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My Chinstrap Odyssey - retired_guy - 04-26-2015
So... here's the thing.
I love my cute little machine and mask. Together, they allow me to sleep through the night, awakening only occasionally to stretch, roll over, re-futz with my covers, and maybe once a night take a short out-of-bed "break." But fromt the time I lay down until I get puppy-awakened in the morning my cute little machine and mask keep pumping air into me and keeping me --- safe.
My O2 level, which during the day ranges from 91 or 92 while sitting around to maybe 84 or 85 when up and wandering around perks along at a very happy 93 all night long thanks in no small measure to my cute little machine. And the mask.... And the chinstrap I have been using to help keep everything working right.
But I do not actually share the same emotional attachment with my chinstrap as I do with my cute little machine and mask. It's a fine chinstrap and all that. I like it better than any of the other chinstraps I have tried. But, all the same, I'm just not all that enamored with wearing it.
I do wear it, or maybe I should say I have worn it, because it has been an effective way for me to reduce the air leakage from my mouth, and possibly my ears. I have a whole diatribe about using a chinstrap: Apply it gently, allow it to encourage your jaw to stay forward which then allows the tongue to find it's natural place at the roof off your mouth which makes the airway seal. I have advised thousands, yea even 10's, as to my idea of the right and perfect chinstrap and method of using it.
But I don't want to use it.
So I decided to take the plunge and see whether or not, with the passing of time, I could now happily put my chinstrip in the closet and go au naturel with merely my cute little machine and mask at night. So I did that. Three nights ago.
Night one: I woke up to take a "break" around 2:00am. That's when I decided to see if I could go without a chinstrap. Off it came. I haven't been Sleepyhead checking my results lately except maybe every week or 10 days. But I checked them after this momentous occasion. It was not a great result. Oh sure, my AHI was conspicuously absent, so that was fine, but the leakage after 2:00 am was awful. Then I noticed it was awful before 2:00 am. So clearly removing the chinstrap did not make anything worse. Awful was still awful.
Night two: Replaced mask with spare. New pillows (well, recycled from my bucket of pillows). No chinstrap. Leakage? Not good. But my mouth is staying very glued shut at night without the chinstrap. So the leakage has to be coming from the pillows. Not my cute little mouth.
Night three: Threw away the pillows from the night before, now using a new (recycled) set of pillows. Leakage? Not good. But I'm absolutely sure, that for the most part, my mouth airway is staying well closed. So something else must be going on.
Tonight I'll try a brand new mask and a brand new set of pillows and see where we are.
In the end, it really isn't too big a deal. My AHI is still setting on zero most of the time. I haven't been able to get it below that however. I'm completly enjoying my sleep at night, and am doing well during the day. So what if Sleepyhead is a little cranky about my leak rate?
It's all good.
...and if it proves to not be all good, then out will come the chinstrap again for a repeat engagement. It's a great tool to have that helps us with our therapy. But it's not like I'm married to it or anything.
RE: My Chinstrap Odyssey - trailrider - 04-26-2015
Thanks for the description of how you deal with it. And I love the entertainment you provide with your wry, dry, humour.
RE: My Chinstrap Odyssey - OpalRose - 04-26-2015
I know, I have a love-hate relationship with my chin strap too.
I try to look at it as a mini face lift......well until I take it off halfway through the night. :grin:
RE: My Chinstrap Odyssey - trish6hundred - 04-26-2015
I know what you mean, retired_guy, I'm not crazy about any chinstrap either, even my homemade one out of a P10 headgear. See Here: http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-Imagine-A-truly-minimalist-chinstrap?highlight=Minimalist+Chinstrap .
I mean, for me it's better than all the others, but I still don't like it. Sometimes I wind up taking it off in the middle of the night, as I have done with all other chinstraps that I have tried. I can make all the other aspects of this therapy work but, compliance, with a chinstrap? HUH, NO WAY! and I have tried,! frustrating, indeed.!
Ah well, I just keep on trying in spite of that damned thing, (Ha-Ha-Ha,) with and without it.
Good luck to you with it R_G and if you should find "the holy Graille" of chinstraps, I'm sure we would all like to here about it, (Ha-Ha.)
RE: My Chinstrap Odyssey - truetopath - 04-26-2015
I've been trying to wean off my chinstrap as well, but unsuccessfully. My mouth pops open like a can of Pringles. So, in order to keep wearing pillows, which were life changing for me, I'll keep wearing the chin strap. I hope it works for you without it!
RE: My Chinstrap Odyssey - PaulaO2 - 04-26-2015
if you are having major leaks, your AHI is not valid. You don't know if you are having events or not during those leaks. But then, if the leak time isn't that long, and you're not having that many otherwise, you aren't that stupid to not have the common sense to figure it out. Right?
And I'll also say it: get another mask. Resistance is futile.
RE: My Chinstrap Odyssey - PaulaO2 - 04-26-2015
As for chinstrap, I use Supplier #1's "Ruby-style". Awful thing. The only good part it is very adjustable. But it has a seam in the chin cup.
I found the original Ruby online somewhere and will be ordering it to give it a try. But like you, I hate the dang thing. Which is why I am trying to get the FFM to work.
RE: My Chinstrap Odyssey - retired_guy - 04-26-2015
(04-26-2015, 06:52 PM)PaulaO2 Wrote: And I'll also say it: get another mask. Resistance is futile.
awww geezzzzzzzz.... Ok.... Touche'
RE: My Chinstrap Odyssey - retired_guy - 04-26-2015
(04-26-2015, 05:29 PM)trailrider Wrote: Thanks for the description of how you deal with it. And I love the entertainment you provide with your wry, dry, humour.
Actually, my humor (that's humour for those in the northern and southern suburbs) used to be dryer. But my wife made me start using a humidifier when I type.
(04-26-2015, 06:36 PM)truetopath Wrote: I've been trying to wean off my chinstrap as well, but unsuccessfully. My mouth pops open like a can of Pringles. So, in order to keep wearing pillows, which were life changing for me, I'll keep wearing the chin strap. I hope it works for you without it!
This is my latest in a number of previously unsuccessful attempts to eliminate the chinstrap. The difference this time is it does (for now) seem to be that I have learned to keep my mouth shut during the night. Much like I do during discussion time with Mrs. R_G.
RE: My Chinstrap Odyssey - Terry - 04-26-2015
I use a "pap-cap".
It's cotton, and not stretchy and has no seams in uncomfortable places.