RE: Daunting first night experience leaves ???s
(03-09-2012, 10:22 AM)JumpStart Wrote: My ResScan and Sleepyhead detailed leak graphs also indicate long periods of significant leaks. It seems that until I master the leak issue which, during the night, I thought was doing OK, nothing is going to work.
Yeah, you definitely want to get the leak under control, and in most cases it's just a matter of adjustment and sleep position - I'm a side sleeper, primarily, though since I got my machine I find I'm just as comfortable on my back. But, sleeping on your side puts the mask in contact with the pillow - unless you take the time to prepare for it...punch a depression into it where the mask lies, hang it over the edge, whatever. I don't think I'd be able to sleep on my side at all with a full mask.
Keep in mind that if the mask doesn't work for you, for whatever reason, change it. There's tons of options out there, one will work for you and you'll wonder why you didn't try that one first. :-)
RE: Daunting first night experience leaves ???s
(03-09-2012, 10:01 AM)CHanlon Wrote: First off, why a full face mask? I'm an avid scuba diver, and I'm very used to having strange stuff on my face for breathing (although its sort of opposite...) but I don't think I could ever get used to the full faced mask. I also have a moustache and full beard.
CHanlon, thanks for the input. I would dearly love to use only pillows, or even just a nasal mask. However, I am an inveterate mouth breather, and have been all my life, although I have no facial hair. As to scuba/face issues, in the early 70s, as a method of keeping fit (and getting free trips to exotic locations for dive checkouts), I was a dually certified instructor (NAUI, PADI) in scuba. I actually learned to dive with a two line twin tank taught to me by a college roommate, a wounded Korean War frogman. (Yes, that is what they actually called them in the 50s when he taught me). However, it has been many years since I lugged tanks anywhere, and the next and final "dive" I take will undoubtedly come sooner rather than later if I don't learn now to effectively use CPAP! 
(03-09-2012, 10:01 AM)CHanlon Wrote: You mention 45 minutes at inception - do you mean you have it set to ramp up over that time?
No, just the time it took me to go to sleep. I had ramp set at 15 minutes.
(03-09-2012, 10:01 AM)CHanlon Wrote: With the full faced mask, I'd imagine that if you start to breathe through your mouth, you'll be totally wasting your time on CPAP.
Mouth breathing with a full face mask is quite effective I've been told - using the mouth is the reason for the full face mask. And it seemed to work quite well for me during my PSG. Just without leaks!!!
RE: Daunting first night experience leaves ???s
(03-09-2012, 11:27 AM)JumpStart Wrote: (03-09-2012, 10:01 AM)CHanlon Wrote: First off, why a full face mask? I'm an avid scuba diver, and I'm very used to having strange stuff on my face for breathing (although its sort of opposite...) but I don't think I could ever get used to the full faced mask. I also have a moustache and full beard.
CHanlon, thanks for the input. I would dearly love to use only pillows, or even just a nasal mask.
Yeah, at your pressure, pillows probably aren't an option. Nasal mask with a chin strap might work for you, though. I've always tended to breathe through my mouth when I was sleep, so I was worried about using a nasal mask, had to sort of retrain myself...Heh, it's actually pretty easy the first time you leave your mouth open and find out you could inflate balloons... or whistle for an hour straight... :-P
Quote:No, just the time it took me to go to sleep. I had ramp set at 15 minutes.
Try it without the ramp... or perhaps try using the "mask fit" setting on the machine's menu when you first put it on. It blows at full pressure for a bit, and gives you a visual representation of the leak status. Oh... might also want to check and see what's set on it for the mask type, though I can't remember where that is at the moment.
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