I have mild sleep apnea or as the staff put it when picked up machine “oh it’s only mild” 😊
So last night was night two, it was set at level 10 and I don’t mind at all the air pressure and having something on my face / head plus the squishing up of my nose. It’s not comfortable but it’s tolerable. But it’s only night two.
The mask is ok fits snug no leaks when I put on, I then start machine and takes 20 mins to get up to speed.
I tend to fall asleep very quickly but few hours later start waking and dozing from about 3am onwards. I’m dead to the world for those first few hours and don’t change position.
But once I started moving about I get leaks of air at the sides of the mask plus a sound that resembles a whoopy cushion or balloon deflating🤭. I started adjusting straps but as soon as move / change position leaks / hisses / farts again. I’m getting dry mouth so I start pretending to chew so as to produce some salvia think this disturbs the mask too.
I’ve got an appointment for next Tuesday to take back and see if they can offer me alternative mask. I’m going to keep using though for now. I’m on a one week trial.
What has been others experience and what advice / tips can you offer? This would be most appreciated.
I’ve googled a nasal only mask and that appeals to me.
Absolutely committed to get on with the CPAP but it’s the leakage I want to resolve.
👍
Written by
Fanfab1
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I have used a CPAP machine for many years, and I identify with your problems. I now have a nasal only mask, and it is the best of all others I have tried, the only other advice I can give you , is I sleep on my back, it was difficult to get into the habit, but I have never regretted doing this. But please talk this over with your Health Professional, first.
PS, there are two sizes , large and small, make sure you get the correct one. Good luck
Thank you for replying and the advise, I had a go at sleeping on back last night so will persevere as I don’t remember as much hissing happening. That is once I’d swapped my firm memory foam pillow for standard soft pillows that seemed to help too. but I did get up once last night to completely switch off and start afresh. Nasal might be a good option to try, I’m guessing small will be right as the mask I have at present is extra small.
I see.....using CPAP (actually a Bilevel CPAP...the Resmed's Aircurve 10, the best ever), for some 7 years
_ whatever, don't give up; It may save your life....mine was a true rebirthing!
_ does not exist such thing as mild OSA, in my opinion... this is based on averaged numbers; however, for instance, you may have your REM sleep completely destroyed, even under a mild OSA...not to say about possible existence of Flow Limitation (it is not Apnea, but so deleterious as such)..
_ I would strong suggest go to shis Worldwide Group.... some 150,000 people...Everything you may eventuallyn nee you would encounter there, guidance on masks, pressures, expertise.....
Thanks for replying, I have been given RESMED Airsense 10 elite on NHS. Yes the staff did mutter to themselves “oh it’s only mild”🤷🏻♀️!! I’m just glad they have given me a machine. Definitely going to persevere! 👍
Hi there. I use an airsense 10 as well. I use a Resmed Airfit P10 mask. They do a 'for her' version which is slightly smaller which i use. They come with small/ med/large nose pillows so if you get hissy leaks, you can try a different size.
If you are suffering from dry mouth you can ask for a dehumidifier unit to attach to the airsense 10 cpap but they do need cleaning out etc. I don't have one but I live by the sea so dry air is rarely a problem.
Another thought. The 20 minutes to get up to full blast is called the 'ramp time'. It tends to be helpful for people on much higher flow levels than your 10 and also for people who struggle with the sensation of air blowing. If the sensation doesn't bother you (it doesn't bother me either), it might be an idea to ask to have the ramp time adjusted to zero. This means you get the full 10 from the outset. This might be helpful in your case because you fall asleep quickly and deeply and might not be getting full benefit during those first 20 minutes.
Thank you for those very helpful tips. I have definitely dropped off before ramps up to 10, will ask about that. Also humidifier. Definitely not solved the hissing despite adjusting straps. I was given a F&P evora full mask - extra small. Must make a list of things to ask at Tomorrow’s appointment!
lol I guessed what you meant. I have found as the nights have progressed that I’m breathing through mouth rather than nose, Didn’t think about it before. But I was thinking a nasal one would be more comfortable/ less “intrusive”. Sounds like they have alternatives at the sleep clinic. Hoping so!
I used to worry that I wasn't getting the benefit with a nasal mask as I'm a mouth breather as well. But according to the cpap people at my hospital, that doesn't matter so long as you are getting enough air going in to keep the airways open. I hope you find something that suits 🙂
Nothing you wrote is unexpected and for the time being I suggest just keep going, you are going through a process of body adaptation and acclimatisation to the therapy which can take months. My own CPAP experience changed almost every month for the first year and tbh you never stop adapting in some sense, it is therapy after all OSA is mostly a physical manifestation and your body never stops changing.
thats not to say mask leaks are not real and important and are a top cause for cpap issues but its very early in your therapy to be drawing too much conclusions. However 4 things to focus on are 1) is mask too loose 2) Is mask too tight 3) is pillow not helping you.
If you have a resmed you may well have an f20 full face mask, a top cause of leaks on this is the mask is not high enough on the face, many people rest the top on the bridge of the nose which is too low and causes leaks out the side, look in the mirror whilst wearing it, the top should be in line with eyebrows, there are videos on you tube that explain this. In response to a bit of leaking some people over tighten their mask but this can be uncomfortable and doesn't always help. You want your mask to inflate and almost float on your face. If you have a traditional pillow they can rise up when you roll over and squash your mask. I have a cheapish memory foam one and find these work quite well at not doing this, their are specialist pillows on websites but I would save your money just now.
On to the mask.....I achieved great results starting therapy but only achieved greatness when I switched a nasal / nasal pillow mask, the results overnight were stunning and have never looked back but this was a 12+ months in and by then I had many hours of research into my own condition and response to therapy. A lot of clinical content has come out in the last 4 years supporting why nasal masks can be better and institutional healthcare systems being the lumbering organisations they are may well be behind. Also sleep disordered breathing can come from many sources including nasal problems so a nasal masks is not an automatic improvement. Next many people who have sleep problems have started to mouth breathe (we are born nose breathers) so adapting to nasal initially is not always so easy. This points to why so many healthcare systems start people out of full face masks as 'training wheels". Finally without mouth taping I would not achieve the success with naslal masks I do and I wouldn't advise anyone to try this without much more confidence about the condition they have and therapy options and risks involved. Ultimately depending on your financial resources you don't have to use the mask they give you, you can buy your own and trial it. I buy all my own mask gear. Fischer & Paykel have brought out the Solo nasal and nasal pillows (cpap gear is mostly interchangeable) and its a lot lighter on the face than a full face mask.
So in summary, as someone said above the most important thing is your stick at it, your body will adapt a bit of mouth leaking is something to worry about with research or under advisement.
Just on the 'its only mild'.......well that may be true but again its a good display of legacy healthcare and how it takes years or decades to change opinion. Sleep disorders in days gone by was all about AHI events per hour (apnea/hypopnea) but it is a somewhat arbitrary threshold that has a scientific definition and we all know that healthcare systems love their metrics, ranges and boxes to put people in. Well guess what, you could be 95% towards a hypopnea 30 times an hour, feel awful but your machine would record 0 AHI. Also sleep disorders are complex and what the real experts are focused on is that its about more than AHI. My AHI dropped dramatically on CPAP therapy at around 11 pressure but I still felt awful for a year until made other changes. So really managing sleep disordered breathing is about symptoms metrics. If you haven't bought a blood pressure monitor for home its a great investment. My best advice depending onseverity of your symptoms is be curious and don't rely too much on the NHS (especially outside the centres of excellence), there is plenty of good content out there, one is Vik Veers an NHS sleep surgeon at Royal Hospital for ENT, some of his videos are technical and aimed at fellow clinicians but there are some good sleep disorder videos for the rest of us too. There are others too - try the guy who runs sleep HQ/cpap reviews videos. GL.
I hope you see this as it’s been nearly a month. But your words have rattled around almost daily in my head but helped me think things through rather than become frustrated. I did want to throw the damned machine out the window at one point.
The first thing is to say I am as committed as ever to using my cpap machine and I’ve only not used it three days in last 24 - I just needed a rest / respite if that makes sense (technically one was after a curry and I thought I’m not stinking up my mask with curry breath).
I won’t go through all the trials and tribulations over last few weeks - but I’m working on keeping frustration and exasperation at bay. Because I’m taking on board what you said - this is no overnight success scenario, things keep changing, I keep changing, my body works differently at different stages in the month and it all adds to not being a level playing field.
I’m currently - keeping the mask less tight that was my biggest take away from your response, now have heated tube and set at 18 degrees, humidifier level 5, still f&p full mask (under nostrils / over mouth), memory foam pillow will skinny soft pillow over it. Biggest improvement Dry mouth has resolved.
But last few nights my body is overheating and I’m waking up feeling like the mask is suffocating me (I normally wake up after a a few hours of glorious dead to the world sleep but I’ve been able to get back to sleep with the mask not bothering me - that was last week). The only dots to join is hormonal changes that usually happen about now as I’m getting hot flushes in the day at this time too and sleep is often more disturbed (not menopausal though).
So no matter how ok the cpap stuff could be, the rest of me may just scupper things.
And yes I wasted money on a special cpap pillow - yes we don’t all have the same shaped / sized necks and heads! Think I just needed to rule it out / get it out my system.
I’m not going to try a nasal mask as yet, I do struggle to breathe through the nasal slot with current mask - breathing in is ok but breathing out is difficult. I routinely don’t breathe as well through right nostril - always been an issue / tends to block easily. But I feel - like the pillow - I need to rule it in or out and lots have recommended.
For now I’m going to understand my body and how it changes and what that does to using the cpap.
Biggest conclusion so far if I can fall fast asleep within minutes while machine goes through ramp up time but then stay a sleep for a few hours at top setting for me then it’s working / I’m tolerating it. It’s just for whatever other reason I wake up I then find the sensation suffocating but is that just at this time of the month? That’s what I’m working on working out at moment - and if this is how it will be every month then how do I learn to work past the suffocating sensation and keep the mask on or do I need to reset mask / restart the machine giving me ramp time to fall asleep again / cool down?
Overall I feel there is some improvement in energy levels. But the heart likes to have its say and routinely results in tiredness and fatigue. Pain is tiring.
I am sure it looked like I ignored your response and I am sorry for that however i find personally the more thought provoking responses / the ones that get inside your head (plus say things you don’t want to hear 😂) are rarely easy to respond back to quickly / immediately.
So Despite having written all the above last night, have had a terrible night which doesn’t help the heart so either caused or exasperated chest discomfort in early hours. I’m exhausted.. The mask just would not stay put - soon as move mouth air escaped very loudly so disruptive sleep. I had a suspicion when turn on machine the mask sucks my mouth open and seal only stays if mouth open - soon as close mouth seal breaks. That and usual poor sleep at this stage have done me in.
So nasal mask with a chin strap has to be sooner than I thought? one person here said worked for their mum.
Hello, i dont expect responses though its good to know you might be helping people - but certainly dont worry about it. I have a summmer business so fine to sit in my shop writing this stuff.
I re-read your post to see what more I could add.
- Whilst difficult to be certain it does feel like you have a mask problem and this is where you might have to throw some money at the problem as the NHS is limited here. We are all different shapes and these masks work for some and not others, on top of which they have different sizes which is not always intuitive to know when purchasing online.
- If you can I would ditch ramp mode. The problem with this feature is you are not really testing the correct fitting under full pressure as it doesnt ramp up until you are asleep. It may be better to find your best fitting initially then turn ramp back on once you have learned you have a good mask fitting for you. Personally I turned mine off after day 1.
- Are you using the SD card in your machine to import your data into Sleep HQ or Oscar. These two free software modules found online can help you read your sleep data from your machine. (The myAir app is useless). Suggest try SleepHQ which is created by an Aussie guy who also does great videos on your tube (cpap reviews).
- If you use this you could see where the problems are emerging. Many people suffer mask leaks, one of the more common is that when you fall into sleep your mouth can change shape (e.g. jaw falls back) so what you though was a good mask seal no longer is. This may be your problem but I have a hunch you might just have the wrong mask or wrong mask size for your face.
- I gather you might have a full face mask that sits under the nose (e.g. F30 or F40 or F&P evora). I have trialled these and they are not great at seals and I found they leak alot. I used the F30 the other night and my leak rate in Sleep HQ was all over the place. Also I have used a Resmed F20 Airtouch which a) it feels nice b) it sealed better especially when fitted right however still a fair amoung of leakage as I roll around. But for "training wheels" something like the F20 might be better than one that sits under the nose. I keep these older masks for when I have a cold or need a change.
- On to nasal. If you have the resources I would definately try the solo - either pillows or without. I would get the fit pack for £149 so you get all 3 masks on the first time. Be sure to watch fitting videos on you tube (cpap reviews or leftylanky) as it helps to have guidance on which size fits the best. The strap is insanely light on the head and removes all that neoprene and plastic junk of your face that can feel clautrophobic and hot when you wake up at night. Therapy results aside it is such a good mask generally.
- On therapy side my masks leak went to zero with solo nasal pillows. Overnight. Never had a leak again. And generally therapy much much better. Had a couple of wobbles and I had a mini cold recently which didnt help but nothing near like the shitty feeling I had before. (My AHI has been routinely below 1 for a long time now but was still getting gritty feeling , headches and stuff which is a whole other subject)
- I mentioned in prior reply that nasal might not work without mouth taping as the pressure in your mouth can blow out your mouth turning you into a mini hovercraft. Funnily enough I have slept a few nights recently without taping and still had no (or very low) leaks. But I do think there has been a fair amount of re-training of me from mouth breather / heavy snorer to get to this point so it may not come overnight.
- On mought taping.... this is a controversial subject but many many sleep suffererers do it and I'll continue writing on basis you can assess your own risks. I buy Hypafix tape on Amazon, (about £7 for 10meters ). I cut 3 inch pieces up and put across my mouth. Squige your lips inwards to reduce how much lips touch the glue and a little moisturiser about 30 mins before makes easier to take off the the morning. Also I fold a corner in the same place so there is a piece to grab onto to rip off. I have been taping since August now and its never really bothered me or made me feel insecure (risk wise). I know some people just do a little strip to it hold the mouth but air could escape or breathe at the side if it had to. Also some people buy a roll of Kenisiology tape which is meant to be good and comes in different colours for wow factor. I read to avoid the pre-packaged sleep solutions as expensive and sometimes less effective. But I have to say on recently experience it might be worth tryign the solo without the taping but it may be needed initially and would hurt to try a roll.
- Other cons on nasal are with the pillows as the inside of you nose is quite sensitive skin so expect some soreness, a litte aloe vera can help but you skin will toughen up in time (p.s. do not use oil based products on skin inide mask - not good for lungs) . I feel pillows are a more secure fit and might be better choice given your recently experience.
p.s. the heat could be many things. I have found I cant sleep without a window open now. Also I had some low level bugs and reaction to a flu jab that sent me into some hot nights. I also put a winter bed cover on and found this made me hot so I share your experience but nothing really to offer. I do no the solo has a lot light footprint on the face.
Simply put Lots to digest, I have managed to get appointment with hospital for mask alternatives in couple of weeks so going to exhaust this option before embark on buying my own. Does seem to be the main culprit!
There’s so much to consider but clearly learning have to give it time and work through options / adjustments - anyone new like myself could easily throw in the towel.
I’m a little brow beaten at present and my angina has been busy all day.
There is a lot to digest - it took me 2 years and a lot of curiosity and self help to get on top of this subject and wish you well.
As said before you may just find institutional healthcare is just not set up to manage this type of therapy well when you are balancing a centralised 'free at point of use' HC model against all the product choices available on the open market. With a lowish AHI you just drop down the NHS priority list and frankly their competence as they have a primary focus on apnea metrics and low understanding that people can have wretched sleep and lives without recordable apnea events.
This is where the centres of excellence around the world are far ahead of any local GP or local hospital who are not very good at admitting their failings and limited service potential. Do try the Hope to Sleep charity (website and facebook) for good help and like minded people. There is not much to help on this forum on this subject (excellent on other topics). I meant to say yesterday there is one item you could try cheaply if your mask is coming from jaw drop. It is called a soft cervical collar, try this video for further information.
I bought a Kensington chin strap and found this helped for same principles though its not great to wear with all the otehr clutter.
Also - I was tentative to head in this area but just as a sign off are you sure your sleep issues are not heart related as you state the problems on your profile. Heart related sleep issues can occur (e.g.cheynes stokes, central sleep apnea) without the related apnea events. If you havent already it might be worth big push on this as it antoher area of poor clinical uncerstanding at a local level.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Struggle to use CPAP
Cpac machine users
Way too much sleep 😴 
Trazodone not best option for long term sleep
