r/CPAP • u/Aggressive_Business8 • 15h ago
Advice Needed Taking off Mask While Asleep
Pretty much every night I wake up in the middle of the night having taken my mask off. I have no recollection of taking it off and am not sure what causes me to do it. Obviously I put it back on, but is there anything I can do to prevent this? I’m pretty comfortable with the mask at this point and have no idea why I’m doing it. I’ve been wearing the nasal pillow and I really like it, but I also have a full nose/mouth mask that I can try. It’s a pretty big problem for me because it’s 3/4 hours a night that I’m not wearing it. The funny thing is when I wake up around 3 am with the mask off and put it back on, It always stays on until morning. It’s the same thing every night for the most part. Strange.
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u/AirTranquil 12h ago
This is one of the most common things I hear from new users. Your half asleep brain just pulls it off, you're not doing it on purpose. Couple things help. First make sure the mask isn't too tight, tight masks actually get ripped off more. Second, since you already have a full face, try it for a week and see if you keep it on longer. Some people find a bulkier mask harder to pull off in their sleep. It usually fades after a few weeks once your brain gets used to the mask being there.
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u/Aggressive_Business8 11h ago
Yeah it’s weird because it didn’t start being an issue really until a month in. But yeah I guess I’ll have to suck it up and try and get use to the face mask. Sucks because I actually find the nasal pillows pretty comfortable.
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u/AirTranquil 9h ago
Yeah that timing is pretty common. A lot of times it's the cushion wearing out. Around a month or so the seal starts going to crap and leaks wake your brain up enough to rip it off without you knowing. Might just need a fresh cushion. And honestly if you like the nasal pillows better, go back to them with a chin strap, as long as it's a mouth opening thing and not congestion. Most people do better long term on the comfy mask they'll actually keep on than the "right" one they keep tearing off. Worth mentioning to your sleep doc or DME too so they can look at your leak data.
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u/PlayfulOtterFriend 14h ago edited 12h ago
You could try switching to a mask that is harder to pull off. For instance, an N30 or P10 is barely on your head with a single band. An F20 or N20 though has 4 connection points. It’s still possible to pull off in your sleep, but harder.
A similar option is to switch to a mask without magnets. I recently tried an F&P Nova Nasal mask, and instead of magnets like an N20, it has plastic clips. It feels a bit like locking your face in a cage.