CPAP is not everyone's idea of having a good nights sleep, and
in a small number of patients, they are simply unable to use it.
However, there are a number of things that can help to improve
usage. These include:
Dry Mouth
Blowing room air, which may be cold in winter, up you nose or
via your mouth may lead to a dry throat. This issue can be reduced
by using a heated humidification unit that can be linked to your
CPAP device. Please contact us.
Leaking
If the mask is not tightened sufficiently onto the face, then
mask leak may occur. In the first instance, increasing the
tightness of the mask may help to improve this. However, please do
not overtighten as this may damage your facial skin. If you are
struggling with mask leakage, please contact us.
The other issue with mask leak is when you bury your face in the
pillow when lying on your side. This can be resolved in various
ways. One of the simplest is to buy a foam wedge a few centimetres
thick, cut a half-moon into it on either side and place this
between the pillow and the pillow case. This leaves a gap for your
mask to sit in, so reducing the chances of leaking. Alternatively
you can by a pillow from commercial
organisations.
Claustrophobia
Some people do not like things on their face. This is not
unnatural. Where there are such issues, the Sleep team can discuss
with you alternative masks that are less intrusive. This should
reduce the issue of claustrophobia in many patients.
Noisy CPAP device
If the device is old (5+ years), then this may indicate that it
needs replacing. If this is a new device, then this may suggest
that either there is an issue with the device or family members are
sensitive to the noise of the device. You may wish to place the
device inside a bedside cabinet - making sure the device has plenty
of air circulation. If the mask is noisy, please contact the sleep team to
discuss.
