I use an Airfit F10 full face mask, sleep on my side, and use a Sobe Kowa (sp?) buckwheat husk pillow that I can sort of form fit to my face. Occasionally, I wake to air coming in around the mask. Last night, I did an adjustment that really helped my leakage.
I just put my index finger on the very top point of my mask and pushed down. I felt the mask move just slightly and seal, and I used that adjustment the rest of the night, because it seemed to stop the minor leaks for a longer time than usual. I'm not sure whether I did it 3 or 4 times. My usual mask leak is 5-7 L/m, but last night it was 2. And, it meant I wasn't awake long each time it needed to be reseated. Because that one slight push reseated the mask around my nose and the chin was taken care of at the same time. I'm a newbie, sorry if everyone already knows this;)
I used to be a side sleeper before I started therapy and now sleep ONLY on my back. When I get on my side, my mask gets bumped at some point and unseals. I don't wake up and adjust as you do... I just sleep through the leaking. I do know they make pillows for CPAP users and pillows for side sleepers which you might want to check out. There are also nasal pillows and nasal masks which might help reduce the amount of mask bump regardless of pillow.
The buckwheat pillow IS one of the pillows recommended for side sleepers. I love it, and have been using one for years. The re-seating method I mentioned worked again last night. It does appear to prevent leaks from reappearing. I think the reading of 2 L/m I got from the myAir website is probably erroneous, because it doesn't look like that on the Sleepyhead data.
I Verne7. Glad to hear you've been able to lower your mask leak and obtain a better seal. Have you tried tightening your headgear just slightly to see if it keeps the mask from becoming dislodged? Just curious... Thanks!
LOL! My leak rate last night was 4 L/m, and the night before it was 2 L/m on the myAir website. I only had to push the mask down 1 time last night, and if I had done it as a last step to fitting my mask, I might not have awakened to the slight leak at all. It seems, at least with my mask, to be a very helpful adjustment.
Yes, I have tried tightening the bottom straps, but I think I may need to loosen the top straps, then tighten the bottom straps, to reposition the mask slightly.
I have a large mask, probably need an extra large, which they do not make. I worked in the shipyards, and learned to adjust facemasks so they didn't leak at all. We tested them with real gas, probably tear gas. Of course I wasn't lying half on my face at the time;D
Sorry, never heard of a buckwheat pillow and don't know much about recommended pillow types as I adjusted by just sleeping on my back. If you are attached to the pillow, then work on the mask as it isn't helpful to wake and adjust.
I normally wake up often while sleeping. I won't wake to a fire engine, if it parked out in the driveway, but the mask buzzing on my cheek will wake me. Lately with the cpap, there have been a few times I've actually slept through the night. It's kind of funny, I didn't post the above to get help with mask leaks, just to mention my little fix that seems to help the mask adjust itself correctly and prevents leaks from occurring.
LOL! If I'd followed my own advice and pressed down from the top to seat the mask last night, I might not have woken to a leak at all. And, I know you are right, it's better not to have to wake up the adjust the mask. I am going to try your suggestion and get a mask pad to see if that will stop even the little buzzing facemask leaks.
Sleeping on your back is supposed to increase ahi, and I haven't slept that way since my 20's. I remember when I was 18, I awoke with my heart trying to beat it's way out of my chest. Also, I felt scared. I have no memory of trying to get myself breathing again. But, I felt a lot of fear (of what I don't know), and was likely breathing hard. The fear and terrific pounding of my heart was all I really focused on. When I have tried sleeping on my back during the last 40 or so years, I don't fall asleep. I can fall asleep in a recliner, but I still tend to roll to my side.
Also, I tried one of those mouthpieces that were made to stop snoring. It seemed to work for a while, but then I would wake up in the morning having spit the thing out at some point. I think I would do the same thing with any other mouthpiece.
All, for what's it worth I got a cpap pillow and for me I love it. The contours work well for me when I sleep on my side my mask stays well sealed at least when I trim my bread which for me seems to really help and I have a very thin beard as beards go. The pillow I got is pretty firm but that's what I like but if you don't like firm pillows then the Cpap one I have probably won't be right for you.
I sleep with a wedge shaped "TV pillow". The kind you are supposed to put behind your back when you sit up in a chair/sofa watching tv. I also have another pillow on top. I have to sleep this way otherwise my lower back screams in pain and THAT will get me awake and I will stay awake. Sleeping on a motel with motel pillows won't get me to the same 10-15 degree angle and I end up in a chair all night. I don't think it has to do with CPAP therapy but probably from sleeping on my back. I used to like to sleep on my side but the mask leak issue is aggravated when I sleep on my side as I end up bumping the mask where it slips and air leaks like a sieve. I think eventually I will take this issue on but since therapy is going pretty well in my current mode of sleep, just don't feel it is worth the effort at this point. My missus has wanted me to try a CPAP pillow but I haven't because I am sleeping very soundly as I have learned to do on my back.
Sobakawa pillows are made out of buckwheat husks. These pillows were advertised on TV years ago. They circulate air well, and are fairly cool. The husks move a bit, but they are firm, and you can shape the pillow to what you want. You are kind of where I am wiredgeorge, my therapy is going very well, and my leak rate is really very very good, so I want to keep on with what's working. Still, I ordered the $35 fabric (washable) mask pads last night. Which is one of your suggestions that I am following up on (Thank you very much!). Using that finger push downward from above the nose really seats my mask well. I seated it before sleeping, then twice when I woke during the night. But, no leaks woke me. I doubt it would help nose masks or pillows, but it works a treat on my F10 full face.
Since I started therapy, I sleep very soundly and am pretty rested after about 5 hours sleep. Normally sleep 5.5 hrs per night. Once in a great while (maybe once a month) I sleep 6.5-7 hrs on a weekend. If I do wake up, even after 3-4 hours sleep, I am WIDE AWAKE and it is time to try and go do something useful or at least watch TV in my home office. I don't recall ever going back to sleep or feeling the need to. If I only get 3-4 hours sleep, I end up tired by the evening (sleepy tired) and generally am back to about 5.5 hrs that night.
My wife rescues dogs and we currently have 10 or 11. We have three pet doors and about 1/2 acre chain link fenced. We live in a rural area and at night if we leave the windows open, the dogs will hear something (generally coyotes) and part of our crew will run outside and act stupid. LOUD stupid and this generally the 3-4 hour sleep nights. Even when it is nice and cool, we will keep the windows shut most of the time as we run a window A/C unit in our bedroom (shut off house A/C) to save a few bucks on electricity but mostly to keep noise from the outside critters down so our dogs aren't restless or run yapping out the pet doors.
Never heard of a Sobakawa pillow or even a buckwheat husk pillow. Interesting. Today all the adverts are for that "MY PILLOW". I got a note from QVC that they are on sale, 2 for $65. Sorry... too cheap.
I would like to get to that point. The last 6 years I have had to sleep 12 hours to feel rested at all. 7-8 felt comfortable when I was in my 20's. I had heard that as you get older the need to sleep so much goes away, but in my case it got worse. Now, with this therapy I'm getting along and feeling great with much less sleep. It's like I've made my days 3-5 hours longer, because I'm fine with 7-8 hours again. Usually, I can get back to sleep when something wakes me, like rolling over on my cat.
Well, we get up at 5AM to start our day. The dogs wake at that time out of habit so in order to get 12 hours sleep, would have to go to bed a couple hours before supper hehe What is strange is that as the seasons change, it is still pitch dark at 7AM and not sure how the puppies know what time it is. I don't recall how many hours I slept in my 20s but suspect it has probably remained a constant over the years. I do know that when I am awake now, I am not in a brain fog as before I started therapy and while I was awake before for the same number of hours, the time was filled with a foggy brain.
Wow, yakky me. This is only my 3rd reply or question since I started on this forum today. I'm so glad I found it.
I also bought that buckwheat husks pillow some time ago. (I have tried a truck load of pillows because of my neck pain). The only thing negative I have found with the buckwheat husks pillow is that when I adjust my old body all night long it's like trying to sneak up on a deer in the forest. I hear every move (crunch crunch). Now that pillow is somewhere around here. Maybe I will give it to Goodwill.
-Baba
