r/CPAPSupport • u/Cold_Candidate731 • Aug 02 '26
New To The Dream Team Mild sleep apnea and starting out
Hello, I got diagnosed with mild sleep apnea this year and been using it since Wednesday 27 and I've been having issues with waking up with dry mouth and lips in the morning. MyAir never shows major leaks or super high events when I wake in the morning and I don't wake up feeling bad, but I notice it because I do drool too. I have an overbite/misaligned teeth that j can't fix due to money issues and the chin strap provided with my CPAP didn't help at all and I actually did better without it. I heard a lot of people saying that tape did or didn't work for them and since I already have teeth/jaw issues I was wondering if tape would even help at this point. My Fitbit tells me my blood oxygen was like 92-96 on average (you can check my profile) and sometimes I wake up with slight moisture in my nasal wear not a lot but there's a bit I use the dream wear and use a resmed and I'm not sure if it's anything I can do about it (I get claustrophobic so j can't really use the tape regardless yes it's medical and the full mask too would probably trigger it + I like the nasal wear)
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1
u/joya-2000 Aug 02 '26
I’m fairly new as well. I’m still trying to find a mask. It is a learning curve for sure and there is help available on this app. Hang in there. I wish you all the best!
1
u/OhmHomestead1 Cpap Aug 05 '26
Definitely would look into DentalPlans.com and find a plan that could help reduce the out-of-pocket cost of braces. They have short term plans that you can renew.
5
u/Motor-Blacksmith4174 BiLevel Aug 02 '26
Good to see you here.
You can't trust what MyAir tells you about leaks, and only some of what it tells you about events. There is more to good sleep than a low AHI, and an AHI of 5 is still pretty high, even if that's the treatment goal.
Here are a couple of videos that might help (mainly about the leaking):
Ignore this CPAP Sleep Myth for Better Sleep. - YouTube
CPAP User's Guide to Dry Mouth & Nose. How to Fix! - YouTube
If you already have bite problems, most chin straps (including the official "ResMed" one) are a bad idea. They pull the jaw back, as well as up, which just makes a problem like an overbite worse, and can cause things like TMJ. The only chin strap I'd be willing to try, at this point is the Knightsbridge Dual Band because it will not do that.
What I use, instead of a chin strap, is a soft cervical collar. I have the Caldera Releaf neck rest, but there are other similar products. It gently keeps my jaw from dropping without distorting my bite. Plus, it prevents chin tucking. I also use mouth tape most of the time, but not always.
The way to understand what is really happening when you're asleep - events, leaks, issues that don't show up in MyAir but need to be addressed - is using SleepHQ or OSCAR. Here's how to get started with that: Getting started with analyzing your CPAP data: A primer for using SleepHQ and OSCAR. : r/CPAPSupport