how to reduce leaks with dreamwear mask

[kdmorris410]

Opal, the frame itself comes in sm, med and large as well as the nasal cushion sizes. Most DME seem to just give everyone the medium frame, but you should be able to get a small frame to see if it works.

[Want2SleepInMT]

I have to have my hair pulled into a pony tail at the top of my head, and bobby pin the straps to my hair. So far this is the only way to keep the Dreamwear from sliding around due to my hair. also, those little metal clips that are tension held in your hair might help too.

[Sacktime]

I have to have my hair pulled into a pony tail at the top of my head, and bobby pin the straps to my hair. So far this is the only way to keep the Dreamwear from sliding around due to my hair. also, those little metal clips that are tension held in your hair might help too.

Won't work for me I am hair challenged (bald).

[Want2SleepInMT]

Won't work for me I am hair challenged (bald).

Well, that makes my solution slightly problematic! I saw someone else mention that they use blue painters tape to keep their mouth from falling open (kinda weird use for it, but hey....) and it got me thinking, that maybe your lack of hair would make this a useful solution for mask positioning? if that squicks you out, you can get athletic tape, or some type of medical bandage tape, (be sure to get the adhesive remover pads that hospitals have too) to get the positioning correct.

[FrankNichols]

I have to have my hair pulled into a pony tail at the top of my head, and bobby pin the straps to my hair. So far this is the only way to keep the Dreamwear from sliding around due to my hair. also, those little metal clips that are tension held in your hair might help too.

Won't work for me I am hair challenged (bald).

The up side of that is you leave far less DNA evidence at crime scenes

[Sacktime]

Won't work for me I am hair challenged (bald).

Well, that makes my solution slightly problematic! I saw someone else mention that they use blue painters tape to keep their mouth from falling open (kinda weird use for it, but hey....) and it got me thinking, that maybe your lack of hair would make this a useful solution for mask positioning? if that squicks you out, you can get athletic tape, or some type of medical bandage tape, (be sure to get the adhesive remover pads that hospitals have too) to get the positioning correct.

Worth a try, I think I have some medical tape that might work.

[holden4th]

I did find that if anything pulls on the hose at the top of your head that will pull the straps out of place, so hose management behind your head is critical to minimize pulling the straps out of place. I still like this mask a lot and will continue to use it as my main mask but it would be nice to solve the strap movement issue.

I don't have a head board so I leave a gap between the mattress and the wall big enough for the hose to hang down. Seems to work well.

[Sacktime]

I did find that if anything pulls on the hose at the top of your head that will pull the straps out of place, so hose management behind your head is critical to minimize pulling the straps out of place. I still like this mask a lot and will continue to use it as my main mask but it would be nice to solve the strap movement issue.

I don't have a head board so I leave a gap between the mattress and the wall big enough for the hose to hang down. Seems to work well.

Yes, letting the hose hang down behind the bed versus being crammed up against a headboard seems to work. But I only have about one half of hose hanging down, I have a strap supporting the hose at about the half way point. I have a gap between the headboard and bed that allows the hose to hang down.

[mdillge2]

I really want this mask to work, but I the leaks are a deal killer.  I appreciate your idea, would love to try it, but I am having a hard time picturing it, any chance of posting a photo?  I feel like if the think pinched together tighter or it some pressed more against my check it would be fine.  

Thanks

[Hydrangea]

I've been experimenting, and here's my conclusion (short story long):

At my sleep study, the tiny chick was picking what she thought would fit me - she picked the M head thing and then L nose cushion.

It worked well. But if I rolled on my side, I needed to reposition it and even use my pillow to hold it in the proper place. I didn't know any better.

So DME gave me that set-up for home. Fine. I just tried not to be on my side much. Read comments here, and decided I could prove this mask is better than my side-sleeping mask-repositioning experience.

In measuring my nose on the paper that came with the mask, I measure anywhere from a M, MW, or a L for the nasal cushion. So I ordered the M and MW from Amazon.

Low and behold, the M fits me SO much better! I can roll over, and have no need for any repositioning! It stays put, doesn't leak.

So... I'd encourage you to try the variety of sizes.

I have a decently large head, and a large nose... and the M head thing and the M nose cushion fit me the best. In fact, the head thing (silicon tubes that come down the cheeks) is snug on my cheeks.

So maybe you could try smaller ones of both the head thing and the cushion.