needed use a mask pad from PadACheek to minimize my leakage. Earlier this year I tried the Resmed N20 thinking that a newer technology mask would be better but it leaked like crazy as I'm an active sleeper that moves all night long. Before Christmas I was able to get a new mask for free so my provider suggested the Dreamwear mask. Looking at the mask at first glance I thought that there wasn't a prayer that this mask would be better but I was amazed at how well it is working for me. The mask is made out of soft, flexible tubing with a removable nose piece and the connector for the air tube on top of your head. This may sound weird but with the air connector on top you can lay your air hose behind your pillow so it's totally out of the way. When you have your machine on, air flows from the top down the flexible, flat tubing on either side of your face and the air pressure inflated the thin flexible materials of the nose piece to the point where it creates a tight seal right under your nostrils. For an active sleeper like myself If I roll onto either side the flexible tubing on that side does collapse but the air is still flowing down the tube on the other side so you never lose pressure. My worst fear is that the mask would not be tight enough or slip when I roll from my back to my side but for me this has not been the case as the seal of the nose piece to my skin has very tight. In addition to the fit of the mask in general I REALLY like how light this mask is on my face, the open face design as I can now read a book or watch TV with the mask on since there's no interfering nose bridge that blocks my view. No mask lines in the morning either. Besides the fit and design I can report that my AHI is about 3.1 which is slightly lower than with my softgel and my pressure readings and mask leak rated are all down in comparison to my Softgel.
All of the above being said I understand that fitting a mask is not an easy task and no one mask can work for everyone but for me this mask is great. In addition the only difference between the Dreamwear nasal mask and the Dreamwear nasal pillow mask is the interchangeable nose piece and my provider said that if I want to switch to pillows all I need to get is the pillow nose piece instead of the nasal piece. In addition, Respironics also makes a Dreamwear full face mask for mouth breathers. So, if you're having trouble with your mask leaking and/or you just want to try something different, I highly recommend the DreamWear nasal mask.
Sierra
+0 points
·
almost 6 years
ago
Sleep
Patron
That is a helpful review of the mask. I have a friend that uses the nasal pillow version of the mask and he likes it. About the only negative I have heard is that the tubes coming down the side of your face can be noisy. Do you notice any noise from it?
Moondoggy
+0 points
·
almost 6 years
ago
Original Poster
My wife seems to believe that the mask makes more noise (leaks air) than my softgel but I have a copy Rescan software and do my own tracking and in a comparison of the 10 days prior with my softgel and 10 days on the Dreamwear I had a lower leak rate and required less pressure during the night. I suspect that perhaps my wife is hearing the excess air being vented from the two vent ports on the mask. The top vent port is on the top of the mask where the air hose connects to the mask and the other is down where the air blows into the nasal cavity. Not sure why they have two vents on the mask and if the mask is making noise its probably from the lower vent when I'm sleeping on my side.
Sierra
+0 points
·
almost 6 years
ago
Sleep
Patron
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.
Moondoggy
+0 points
·
almost 6 years
ago
Original Poster
Thanks for the compliment on my review but I can assure you that it was not a sales pitch. I'm just a retired computer support engineer that had to write very detailed reports for management that typically had no clue, from a purely technical aspect, of what was going on.
That's the same mask my husband and I use, but somehow we get leaks when on our sides. I'm not sure why - and his are gushing leaks. I do like the design of it though. I also have permanent bruises on each cheek - it must sit funny on my face. All that being said though, I don't think I'll change. Which nose piece is which - cushion vs pillows? I get them confused!
I have found the ResMed AirFit P10 stays on my face the best when I put a chin strap over top of it. The F&P Brevida is the second best I have tried. I have not tried the DreamWear masks.
I got the P10 with one of my quarterly replacements, but haven't tried it yet. I'm so used to the tube coming out of the top of my head, I'm afraid it'll feel weird with it coming out from my nose :) May have to try it.....
Sierra
+0 points
·
almost 6 years
ago
Sleep
Patron
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.
Sierra
+0 points
·
almost 6 years
ago
Sleep
Patron
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.
Moondoggy
+0 points
·
almost 6 years
ago
Original Poster
Before I purchased the mask I read a lot of product reviews from people that were venting over the fact that the mask that you get from your medical provider is always a size medium. The claim, as I understand it, is that the mask also comes in a small and a large size but you have to own a medium mask to get one of the other sizes. Fortunate for me the medium is the correct size but it may be that the medium is not right for you. Not sure where you would go to get a different size but it might be worth investigating. The other thing is that my Dreamwear came with two pads that are designed to wrap around the tubes on the side of your face. I have not tired them as I'm not having any issues but perhaps this is something worth trying. The other thing is that mine also came with 4 different size nasal pieces that snap into the mask tubing. Perhaps the leaks are related to what size nasal piece your using as well so a bit of trial and error might help here as well.
Yeah, I have a medium and so does my husband, and his head is WAY bigger than mine, lol. Maybe I'll get the small (I get a replacement every 3 months). Also, I do use the felt covers, but still have bruising, for some reason......
Moondoggy
+0 points
·
almost 6 years
ago
Original Poster
Another thing you may want to try is swapping out the nasal piece that connects to the mask with a nasal pillow piece. Part of the pitch I received from my medical supplier is that the mask/headgear portion of the mask is the same for the nasal mask and the nasal pillow mask. What my provider said was that if the nasal mask didn't work I could buy the nasal pillow piece and try that approach instead.
Moondoggy
+0 points
·
almost 6 years
ago
Original Poster
The Pillows go into your nostrils whereas the one I have just has flat opening on the mask and the soft, flexible material around the opening just expands to create a seal between the opening and the area below your nostrils. That's what made me think that this wasn't going to work for me but strangely it does.
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