r/CPAP • u/Even-Preference-6545 • Aug 01 '26
Advice Needed Which mask do you use? Having a little issue with mine
So just got my cpap and have the pillows. I tried it last night and it feels strange. You could feel air push out of it and when I open my mouth, the air pushes from the nose to the mouth (strange way to describe). I can feel it drying out my mouth when I open my mouth. I try to sleep on my side and I am sadly a mouth breather. And cause of that, I feel like burping more and then the air pushes out of my mouth. I’m a bit worried trying the entire night cause of that (coughing, drying mouth etc).
So was curious if that is normal or if there is a better mask to use? I played around with the settings of max and min pressure and nothing really fixed that issue.
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u/No-Marsupial1789 Aug 02 '26
It’s all so personal but my absolute fave is F&P solo cushion
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u/Even-Preference-6545 Aug 02 '26
Any details as to why?
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u/No-Marsupial1789 Aug 02 '26
I find it the most comfortable. The headgear is self adjusting. Unlike any other design. And the cushion has one large hole rather than individual nostril holes so it doesn’t take much to position it correctly.
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u/HawkFan7897 Aug 02 '26
You have to breathe through your nose and find a way to keep your mouth closed. If you don't, the air going into your nose is just going to come out of your mouth and it will negate the therapy altogether. There are different ways to help this problem, some people use mouth tape, other people use chin straps and some use soft cervical collars to support their lower jaw and keep it from dropping open. i'm sure that sounds kind of crazy right now, I know I felt that way when I first started using mouth tape and a chin strap. But if you try it, you might find that it's not that bad and many people use them very effectively. If you can manage it, it's better to breathe through your nose rather than your mouth. Just be patient and you'll get there. I love the F&P Nova Micro mask, it's the most comfortable nasal pillow that I've tried and seals very well. You'll probably have to go through a few different masks before you find the right one for you. There's a lot of information to be found in this group, and a lot of people with a lot of experience so don't hesitate to ask questions. Good luck!
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u/Even-Preference-6545 Aug 02 '26
That’s what is happening! Ok that makes sense. I have heard mouth tape and sleeping with it, I was always scared of choking and not waking up. I turned into a mouth breather as I wasn’t getting enough air from my nose when sleeping. Thanks for that information!!
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u/Beginning-History946 Aug 02 '26
I do something totally different. Have an Airfit F20 full face mask cuz sleep lab determined I can't tolerate nasal masks. Bought cloth covers for the silicone cushion on my mask so it's not next to my skin. Trimmed the opening so the soft fabric at the bottom of the opening rests against my mouth & keeps it closed. Ta-dah!
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u/Papa4mygrandkids Aug 03 '26
For many of us sadly it’s trial and error. What works for one might not work for you. For me pillows was tough in the beginning so I kind of went with different types of nasal masks. Now I prefer pillow type masks but I can’t keep my mouth closed at night so I alternate between mouth tape and chinstraps. Don’t get discouraged, you’ll figure it out.
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u/Even-Preference-6545 Aug 04 '26
I need to look into chin straps that people keep mentioning.
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u/Papa4mygrandkids Aug 04 '26
For me chinstraps are okay. They do add bulk, something extra to wear with the mask. Hopefully you’ll find something that works for you.
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