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Deciding which first mask for snoring, back, sleeper
#1
Deciding which first mask for snoring, back, sleeper
Hi,
I have been lucky enough to have my second sleep study brought forward from end of January to this Saturday night, I am so happy about this.
Am I allowed to ask these people for my preference in masks or do they just give me what they think is best?
I was wondering if snoring back sleepers were able to have nasal masks, or were they better off with FF masks.
I have done some homework on ResMed Mirage FX mask, and I quite like the qualities of that one. Of course I know once I get it on it may be no good for me but I would like it know if it was any good for the type of sleeper I am please.
My AHI was 17.5, not sure if that is any help.
If you have any other recommendations that may suit my requirements, they will be much appreciated thanks.
Sleep Tight...
Gabby
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#2
RE: Deciding which first mask for snoring, back, sleeper
Masks are very individual and so many factors go into it. I was told by the last sleep lab manager that it is preferred to start out with nasal mask or nasal pillows and go to a full face mask as a last resort. If you are a mouth breather, a chin strap may be necessary. I was started on the Quattro FX and did not like it. I tried the Mirage Quattro and the Amara Gel and had huge leak issues where it further hindered my sleep quality by waking me up. Then I tried the wisp nasal mask along with a chin strap and so far, it is working well. What masks I like other people did not like them and vice versa. If you can, start out with a nasal mask or nasal pillows. There is also the liberty that goes in the nose with nasal pillows and the mouth which is different from a full face mask but is considered a full face mask. I don't know if the lab will have those. My sleep lab said they had trouble getting those. Full face masks cover a lot of area and the are prone to leaking more than nasal masks or nasal pillows. The lab should have a chin strap in case you are a mouth breather. I am sure others will have other suggestions for you. The day of your sleep test, don't take a nap and go in tired but don't overdo it or you may hurt and not sleep well. Hope this helps a little.
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#3
RE: Deciding which first mask for snoring, back, sleeper
(12-18-2013, 07:44 AM)Gabby Wrote: Hi,
I have been lucky enough to have my second sleep study brought forward from end of January to this Saturday night, I am so happy about this.
Am I allowed to ask these people for my preference in masks or do they just give me what they think is best?
I was wondering if snoring back sleepers were able to have nasal mas, or were they better off with FF masks.
I have done some homework on ResMed Mirage FX mask, and I quite like the qualities of that one. Of course I know once I get it on it may be no good for me but I would like it know if it was any good for the type of sleeper I am please.
My AHI was 17.5, not sure if that is any help.
If you have any other recommendations that may suit my requirements, they will be much appreciated thanks.
Thanks me50 once again for your valuable help. I am always tired but will make sure I do not have a sleep that afternoon.
I have just been reading about the Quattro Air FF mask, that doesn't seem to bad if I require one.
I am hoping what you said about them trying the nasal pillows and masks first will be what happens. I am a bit worried about the FF mask. It scares me a bit and I am concerned I won't be able to manage it, in case I get claustrophobic.
I do get claustrophobic but I am not sure how these FF masks will effect me, if at all they will, hopefully they won't.
Sleep Tight...
Gabby
Post Reply Post Reply
#4
RE: Deciding which first mask for snoring, back, sleeper
(12-18-2013, 08:40 AM)Gabby Wrote:
(12-18-2013, 07:44 AM)Gabby Wrote: Hi,
I have been lucky enough to have my second sleep study brought forward from end of January to this Saturday night, I am so happy about this.
Am I allowed to ask these people for my preference in masks or do they just give me what they think is best?
I was wondering if snoring back sleepers were able to have nasal mas, or were they better off with FF masks.
I have done some homework on ResMed Mirage FX mask, and I quite like the qualities of that one. Of course I know once I get it on it may be no good for me but I would like it know if it was any good for the type of sleeper I am please.
My AHI was 17.5, not sure if that is any help.
If you have any other recommendations that may suit my requirements, they will be much appreciated thanks.
Thanks me50 once again for your valuable help. I am always tired but will make sure I do not have a sleep that afternoon.
I have just been reading about the Quattro Air FF mask, that doesn't seem to bad if I require one.
I am hoping what you said about them trying the nasal pillows and masks first will be what happens. I am a bit worried about the FF mask. It scares me a bit and I am concerned I won't be able to manage it, in case I get claustrophobic.
I do get claustrophobic but I am not sure how these FF masks will effect me, if at all they will, hopefully they won't.

You can politely refuse a full face mask and explain you want nasal pillows or nasal mask. No more should have to be explained to them. If you don't plan to use a full face mask nightly on a CPAP machine, then it is a waste to give you a full face mask during your sleep study.

As an FYI: I have allergies and my nose gets clogged sometimes. It has NOT affected me with the nasal mask. I make sure I blow my nose, use a nasal spray if I need to and never have issues.

I don't know if they told you or not, but don't put hair product in your hair and make sure you wash your hair and take a shower/bath prior to going to the sleep lab. Take your pillow(s), a blanket if you want to. The very first sleep study I had I was freezing and I kept calling the tech over the intercom and I swear they must have been sleeping because it took them 30 minutes to answer me. What a waste of time!
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#5
RE: Deciding which first mask for snoring, back, sleeper
You *should* have the opportunity to talk to the tech about masks and possibly try on different masks (although that may be later when you get yours). Chances are they'll start you off with the pillows unless something more is indicated by your first study. I snore like crazy and sleep on my side and get along well with nasal pillows.
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#6
RE: Deciding which first mask for snoring, back, sleeper
A few thoughts to consider?

Some sleep techs are better than others about taking the time to let you try different masks. Some will give you one and say try this first and call it done. Others may give you 5-7 different ones to try. We can't really suggest a mask for you (well, we can - I love the Wisp) as what I love may be the worst choice for you. For all the folks that love the 'Wisp', there is just as many that can't even get it to work - example.

You can 'train' yourself to keep your mouth closed if you work at it. Read about 'self-talk', and how you can basically brain-wash yourself - it really does work.

Try to get a DME that has a policy that allows you to return a mask within 30 days (for another one) if you don't like it. And, get a new mask (different ones til you find what you love) as often as your insurance allows - buying masks out of your own pocket gets spendy fast. Most folks are lucky if they can find a mask that works well within the first 5-10 they try.
*I* am not a DOCTOR or any type of Health Care Professional.  My thoughts/suggestions/ideas are strictly only my opinions.

"Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you. Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your Soul, the other for your Freedom."
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#7
RE: Deciding which first mask for snoring, back, sleeper
Not everybody can train him/herself to keep her/his mouth closed. Some will find it necessary to use a full face mask. There are quite a lot of different factors at play that vary greatly from person to person, not the least of which being the actual physical properties of an individual's airway and it is important to remember that voluntary muscle control is lost when in the stages of sleep we are trying so desperately to maintain. If it were always as simple as training one's self to keep the jaw or tongue held or flexed a certain way, then why bother with it? Why not just train yourself to keep the airway open? This is what we all do while awake, that's why we only need PAP when sleeping. A chinstrap does not depend on any type of muscle control, so if that works for you...great! Some tongue positioning techniques rely on gravity or friction, if they work...great! But these things don't work for everyone. It is best to keep an open mind and be willing to try things, but not be dead set on either nasal interface or full face. I was determined to get nasal interfaces to work and wasted hundreds of dollars and weeks of good sleep trying to work it out. What makes matters worse is that I am NOT a mouth breather and breath exclusively through my nose with ffm - I simply can't keep pressure from escaping between my lips with a nasal interface once I hit REM sleep.

Snoring should stop when you use PAP, if it doesn't then your pressure is set too low or some other problem needs to be worked out. Most of us were prodigious snorers before PAP and that will make no difference in what type of mask works best.

Back sleeping won't make a difference either (though it does make many have to use higher pressures to keep the airway open). Some find it easier to side sleep with nasal interface, but many of us side sleep with full face mask with no problem. My hat is off to anyone who has figured out a way to belly sleep with any mask...that's a tough one.


As for mask recommendations - Quattro FX doesn't have a forehead brace, which is nice and I think might help keep claustrophobic feelings at bay, but is really tricky to keep leak free (mainly due to lack of forehead brace). Mirage Quattro is the most popular ffm and many (but not all) find it to be easier to adjust leaks out, but it is fairly bulky. I haven't tried Quattro Air yet, but some love it and some say it is tricky for leaks. If asked for a recommendation on what to try first for a new PAPer that needs FFM, I would say give Mirage Quattro a go and make absolutely sure to watch the ResMed video guide for it and make sure to experiment with the forehead dial to get the seal at the nose right.

My two cents, give nasal interfaces an honest effort but don't get carried away and don't feel like you must be doing something wrong if you can't get them to work. Full face masks really aren't that bad and after having used one for a while and working out all the kinks, I kind of like being able to just pop the mask on and not having to worry about anything...but to each his or her own

Sleep-well.
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#8
RE: Deciding which first mask for snoring, back, sleeper
Welcome to the forum, Gabby! It's exciting when the sleep study gets close because you feel like you're finally on track to get some answers and get a good night's sleep. It can be hard to fall asleep when you have dozens of wires hooked to you, you're in a strange bed and you have a camera on you, so don't stress out if you have trouble falling asleep. One of my biggest problems was that I apparently was in the habit of looking at the clock every time I woke up during the night (at home) and since there's no clock in the sleep center room, my brain was constantly trying to figure out what time it was! I was worried they wouldn't get enough data because I couldn't fall asleep, and I really hoped they would be able to do a split night study (where they use the CPAP machine for the second part of the night). The good news was that they got enough data, but the bad news was that it so late by the time they got it, they couldn't do the titration study that night so I had to have a second study a few weeks later.

Hopefully your tech will be a good one and will show you different masks, talk about the pros and cons of each and let you make the decision about which one you want to try. Most of the techs are good and happy to help you.

My best advice is just to take several deep breaths, relax, and don't worry if you don't fall asleep immediately even though you might do that at home. This is definitely not like a typical night sleeping at home. Wink

Good luck!
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#9
RE: Deciding which first mask for snoring, back, sleeper
(12-18-2013, 03:12 PM)jgjones1972 Wrote: Not everybody can train him/herself to keep her/his mouth closed. Some will find it necessary to use a full face mask. There are quite a lot of different factors at play that vary greatly from person to person, not the least of which being the actual physical properties of an individual's airway and it is important to remember that voluntary muscle control is lost when in the stages of sleep we are trying so desperately to maintain. If it were always as simple as training one's self to keep the jaw or tongue held or flexed a certain way, then why bother with it? Why not just train yourself to keep the airway open? This is what we all do while awake, that's why we only need PAP when sleeping. A chinstrap does not depend on any type of muscle control, so if that works for you...great! Some tongue positioning techniques rely on gravity or friction, if they work...great! But these things don't work for everyone. It is best to keep an open mind and be willing to try things, but not be dead set on either nasal interface or full face. I was determined to get nasal interfaces to work and wasted hundreds of dollars and weeks of good sleep trying to work it out. What makes matters worse is that I am NOT a mouth breather and breath exclusively through my nose with ffm - I simply can't keep pressure from escaping between my lips with a nasal interface once I hit REM sleep.

Snoring should stop when you use PAP, if it doesn't then your pressure is set too low or some other problem needs to be worked out. Most of us were prodigious snorers before PAP and that will make no difference in what type of mask works best.

Back sleeping won't make a difference either (though it does make many have to use higher pressures to keep the airway open). Some find it easier to side sleep with nasal interface, but many of us side sleep with full face mask with no problem. My hat is off to anyone who has figured out a way to belly sleep with any mask...that's a tough one.


As for mask recommendations - Quattro FX doesn't have a forehead brace, which is nice and I think might help keep claustrophobic feelings at bay, but is really tricky to keep leak free (mainly due to lack of forehead brace). Mirage Quattro is the most popular ffm and many (but not all) find it to be easier to adjust leaks out, but it is fairly bulky. I haven't tried Quattro Air yet, but some love it and some say it is tricky for leaks. If asked for a recommendation on what to try first for a new PAPer that needs FFM, I would say give Mirage Quattro a go and make absolutely sure to watch the ResMed video guide for it and make sure to experiment with the forehead dial to get the seal at the nose right.

My two cents, give nasal interfaces an honest effort but don't get carried away and don't feel like you must be doing something wrong if you can't get them to work. Full face masks really aren't that bad and after having used one for a while and working out all the kinks, I kind of like being able to just pop the mask on and not having to worry about anything...but to each his or her own

Sleep-well.
Thanks for all of that jgjones1972. I shall do some more homework on the wisp and also what I did get from it was FF masks are not as frightening as I have made them out to be. I have been looking at the Quattro Air and thinking that doesn't look too bad. They said it is the newer version of the FX.
I am concerned as to how I will keep my mouth from not opening at all, even with a chin strap. This is why I am thinking as much as I think I would prefer the nasal mask, I think the FF would probably do the job better for me.
I liked your last sentence about just popping the mask on and not having to worry about anything.
I am about to phone the people I will be getting my mask from and asking them how many free trials I will be able to have, if indeed any. I hope they will oblige here or I maybe looking elsewhere to purchase my mask.
Thanks again for your help, you have given me more food for thought.
Sleep Tight...
Gabby
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#10
RE: Deciding which first mask for snoring, back, sleeper
Gabby,

You may end up needing a FFM. However, I have been a big mouth breather for as long as I can remember b/c I have allergies and my nose stays stopped up most the time. I got a chin strap and don't have any issues with high leaks with the wisp. I can't say how it will work for you as all masks/nasal pillows/FFM's work differently depending upon so many variables. Wishing you a very successful sleep study and finding the perfect mask. Don't get frustrated if it takes several masks to find the right one.
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