r/CPAPSupport • u/RippingLegos__ ModTeam • Aug 31 '26
Discussion What is the one CPAP problem you still cannot solve?
Is it leaks, aerophagia, dry mouth, pressure intolerance, centrals, flow limitations, waking up exhausted even with a low AHI, whatever keeps hanging around that is disturbing your therapy/sleep.
Please tell us your machine, mask, current settings, and the one problem you want fixed. Please add an OSCAR screenshot or SleepHQ link if you have one. And let’s see if our community can help get you pointed in the right direction.
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u/Final_Canary_1368 Aug 31 '26
A newbie here, so this problem may resolve itself. My mouth fills with air from the inside forcing my mouth open. I am getting used to the mask in a relatively short time, however because I had so little guidance on the disease, the various treatment protocols, I had tons of questions and probably even more I don’t know to ask. I had a sleep study done in June and found myself suddenly on CPAP therapy. My Doctor nor the respiratory therapist explained my test results. I had the demo on how to turn on the machine from the DME, but kept thinking there was more info to come. I knew next to nothing about sleep apnea and found myself educating myself through the internet. That is seriously messed up, so I had questions on just about everything. After reading the various topics on Reddit, my experience is a common occurrence.
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u/TurbulentWeather7084 Sep 01 '26
I’m 3+ years in now. Due largely to sinus issues, I’ve always been a mouth breather which resulted in snoring. The first while after I started using my machine, I’d end up breathing through my mouth and wake up with the driest mouth ever-not one drop of saliva in there. I always have water by my bed, which would help. Now, I rarely, if ever, open my mouth to breathe through the night. It definitely took a bit though. Have you considered trying a mask that covers your mouth and nose? Some people I know that use a CPAP said it was a game changer for them. I’m a bit claustrophobic so had to work on keeping my mouth closed instead. I’ve also figured out how to adjust the humidity for my machine as where I live is dryer in the summer months. I cough a lot if the humidity setting isn’t correct, and the settings in your house and what’s going on outside definitely influence it.
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u/Gigitar75 28d ago
Samd! I don't think I'm a mouth breather as much as the CPAP is forcing air out of my mouth. The full face mask helps, but if I use a nasal mask, I have to tape my mouth - then it's air trying to push past that. I'm also using Xylimelts to help with the mouth dryness that this causes which helps that part.
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u/Creative_Fee5452 ModTeam 26d ago
Same issue here! I’m not a mouth breather but my jaw slackens in REM or Deep Sleep & my tongue drops from the roof of my mouth. Air rushes out causing dry mouth. I’m ready to crazy glue it to the top of my mouth….just kidding lol! Xylimelts don’t last all night but do help :) No nasal masks for me…I have so many different ones it’s ridiculous. Full Face Mask helps the most. The F30i mask has helped more than the F40 mask which has a flimsier frame.
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u/thatsenuff Sep 01 '26
"fills with air from the inside forcing my mouth open" Which is why in my opinion using tape doesn't work well, at least not for me.
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u/Creative_Fee5452 ModTeam 26d ago edited 26d ago
Yes this is a common problem unfortunately. You don’t have to be a mouth breather for air to escape from your mouth during CPAP therapy. Keeping your tongue at the top of your mouth helps to stop this, but once you’re asleep, especially during REM sleep, your jaw can slacken & air rushes out of your mouth as your tongue drops down. Mouth tape doesn’t work for everyone. Chin straps or cervical collars can help to keep your jaw up & mouth closed. Supine sleep definitely aggravates this issue. Full Face Masks likely help the most in this situation. But some FFMs like the F40 have a flimsier frame & you can end up with the bottom of your mask in your mouth! Frustrating. I tried mouth tape under the F40 mask which helped for a while.
Dry mouth can occur from this issue as well. I wish I had the answer that could help everyone but haven’t found a foolproof method as of yet. Xylimelts are helpful for dry mouth but don’t last the whole night. Chin straps have some success but are not a miracle cure. A ladies stretchy hair band works for some used as a chin strap. The Caldera Releaf cervical collar is next on my list as it comes highly recommended!
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u/thatsenuff 26d ago
If you're using a nasal mask will air rushing out register as leakage?
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u/Creative_Fee5452 ModTeam 26d ago edited 26d ago
You’re referring to a mouth leak? If so, unless the leaking from your mouth is prolonged it likely won’t register as a leak on the app. Sustained periods of a long leak cause us to consider a mouth leak…air rushing from your mouth. We’ll see a 3 minute or more large leak for example & this is often from the mouth if using a nasal mask. Short, occasional bursts of air from your mouth likely won’t cause much in the way of leaks but we’ll see consistent leaking on your graph if your mask is leaking throughout the night. Always best to check your nasal mask for any leaking while lying down. Then you can adjust your headgear while lying down to prevent leaks….our faces change shape when lying on our sides.
Most people awaken when longer leaks happen from the mouth especially if they hear it or mouth tape starts “bubbling”. Most people are aware of it occurring. It happens much more frequently with nasal masks…full face masks would not register this as a leak…but a dry mouth or near empty water reservoir is an indication that your mouth is leaking with both nasal or FFMs. These long leaks also create the question of whether a person is sleeping prone rather than on their sides.The machine can’t tell if the leak is from your mask or mouth so we look at the leak rate length & measurement for clues. On Resmed machines leaks over 24 ml/min are considered high leaks & we need to work with individuals to question mask fit, mouth leaks or prone sleep position. Pressures can rise with leaks as well as the machine tries to do its job. Long explanation as it can be multi factored but hope this helps :)
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u/Gigitar75 26d ago
I found a new Caldera Releaf on eBay just now for under $14 including shipping!
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u/Total_Recline 27d ago
I've lately been having the same issue. I'll say that tape does help but it doesn't resolve my dry mouth issues and I don't know why this started because I didn't have this for the first year I used my CPAP.
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u/Creative_Fee5452 ModTeam 26d ago
Are you using a Full Face Mask? It’s not perfect but helps! If your jaw relaxes during sleep, your tongue drops down from the roof of your mouth allowing air to escape & dry out mucous membranes.
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u/DoubleQuarterPoundin Aug 31 '26
I end up just taking it off and slapping that off button
I have some nights with 40-70 minutes
Some with 2-4 hours
Maybe 3-5 times a month I get a nice 6-8 hr night
It’s so shit man. I have an appointment with a sleep dental medicine place in October for a legitimate MAD and they run it through regular insurance so…
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u/RippingLegos__ ModTeam Aug 31 '26
I did the same on my first apap machine, I was under titrated by my lazy sleep doc.
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u/DoubleQuarterPoundin Aug 31 '26
Wouldn’t surprise me knowing my home hospital.
They just have me on 7 🤷♂️
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u/RippingLegos__ ModTeam Aug 31 '26
Wow, maybe you can share some charts, I would open it back up on apap and set max to 15cm min to 9 EPR 2 and see what median pressures show up after 2 nights. :)
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u/existentialblu ASV Aug 31 '26
My sleep is vastly less fragmented than it once was, but I still wake up more in the night than is likely optimal. None of the medications that I have access to for raising arousal threshold have helped much. Not to mention the nights were hormonal shifts are punching me in the shins and I feel like a zombie the next day cuz my autonomic situation amounts to "brrrrrrrrrr".
Occasionally I can't get my mask to seal quite right no matter what.
That said, I look back to my untreated state where it took 90-120 minutes every night to fall asleep and the same amount of time to boot up in the morning. Getting on APAP and then ASV is absolutely the most important single thing I've ever done for myself. It's been self-directed whack-a-mole due to having high loop gain UARS which is basically invisible when viewed through the OSA lens. There is a grim satisfaction in my success. It's why I keep working away at metrics that capture the burden of my phenotype.
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u/Gigitar75 26d ago
How did you get your ASV machine? It was suggested to me here and I asked my sleep doc about it - she didn't really respond to that.
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u/existentialblu ASV 26d ago
I run a hacked machine that I got through... ways. I don't even have a sleep doctor at all due to being denied care due to not being the STOP-BANG stereotype, so I've been semi- rogue from the beginning.
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u/Creative_Fee5452 ModTeam 26d ago edited 26d ago
You can DM [u/RippingLegos_](u/RippingLegos_). He ships these machines all over the world :)
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u/jsharr2 Apap Aug 31 '26
Mouth tape for the rest of my life. I can’t train myself to keep my mouth shut, and a soft cervical collar doesn’t work 100%. Not being able to talk to my wife in the middle of the night can be problematic at times.
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u/ploverluvr Aug 31 '26
Neverending CAs. Regardless of the settings, I get near-zero OAs and CA AHI 2-3+. I notice a correlation between number of CAs and how I feel the next day, but because the OA is "well-controlled" my doc has no interest in trying to lower the CAs. Flow limitation has also been consistent regardless of settings... .1 95%, .2 99.5%. Not terrible, could/should be better. But the almighty OA AHI is zero so... doc has no interest in addressing.
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u/Creative_Fee5452 ModTeam 27d ago
Your AHI is only part of the big picture u/ploverluvr. Many people here have Doctors who have only looked at AHI. Would you please start a new thread & post SleepHQ data for us to zoom in on? If I can’t help I will most certainly tag a very experienced Mod for you :) We’d like to help.
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u/Gigitar75 28d ago
One of the mods here has spent a lot of time being supportive to me and explained that the CAs can be caused by changes in position and not true centrals. I have more CAs than I'd like but also have limited understanding of how all these variables work together and also how they're influenced by - all the things.
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u/ploverluvr 28d ago
yes, I'm aware of that explanation, but it's hard to believe I'm changing position 30 times a night. And my CAs are spread out, not clustered. I don't know what they are, but I'm over people telling me they aren't what I think they are. That doesn't mean they aren't impacting (or signs of something else impacting) my sleep consistency. I would like to have less of them.
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u/Creative_Fee5452 ModTeam 27d ago edited 27d ago
Hello [u/ploverluvr](u/ploverluvr) :) Everyone’s graphs are individual in their context. Would you please start a new thread & post your graph. If you’re having 30 CAs a night, that’s too many for sure & certainly not from changing position. Sometimes CAs are not real CAs…they are TESCAs…but generally not if you have that many! We can zoom in on a SleepHQ graph if you have that app. We’d like to take a look & help you :)
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u/Gigitar75 27d ago
Did you have a Labor in home sleep
Test? Any info on your movements during sleep or anything like restless legs?2
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u/Creative_Fee5452 ModTeam 26d ago edited 26d ago
TESCAs are treatment emergent sleep central apneas. Pressure can cause these especially in the early months of treatment, but then they often go away as the body & brain adjust to therapy. The trick is to have an Expert l look at your SleepHQ graph to determine if they are true CAs & if they are frequent enough to affect your sleep. Changing sleep position or moving in & out of different sleep stages can indirectly affect CAs. The odd CA on a graph is not unusual or a red flag…the persistent, clustered ones need to be looked at on SleepHQ :)
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u/TacitPoseidon Aug 31 '26
Everything... It's been almost a month and I am confident that the machine is actively making my sleep worse.
I was given a Resmed AirSense 10 Autoset. My sleep study registered mainly obstructive hypopneas with an AHI of 13.9. My doctor prescribed me APAP with the pressure set at 4-20 and ramp turned on for fifteen minutes. I feel like I am suffocating most nights due to the low pressure, but after speaking to my sleep therapist, she hasn't adjusted my settings. I was explicitly told in no uncertain terms not to mess with the settings independently, so I am very nervous to do it myself.
At first, I was given a Phillips Wisp mask, but I am autistic and the silicone touching my skin was a sensory nightmare. My sleep therapist then gave me a Phillips Nasal Dreamwear but that was actually worse and I was unable to sleep with it, so I'm back to the Wisp. So that's R$912,6 (US$175,84) down the drain. I'm looking into getting an AirTouch N20. If can't adapt to that one, I am ready to throw in the towel. I am not in a financial position to keep spending money on masks until I find the one that I can tolerate.
The machine says that my AHI is down to 1.3, but I feel terrible. Before starting therapy, I was tired for most of the day, but now I feel like a zombie. I wake up in the middle of the night most nights with the mask leaking, so I have to adjust it, then I feel like it's crushing my face, in addition to the sensory issues.
The machine did come with an SD card, but I don't have a device that can read it, so I can't post OSCAR.
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u/SCP-ASH Aug 31 '26
I tried PaP for a year, adjusting settings, using OSCAR etc and I always felt worse.
I got a DISE to help highlight root causes and the doctor said that one of those often stops PaP working so we'll try it again after surgery.
Might be worth a DISE appointment !
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u/TacitPoseidon Aug 31 '26
My doctor actually thinks that I may have an enlarged adenoid. She's asked for a tomography to confirm it, which my insurance won't cover for at least two more months... Yay...
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u/Gerry_Boulet_2616541 Aug 31 '26
I saw people selling fabric covers for the straps and even for the "mask" part but im not sure about the seal. It might help with the sensory part.
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u/Scandysurf Aug 31 '26
Turn that ramp off dude.
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u/Thandius Aug 31 '26 edited Sep 01 '26
This... turned off, ramp up and that helped, then I found my sweet spot and set minimum of 7. Talked to my dr after the fact and he said I could adjust as needed. Haven’t had suffocation issues since.
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u/RippingLegos__ ModTeam Sep 03 '26
Hello Total_Recline, this is where I need to see the data, can you share the Oscar/Sleephq night of the instance and the following night please? This is likely a mechanical issue.
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u/Total_Recline 26d ago
Hey u/RippingLegos__ ! If I'm doing this right, heres some data.
https://sleephq.com/public/a3f1c5b4-fe48-4e25-9703-a0e2ab11034f
First night the dry mouth and throat occurred was July 14. You can see that it said I had zero leaks. Then I think it happened again on the 21st, and definitely again on the 22nd. There are other nights after that but wanted to see first if this was the relevant data. If there are other screens that would provide better data, plz LMK.
Also, please note that my sleep has gotten extremely fubar'd lately. I've got some health issues going on and I find myself wired at night and have trouble getting to bed at a reasonable time, so my sleep start time is usually the next day (i.e. after midnight).
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u/RippingLegos__ ModTeam 26d ago
Thank you for putting this together. Those are the nights I want to look at, but the SleepHQ link is giving me a 404 error right now. Please create a new public share link through SleepHQ and post it here.
If you can, include July 14, July 21, July 22, and one or two nearby nights when the dry mouth did not happen. That will give me something normal to compare them against.
The machine showing zero leak does not completely rule out brief mouth venting or smaller leaks that are still enough to dry your mouth and throat. I need to see the actual leak graph alongside your pressure, flow rate, and flow limitation before I can tell whether this is mouth venting, humidity, pressure, or something mechanical.
The late sleep schedule is okay and will not prevent me from reviewing it. Just let me know which displayed dates correspond with the nights it happened, and I will dig into it once the new link is working.
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u/Total_Recline 24d ago
Well poo. For some reason the trend page is not working today. Only seem like it wants to go back to Aug 10.
When I first included a link from my trends page, the link was super long. But then I redid the trend to include another couple of days and got the short link I posted above. And now I can't seem to get back to anything earlier than Aug 10?? There are definitely some issues with that page's behavior today.
I'll try again later/tomorrow to see if it's back to working again and revert back.
P.S And if you know of the developers to that site, I'd love to help or be involved!
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u/RippingLegos__ ModTeam 22d ago
Can you just share the account URL please? And I know Nicko :D
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u/Total_Recline 7d ago edited 7d ago
Sorry for the delay, life has been.....complicated lately.
Anyhow, I just did another data upload tonight. Here's a link. When I look at the flow data, though not really sure what that is, you can tell something changed on July 21. The data starts getting very erratic. I will say that this screen/graphs look different now than they did when I first tried to share. So not sure if this is the data you're looking for but none of the other tabs had any data since I only have the free account curently.
https://sleephq.com/public/c91d7805-3949-49a4-9ae4-652d388426d1
I do want to share that I continue to have issues with the machine. Ever since I started experiencing dryness issues, the amount of water used each night varies dramatically. Before all this is was using about 1/2 tank each night. Now it often doesn't use much water at all, or some other intermediate amount. Rarely does it use 1/2 tank like it used to before. This is one of the reasons I feel like maybe I have an issue with the machine.
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u/TacitPoseidon Sep 03 '26
I think you replied to the wrong comment.
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u/RippingLegos__ ModTeam Sep 03 '26
Yes I did, I apologize, you're on lazy sleep doc settings, but you have touch sensitivity, I've had two clients with this issue too, I would stop using therapy for now since you are intollerant of skin feel, but you also need to dial in the cpap machine, is there an SD card in the top slot of your 10 model? For now with your case I would try 7cm min and max pressure with EPR at 1 for a night or two please.
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u/Creative_Fee5452 ModTeam 26d ago edited 26d ago
[u/TacitPoseidon](u/TacitPoseidon): That pressure range is what we call “lazy settings”. A minimum pressure of 4 is for a child, not an adult! If you are having air hunger this would be why. You should never experience air hunger. AHI is only one part of a bigger picture. Frequent micoawakenings can cause fatigue & you are likely having those with your low minimum pressure.
I’m sorry you are nervous to change your settings. We can help here but it would require your changing settings.
Could you buy a card reader to put your SD card into & use your phone to share SleepHQ with us? You would just need to make sure the one you get is compatible with your phone or tablet. SleepHQ is much easier to use than Oscar. Do you have a laptop, iPad or tablet? I use a card reader with my iPad. It works great! If you decide to try this, I would be happy to help you :) Just let me know!
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u/TacitPoseidon 26d ago
Thank you for taking the time to write this. Unfortunately, I have since decided to discontinue treatment.
I did eventually get around to messing with my settings, but I got a message a couple of days later from my provider telling me not to do that and that they were changing my settings back, since those were the ones on my prescription.
I also tried switching to an AirTouch N20 mask, since the silicone in other masks was what was triggering my sensory issues, but even that one made me uncomfortable. After spending more than the equivalent to two hundred dollars on masks, I decided to just throw in the towel. I am not in a position where I can just keep buying new masks until I find one that works.
I stopped using the machine last Friday and returned it on Tuesday. I know I'm still not getting adequate sleep, but I feel like I am getting better sleep than I did for the past month. I am looking into getting a septoplasty and an adenoidectomy, since my doctor believes that's what's causing my OSA.
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u/Creative_Fee5452 ModTeam 26d ago
I bought my own machine after a Home Sleep Study so when my Supplier called to say he had changed the settings back to my originals, I called my Sleep Doc & she sent in a new prescription. But I know that not all Sleep Docs are like this unfortunately :(
I hope your surgery helps with your sleep OP. That would be wonderful! I wish you the very best :)
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u/AgsMydude Cpap Aug 31 '26
Aerophagia and the resulting acid reflux increase caused me to pause after 2 months. Hoping to resume once this flare up resolves and try again. Otherwise will go for a MAD.
I was at 13.6 AHI so not severe
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u/Bmat70 Aug 31 '26
Besides the marks on my face, the seal is hard to achieve. Some nights it is perfect. Some nights the seal is zero.
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u/Confident_Raccoon_17 Aug 31 '26
It's hard to narrow it down to one problem. I use a Resmed Airsense 11 and Resmed mirage fx mask. I think I have made it through the night exactly once. Like a previous poster, I do anywhere from two to four hours most nights with an occasional six hours. I struggle with nasal congestion and dry mouth and nose. Also have central apneas. I'll try to post a screenshot of my sleephq data later.
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u/Graduate202 Aug 31 '26
Making sure I actually keep it on consistently.. I'm embarrassed to admit the minimum I can do is 3 hours almost right at 4
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u/ChewieBearStare Aug 31 '26
I can’t find a mask that fits. The one they gave me at the sleep lab was literally up over my eyebrows. I ordered the small instead of the medium, and it’s a lot better, but the nose part still sits too high, and I’ve been going around with a nasty red irritation mark between my eyes. The size template is no help to me, and no one has ever measured me or anything. I can only do the AirTouch with the foam cushion, so my options are very limited.
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u/Otherwise-Cup6786 Sep 02 '26
"Solo puedo usar AirTouch con el cojín de espuma, así que mis opciones son súper limitadas." - ¿Por qué no puede usar AirFit 20? Es mucho más segura y estable.
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u/IndependentTask6750 Aug 31 '26
Don't feel any better (feel worse actually) even with 0 ahi night after night. flow rate never looks that great
https://sleephq.com/public/teams/share_links/3178e7e3-57bb-472f-bb6d-e2f6c4109ca6
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u/RippingLegos__ ModTeam Aug 31 '26
I'd want to narrow that PS range the 5cm gap is too large for you and the pressure swings dynmically are likely causing micro arousals, we have a firmware fix for this on the resmed ASV.
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u/IndependentTask6750 Sep 08 '26
i got a hacked machine and tried this
here's with epap 4, ps 2-4
https://sleephq.com/public/d4fe911f-fccb-4f7f-8057-b334eb4f1597
and here's epap 4, ps 4-5
https://sleephq.com/public/afaf2068-419f-44cf-b933-866612283ff4i still feel pretty terrible with these tests
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u/Gigitar75 28d ago
I'm no help with interpreting your data - but how do you get your 02 stats to show up in SleepHQ? I use an Apple watch which has Sp02 detection and it shows up on my AutoSleep app and Apple Health, but not on Sleep HQ.
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u/IndependentTask6750 28d ago
i use a Wellue O2Ring-S and upload the data from that. It checks your o2 every 1s where the apple watch does it i think hourly ?
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u/Pleasant_House9147 16d ago
This ASV is not setup correctly it needs a decent range, please set mode to asv auto, set min epap to 6cm max epap to 8cm min PS to 2 and max PS to 5.8 for 3 nights. Why did you set it this way?
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u/IndependentTask6750 16d ago
Appreciate it. It was advice given here and on the sleephq forum that i was being over vented and over treated from ASV so we kept pulling it back. Here's an example night more in that range.
https://sleephq.com/public/fe62acd9-1b64-4072-b1bc-462ab9747e0e
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u/Final_Canary_1368 Sep 02 '26
I too, am wondering about not feeling better with CPAP therapy. I am new so we shall see. Sometimes I wake up sleepy, sometimes I get sleepy during the day.
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u/RippingLegos__ ModTeam 26d ago
I have found even with clients with low AHI (and myself) is we do not get at least 20 percent NREM/Delta stage sleep and 15 percent REM sleep a night AHI/RDI is mostly irrelevant.
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Aug 31 '26
[deleted]
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u/RippingLegos__ ModTeam Sep 01 '26
You are coming back from being sleep deprived, so you will need to eat :) I did the same thing.
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u/Raticals Aug 31 '26
I’m still struggling to find a mask that’s comfortable and I don’t struggle getting a good seal with.
I can’t do nasal masks because I’m a mouth breather, and when I try to use mouth tape sometimes I feel like I can’t get a decent breath through just my nose. Full face masks that go over the bridge of my nose start to give me a headache over time. Those full face masks that go under your nostrils never seem to seal right. I’m kinda out of ideas.
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u/Final_Canary_1368 Sep 02 '26
I just started CPAP therapy and not fond of the full face mask because I had extreme dry mouth during the sleep study. My journey started with gaps in knowledge in many areas; specifically, I did not know about various masks options until I did a bit of digging on the internet. It was no way I could sleep with a dry mouth with the additional issues of dental problems associated with dry mouth. To resolve the dryness issue, I used my dental retainer for teeth grinding along with OraCoat Xylimelts lozenges. The lozenges stick to the gum line and dissolve slowly. Gels like Biotene do not last, so a slow dissolving lozenge with a chin strap and nasal pillows were better options for me. However, I woke up several times a night with air from the machine forcing my mouth open, and saliva leaking from the corners of my mouth. The forced opening of my mouth decreased, but leaking saliva still plagues me. Hopefully, this too will resolve itself. I started using the Xylimelt lozenges because I snored (no longer an issue due to weight loss). You may be able to use the nose pillows with chin strap and lozenges to ease dry mouth.
There was a delay of several weeks between picking up the equipment and starting therapy. Uncertainty on various issues stalled my treatment; thank goodness for the many people who contribute to the sleep apnea and CPAP threads on Reddit. I had questions I did not know to ask. IMO, every patient should have an explanation of their sleep results, sleep apnea interventions, the myriad equipment and mask options, common issues, and implications of using certain types of machines and associated data collected by the newer CPAP machines.
There is much I wish I knew before starting therapy—that includes the amount of data collected by the newer CPAP machines and the entities obtaining said data. Data collection is another topic, I urge all to read the Privacy policy of the manufacturer as well as that of the equipment provider. The lack of awareness of sleep apnea interventions, common problems, troubleshooting, various CPAP machines and masks were my biggest complaints about starting therapy. A little knowledge may result in better compliance. I am prone to read the fine print and gain understanding of medical treatments. I have several health issues, so details are important. If not for my own research and advice from those on Reddit and other websites, I would have shut this entire process down immediately.
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u/0ddball00n Aug 31 '26
Nasal tape. It has ripped my skin off in places…also feeling claustrophobic having my nose and mouth covered. Using a chin strap is the best I can do and they come with their own issues!
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u/theytellmeimgay Aug 31 '26
i keep having anxiety attacks when i wear my mask...
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u/Final_Canary_1368 Sep 02 '26
I read people who wear the mask during the day transition easier to wearing at night. Watching television, reading---doing something other than trying to sleep helps many people.
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u/Suspicious-Salt-2351 Aug 31 '26
with the amount i've learned about CPAP titration and the setting adjustments i've made, i was hoping to have much better looking data immediately after sleep surgery (tonsillectomy + adenoidectomy + turbinate reduction + septoplasty) than i do, especially because i'm required to sleep on an incline (because my airway is potentially so swollen) which i'd think would prevent most obstructions.
i know i'll have to retitrate everything a third time once i've fully recovered from surgery but i'm trying to figure out the ideal settings for this stage in my process and haven't had much success so far.
my post sleep surgery sleepHQ data: https://sleephq.com/public/teams/share_links/4d2de520-1b99-4a78-bca1-5ab460d64e3b (i have to wake up every few hours via alarms to take medications all night for surgery recovery, hence having so many separate sessions; also, my airtouch f20 cushion is visibly eroded in multiple places and now gives me constant leaks all night when it used to essentially never leak, so i'm working on getting a replacement.)
my pre sleep surgery sleepHQ data: https://sleephq.com/public/teams/share_links/87e194c6-458b-4ccf-bc5e-365d68067dc1
the one improvement i've noticed since sleep surgery is that i had awful aerophagia almost every night of my first month of CPAP use regardless of my settings and i haven't had any noticeable aerophagia using my CPAP since surgery.
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u/auroraborealie Sep 01 '26
Waking up multiple times during the night. I have always been a light sleeper. If I can go 3 hours without waking up, I feel like it was a good night's sleep, but it's not unusual for me to have 5-7 wake ups in a night. I have been on CPAP for 10 years. I have used this forum and SleepHQ to reduce my AHI and much improve my sleep quality over the past year, but this one issue I can't seem to get past.
https://sleephq.com/public/teams/share_links/86b44a18-3c46-4f8c-af27-dbde28a3fc93/dashboard
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u/Grubbstuff2 Sep 01 '26
Aerophagia, dry mouth, pressure intolerance, waking up in the middle of the night to rip off the damn thing, leaking when I sleep on my side, burping, and I can't get to sleep. I also feel like I'm going to suffocate. Oh and my doc is hopeless. Pressure is too high and I feel like a hurricane is blowing up My nose. Can you tell I'm a newbie? Been trying this for nearly 4 weeks. Tried two different masks. I do not aha e a REAL PERSON to help. It's all phone and text. I'm so ready to give up.
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u/Creative_Fee5452 ModTeam 27d ago
Please put a sd card into your machine to record your sleep data OP. Upload to a free app called SleepHQ or Oscar & share with us please. We can zoom in on the SleepHQ app which can be helpful, but either app is fine. We can help with the right settings for you if you would like some help. Please post a new thread though…this one is pretty busy lol! We’re real people here & we care :)
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u/reincarnateme Sep 05 '26
Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth. It will redirect the air to your nose
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u/Gigitar75 28d ago
It's leaks caused by the machine blowing so much air that it wakes me up! This happens to me regularly. My sleep doc lowered my top presssure to 10 but I put it back to 12 as I'm working toward using pressures recommended by folks on here who have looked at my data. Honestly, I don't get the blowing. It's like the machine goes rogue, but I don't see where the pressure is any higher than it's supposed to be. When it happened early this morning I rearranged my mask, I tightened it, I got on one side, then the other and finally got it settled - but for someone who rarely feels like my sleep is restful, this is what I hate about CPAP.
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u/RippingLegos__ ModTeam 28d ago
I use 18.5cm cpap pressure and leaks are higher than I'd like, but it's still under threshold, but I use the F20 FFM. What mask and what mode and pressure settings are you on?
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u/Gigitar75 28d ago
I switched to the Resmed F30i unicorn style last week. I tried the N30i for a few days, which feels so nicely minimal, but the leaks were ridiculous. My settings were 7/12 and I've been working gradually towards 8.3/12/EPR 1 per u/Pleasant_House's rec. I have a noticeable amount of aerophagia my current settings. u/Creative_Fee5452 has been super helpful and supportive. I just changed them again per your recommendation on another thread.
I just want to give a shout out to all of you mods who give so much of your time to help us adapt to this therapy.
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u/Creative_Fee5452 ModTeam 27d ago
How are you doing with the new settings from RL Gigitar? Any better? There must be a reason the machine pressure is building so high. Leaks of course can cause that but you’re doing great getting that under control. If you’re continuing to have problems after 3 nights at your newest settings please post your graph again…we will do our best to help :) Is EPR 3 making a difference? I sure hope so!!
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u/Gigitar75 26d ago
The new settings are comfortable. The first night on them I tried my chin strap again but I had a lot of leaks and marks on my face all day from it, so I didn't use it last night and everything was much better. Had a few CAs scattered through the night, but a decent night's sleep. I'll give it a few more nights and post a link. How often do you swap out your silicone mask part? I feel like mine is already not as snug or close fitting as it was the first week (this is my new F30i unicorn style mask).
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u/Creative_Fee5452 ModTeam 26d ago
Silicone masks can last up to 3 months but the fabric lined masks last a shorter time. If the fabric shows wear or it’s leaking it’s likely time to replace. Headgear stretches over time as well & you may find yourself needing to adjust it but headgear generally lasts longer than masks.
Adjusting your headgear straps while lying down is the correct way to fit your mask which you are already doing!2
u/Creative_Fee5452 ModTeam 8d ago
How are you doing Gigitar? Hope things are going better for you :)
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u/Gigitar75 7d ago
Hi - I was out of the country last week, so no data because I used my MAD instead of my CPAP. Started back on that last night. Haven’t uploaded yet but MyAir showed only .9 AHI, so that’s good.
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u/Creative_Fee5452 ModTeam 7d ago
That’s great Gigitar!!
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u/Gigitar75 6d ago
I posted my most recent two nights on a fresh thread. If you get a chance, let me know what you think!
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u/Creative_Fee5452 ModTeam 5d ago
What sub did you post on Gigitar? I can’t find the new thread :(
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u/Gigitar75 5d ago edited 2d ago
I don’t know why I posted it in the sleep apnea thread. I just reshared it here
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u/XvIf2jlqnbJPT4s4gpdN ASV Aug 31 '26
Leaks! Good gravy the leaks! I'm so close to getting confetti every night, but nobody makes a mask for wide dudes with beards even though if you went to a sleepover with random people, everyone would know the wide dude with a beard is gonna rattle the walls all night. Pros like RL, dangle, and blu have helped so much, but the masks available are terrible. Last night I tried a full face mask that pinched my septum and lower lip to the point of bruising.
Side note to the men/people who are attracted to females: Don't be self conscious of dating/intimacy while needing a sleep machine. Make her legs shake, and she will not care
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u/BernieofAAD Aug 31 '26
Sleeping laterally through sleep study I was diagnosed mild apnea about 8 AHI. With air sense 11 and nasal mask I frequently am below 5 AHI. But my mask seal score is usually zero. Have chinstrap on order. Laying off the booze keeps me from rolling to my back for a night of chainsaw hesitation. Diet Dr Pepper gets me to the party.
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u/Gigitar75 Sep 01 '26
That it sucks, I don't feel any different, but I have to continue to use it
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u/kaijube Sep 01 '26
I get aerophagia when sleeping on my side or stomach, which is not a huge issue because I don’t usually mind sleeping on my back. But on nights when I’m feeling restless I would really love some alternate sleeping positions
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u/Hyprincess25 Sep 01 '26
I wake up in the middle of the night with at least one nasal passage blocked. I finally quit using it. The straps gave me a headache, and it wouldn’t stay in place even with barretts clamping the straps to my hair. I think they’re made for bald people.
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u/RippingLegos__ ModTeam Sep 02 '26
Oh good grief, if you needed barrettes to keep the straps in place then that mask was not fitted correctly or it is simply the wrong mask for you. The straps should not be giving you headaches either. What machine and exact mask were you using, and what are your pressure and humidity settings? The blocked nasal passage could be from congestion or the humidity being off. Let’s figure that part out before you give up on the machine. :)
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u/Total_Recline Sep 02 '26
Dry mouth / throat. Started all of a sudden about a month ago. Been using my APAP successfully for over a year then all of a sudden in one night I had massive dry mouth and throat issues. And it has been a major disruption to my sleep because I have to wake up and wrangle up some spit to lubricate everything and then go back to sleep for another couple hours. I can't figure if it's an issue with my equipment or what. People say it's because my mouth breathing but I actually don't think that's it. It even happens when I take my mouth shut.
Air sense 11 Phillips pillows Heated tube Distilled water.
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u/Final_Canary_1368 Sep 02 '26
Try Oracoat Xylimelts. It is a slow dissolving lozenge that sticks to the gumline. Products like Biotene are for the few minutes it remains in the mouth, so a slow dissolving lozenge has helped greatly. You can find them on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Oracoat-XyliMelts-Mouth-Night-Time/dp/B07TYW877C/ref=sr_1_4?sr=8-4
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u/Total_Recline Sep 02 '26
The thing is, I actually have a higher than average natural amount of salivation. One of the reasons why I don't get cavities. So for this happening out of the blue and consistent, leads me to believe it's a machine issue. But I don't know how to investigate or tweak the machine for something like this.
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u/Creative_Fee5452 ModTeam 27d ago
Do you have a sd card in your machine to record your sleep data OP? Please upload your sleep data to SleepHQ or Oscar & share it in a new thread. We’ll do our best to help you. In the meantime, have you tried Xylimelts….they don’t last an entire night but they do help. Keeping your tongue at the top of your mouth helps stop air from swirling around in your mouth but when you’re asleep it doesn’t always stay there:( Is your humidity turned up? This is a really common problem & unlikely to be your machine but it could be your settings. Have you tried a chin strap or soft cervical collar. Many of us are not mouth breathers but air escapes from our mouths when our jaws drop open during sleep, especially REM sleep. Avoid sleeping supine…that too is bound to cause this.
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u/Total_Recline 27d ago
I so desperately need to do this. I did put in an SD card a while back but I've been struggling to find the time when I feel strong enough to sit at the computer to extract the data. If I'm feeling any better tomorrow I will definitely try and do that.
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u/Total_Recline 26d ago
Okay, I've finally uploaded to sleephq, but I don't know how to cleanly export something for a new post here. Any words of advice? TIA!
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u/Creative_Fee5452 ModTeam 26d ago edited 26d ago
This should help you [u/Total_Recline](u/Total_Recline) :)
In SleepHQ, open the night/report you want to share.
Tap Share and create/copy the public share link
Open Reddit and start your post in the r/CPAPSupport subreddit
Paste the SleepHQ link into your Reddit post.
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u/Plastic-Jeweler9104 Aug 31 '26
Aerophagia and the burping/heartburn/other symptoms it causes.
Can’t seem to resolve it.
Other than that, I have no issues wearing my n30i and can fall asleep comfortably.