Sleep Apnea Support Group

Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep. People with sleep apnea partially awaken as they struggle to breathe, but in the morning they may not be aware of sleep disturbances.

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Still feel like im suffocating!

blessed19
blessed19
I CANT SLEEP! I have the mask with the nasal pillows and last night I kept waking up feeling like im suffocating! Some nights I do great and can sleep through the night with it. I want another mask but I have a deductible of 200.00 to meet before I can get one through insurance. I will fall asleep then wake up in a panic and feeling like im suffocating. Im not used to breathing through my nose so maybe thats why. I am a mouth breather and I have bad sinuses so sometimes its hard to breathe through my nose. I noticed on the nasal pillow that it has the letter L on it which means i guess large and the one with the M on it I had I lost it. Would that make a difference? Im tired of not getting any sleep. The other night I slept through the night with no problems with the mask on. Then when I dont wear it I fall asleep and then wake up in a panic. After all this lastnight I put it back on and fell asleep and then woke up and it was on the floor I dont remember taking it off the last time. Im working on losing weight so this can improve because I go insane when I dont get any sleep!
higginsp
higginsp
I can understand your frustration! I'm on my 4th mask right now. I couldn't tolerate the nasal pillows either, and kept having panic attacks whenever I wore it. I went months without any CPAP at all because my insurance wouldn't pay for a new one unless it's been at least 6 months of wearing the old one. So I finally got a new one that's shaped like a parachute, and LOVE IT! Last night was my first night to use it. No panic attacks, didn't feel like I was suffocating, and I slept about 7 hours (compared to my usual 4). I will probably readjust it tonight because I felt like I had a little air escaping, but I'm sure I can resolve that.

If you're a mouth breather, they do have devices to help you, but I'm a mouth breather too and didn't have any problems breathing through my nose all night with this mask. It's SO comfortable!

It's called a Sleep Weaver and here is the website in case you're interested. It's $99.00, which is cheaper than your deductible.

http://www.sleepweaver.com/category-s/3.htm

It may be worth a try. I think you'll be as happy as I am with it!
higginsp
higginsp
Ooops. I tried the link and it didn't work. Try this one:

http://www.sleepweaver.com
Tez62
Tez62
blessed19, you can try a chin strap to keep you jaw closed but that never worked for me because in our sleep our jaws are so strong we still open them. You sound like you need a full face mask if you are a mouth breather, but need to check them out to that you don't feeling like your suffocating with it, they take some getting used too. As higgnsp said you can look at a Sleepweaver, I heard they only work for people with low pressures as they are so light. You need to get something and I would go back to the supplier or discuss with your sleep specialist. Also the weight lose is a good idea especially for your heath but it won't cure your sleep apnea, keep us updated.
e4now
e4now
im sorry you are having issues with the nose pillows..i started with the nasal only mask so i dont have any experience with the pillows...i hope you can find a comfortable solution so you can get some good rest
blessed19
blessed19
Thanks everyone for your help. I was frustrated this morning! I will look at the Sleep Weaver! My cpap is set at 7 which is not really that high.
higginsp
higginsp
blessed19, my CPAP is only set at 3, so it may be that Tez62 is right about it only working for people with low pressures as they are so light. But I would think it still might be worth a try. At the very least, I would talk with customer service and ask them about it.

I had my 2nd night on Sleep Weaver and I am in love with this mask! It may not work for everyone, but it's definitely working for me. I feel much more awake during the daytime, and my thinking is much more clear along with a better memory. I'm so happy I finally found the mask that's right for me!
Tez62
Tez62
Well done, Higginsp, we have spoken in the past how important it is for your health, you now need to keep everything consistent as possible each night, keep it up and your other illness's will be benefit..
higginsp
higginsp
Thanks, Tez62! My 3rd night was again amazing! Sleep Weaver is definitely working for me! I slept about 7 hours! I'll message you soon about your helping me to read my machine, like we discussed before. Glad you doing well!
Tez62
Tez62
No worries, just glad you are doing well
keeska
keeska
The size can make a big difference. I use a Swift LT headgear with nasal pillows sized "for her". The headgear comes with M, S, and XS pillows. Even though I'm overweight, my nares are small. I use the XS. If the protuberances on the pillow don't fit exactly right, they can be squeezed closed even though they're under pressure. When That happens, I find that if I pull the pillows ever so slightly away from my nose, they open right up again. It's frustrating when the difference between squeezed closed and perfectly open is less than a millimeter in or out.

I also made a "splint" for the protuberances that go into the nares. It's a thin piece of foam with soft knit fabric glued to it. I cut it to fit and slip around the protuberances, keeping them from collapsing into the pillow. You'd think they could manufacture them so they don't collapse, but they don't.

The headgear is supposed to stay in place, but since I don't sleep in zero gravity like the astronauts, whenever I slide my head around on the pillow, off it slides. So I had to "engineer" an additional headgear that I wear on top of the headgear, keeping everything in place.

There are good suggestions listed above. I hope you find the right solution for you.