Sleepweaver masks

[countyDownMum]

Mask

I got on very well at sleep clinic respriatory centre and he adjusted my nasal mask while I was was there. I used this last night and with straps somewhat tightened it now feels fine and comfortable.

Many thanks for your help.

[James @ Intus]

One of you has PMed me after getting in touch with the clinic. That clinic didn't visit the BSS meeting I spoke of so they hadn't received a free demo and trial sample of this new SleepWeaver Advance. As this patient has now discussed this with the lung function technician at said clinic, we will send the clinic this sample, so they can check it out, read our information about it and then (hopefully) hand it to the forum member who told them about this mask.

Rather than sending it directly to this forum member, this route helps us get the clinics involved, get them educated on this innovative mask.

We are happy to extend this to other members who really want this mask, think they will benefit (as in, you can breathe through your nose) and who have a good relation with their sleep clinic.

As explained, some clinics already have freebies, we don't want to double up on these so these free masks are granted on a case by case basis, no promise made unfortunately.

PM me, or email us, with your clinic details and some "proof" that you have specifically discussed this mask with them, and the fact Intus are willing to give one to them for free, for you, if they are curious. They will also get a demo unit to keep there.

So you inform them, if they play ball you send us their details, we send them the mask etc. and then you get the mask from them when you next go there. You'll have to do the groundwork to earn the mask!

[Poppy56]

Excellent! I will contact my clinic asap.

[James @ Intus]

First freebie has gone out to a lung function technologist in the South.

Get in touch if you want to have a go at this unique opportunity too.

[ElleCee]

I got my sleepweaver mask today! It's pink! LOL
I will be posting tomorrow to give my opinion. I have high hopes for it because it is the first soft one I have seen.
I can't wait to go to bed, is 4:38pm too early?

Lorraine

[Poppy56]

I hope my sleep clinic responds positively - I emailed them last week and they said they would pass it to the manager. Fingers crossed! If I had a sleepweaver, I wouldn't have to sleep with my back to my OH - the plastic mask is so ugly!

[ElleCee]

I showed it to my husband and he said that in future my nickname would be Nellie.... Not sure if I should laugh with him or be upset LOL

Lorraine

[ElleCee]

All I can say is that I am very impressed with the SleepWeaver.
For the first time in years I slept for 8 1/2 hours without having to get up even once for the loo.
The mask is light and you wear the straps quite loose so you hardly know it is there. It is a nasal mask so you need to keep your mouth closed, I did that no problem and only realised that I had done it because my teeth felt a little sore where I had had them clamped tight all night. It wore off after about 5 mins though.
I had no mask impression on my face and I didn't feel like I had even worn a mask. The mask comes off quickly and easily without having to undo anything to get the headgear off.
When I first put it on I was sure I would have leaks but I didn't. It took about 10 minutes to get to trust it enough to turn over in bed but again there were no problems.
One thing I am not sure about is that there is loss of pressure in most if not all full face masks and I know that usually the higher, more accurate pressure is with a normal nasal mask. I think this might be following that trend because on occasion before I fell asleep I thought that my machine was set too high even though I know it wasn't.
My Husband calling me Nellie hasn't detered me from using it and if it continues to act in the same way it will definitely be my mask of choice for the future.
Any questions please ask.
Regards
Lorraine

[James @ Intus]

Hi Lorraine,

We've check with Circadiance, the makers of the mask, regarding the 'leak rate'. This is the volume of air that escapes intentionally through the vents at certain CPAP pressures. They say it's virtually identical to the Respironics ComfortGel mask. So anybody with a Respironics machine that allows for mask presets can use the ComfortGel setting.

You can see the graph on the manufacturers website here and on our SleepWeaver FAQ here.

The way to read it is that at a machine pressure of 10, the mask leaks or vents, intentionally, 25 Litres per minute.

According to this ResMed manual, the Mirage Quattro leaks at bout 36 lpm when the machine is at 10 hPa/cmH2O. This explains why you sense a difference. The SleepWeaver leaks less of the air the machine is sending into the mask, so you end up with more air / a slightly elevated pressure.

That's not necessarily a bad thing but if you want it to level out, you'll have to set it somehow for the machine to think it's using a mask with a lower leak rate. The SoftGel for example leaks about 31 lpm at 10cm, so less than the Quattro but more than the SleepWeaver. I looked at a number of ResMed masks but they all seem to leak more than the SleepWeaver and ComfortGel so I'm not sure you can totally balance it out again by telling the machine you're using a mask other than the Mirage (if your machine even has that feature).

The next time you visit the clinic, you can tell them the SleepWeaver leaks a fair bit less, so perhaps they may want to drop the pressure if the rest of your circumstances allow this.

Anyway, I hope that explains why you felt it to give you a higher pressure. Let me know if you have any further questions and please do let us all know here how the subsequent nights went.

[ElleCee]

Hi James,
Thank you for the information.
I think I will leave the setting on my machine as it is. Up until I started using the SleepWeaver I was still waking every 1 1/2 or 3 hours. Now I sleep right through so I am more than happy. I find as long as when I am sleeping on my side I make sure my hand rests on my hip rather than let if fall onfront of me it keeps my lungs free to inflate more easily and it is obviously working better than anything I have had before.
I can't begin to tell you how happy I am with it.
A big THANK YOU from me

Kindest regards
Lorraine

[kuningan]

CPAP newbie here (day 4) and as I didn't like the idea of any mask I thought the Speepweaver might work - so far so good - getting seven or so hours sleep - waking once or twice when the APAP has raised the pressure/and or the mask has shifted and it feels like there is a gale blowing in my face......but I guess that's something I'll get used to. Other half a HUGE fan of CPAP!

[James @ Intus]

Assuming you got your kit from us at Intus, when you hit day 7, please email through the SmartCodes from the SleepCube (assuming that from your other post you have a SleepCube). We can then tell whether the machine's pressure settings can be tweaked from the default pressures and maybe avoid the 'gale'.

Glad you too like the SleepWeaver and for a 4-day newbie, sleeping 7 hours with the machine on is nothing short of a brilliant result.

[Frank Booth]

Sleepweaver mask

I just bought one of these and just tried it for the first time. Good result so far. Admittedly I was very jetlagged after a long flight so might have slept well wearing anything but the feeling of lightness made it less claustrophbic. It did occasionally vent upwards into my eyes but seemed ok to adjust. Good for travel I'd say and less depressing to look at when not being worn. Very strange feeling if you open your mouth but maybe that applies to all nasal masks?

Strangely I bought blue. For some reason I thought something more dramatic might make me look stupid...

[ElleCee]

<<<Strangely I bought blue. For some reason I thought something more dramatic might make me look stupid...>>>

That is really funny

Lorraine

[tallishbloke]

Hi everyone
This is probably directed at James@Intus most of all - is there any difference in operation if an auto-CPAP is used (or even one of the Bi-level Auto-CPAPs from Respironics) as opposed to a fixed pressure device?
Are there any negative aspects to it at all apart from the usual ones that go with any other nasal mask?
How does it handle humidification?
I presume its washable/cleanable...

If I think of any other questions.......haha

Thanks
TB