Sleepweaver masks

[Sparticus]

Yes, Full Face Cloth Mask on the menu for 2011, though probably towards the end of it. Don't hold your breath (bad pun intended). A mask revolution it is indeed. "Why didn't they/I think of that years ago" often springs to mind.

Note that some full face mask users have been able to successfully switch to the SleepWeaver nasal mask. Both with and without a chin strap. If nasal breathing is an issue for you, consider the SinuPulse which is discussed in detail elsewhere on this forum. SinuPulse + SleepWeaver could mean no more Full Face mask for some of you.

This might seem a bit crazy to some but I like my full face mask, it took me quite a while to get use to it but now like some I wouldnt change it unless I found something that could beat it. I still have no leaks no matter how much I move around.

[acebass]

This might seem a bit crazy to some but I like my full face mask

I have got used to my nasal mask and it does a good job, but like it, no, like it i do not and will never...just have to have it!

[Barely Awake]

Thanks for the detailed feedback.

Different size headgear apparently is on the menu for 2011, which should help out some of you who accommodate a lot of brain tissue!

James, as I take the largest of hat sizes should I wait for the new headgear to be available before ordering a Sleepweaver, and if so how will we know when it is available in the UK?

I have not found any mask that works for me since Respironics stopped making the ComfortCurve and am rather desperate as my ageing mask is falling apart.

[symmit]

James, as I take the largest of hat sizes should I wait for the new headgear to be available before ordering a Sleepweaver, and if so how will we know when it is available in the UK?

I have a large head, not sure what my hat size would be and I've made my sleepweaver fit - it stays in place and reasonably sealed all night, any leakage is well within what the machine can compensate for anyway.

At risk of sounding like a sleepweaver evangelist just buy one and see if you can make it work - if mask to face comfort is what you're aiming for I really can't see how anything else can come close at the moment,

[Barely Awake]

I have a large head, not sure what my hat size would be and I've made my sleepweaver fit - it stays in place and reasonably sealed all night, any leakage is well within what the machine can compensate for anyway.

At risk of sounding like a sleepweaver evangelist just buy one and see if you can make it work - if mask to face comfort is what you're aiming for I really can't see how anything else can come close at the moment,

Thanks for that Symmit, if you have got it to fit I will give it a go as I just wanted to lessen the chance of getting a 'wrong-un' if the straps were going to be far too short. Didn't make the Sleep Ap Society 'Sataday' in November because of the weather so haven't had the chance to try the Sleepweaver for fit, and having bought and tried three other masks inside six months in addition to two I was given by the sleep clinic, none of which work for me for one reason or another, I remain desperate and recognise it could prove an expensive hunt without result.

BTW has the Sleepweaver been officially trialled in the UK?

[symmit]

I don't know about any official trials, and my original silicone mask was a great fit but could be very uncomfortable on warm nights, and meant shaving before bed every night too - was horrible on stubble.

For me the sleepweaver works really well, just don't be too fussy over slight leaks - many others report they are better than my experience but I'm happy to live with a little leakage for the comfort it offers in exchange.

[James @ Intus]

James, as I take the largest of hat sizes should I wait for the new headgear to be available before ordering a Sleepweaver, and if so how will we know when it is available in the UK?

No exact ETA, just "2011".

I have not found any mask that works for me since Respironics stopped making the ComfortCurve and am rather desperate as my ageing mask is falling apart.

Did you look at the SleepNet Phantom? It's the closest to the ComfortCurve there is.

[James @ Intus]

BTW has the Sleepweaver been officially trialled in the UK?

Only 3 or 4 masks have been officially trialled full stop, let alone the UK. The SleepWeaver grabbed some interest from CPAP researchers and we expect something to happen this year in that field but it's really like researching something we already know, that patients get on great and love them. So there isn't much point in a way, but it may indeed help convince some doctors. So we're working on it!

[Barely Awake]

Thanks for all that and your other helpful posts James.

The sleepnetphantom looks an interesting design that would fit my busted nose but sadly unless the side port makes a difference it has little likelihood of working for me as my nostrils tend to collapse and close off inside a normal hard mask. Hence I hoped the sleepweaver might work as it is blowing in the right direction to inflate the nostrils as well as the mask.

Having a badly displaced septum I also can't use nasal pillows, so only the under cushion on the ComfortCurve or Comfortlite work for me at present, but sadly I can't get enough purchase to get a seal with the latter. There are a lot of OSA patients with displaced septums I was told (half someone suggested) so you would think more under cushion designs would be made.

What I would like is a Swift light with an under cushion... I'm sure that would be popular with a lot of OSA folk as the Swift doesn't feel like you have a mask on at all.

[DebbieT]

Well yesterday after a few months of saving my sleepweaver mask arrived and with great excitement I went to bed to try and fit it. After an hour of lengthening and shortening the side and top straps i finally gave up totally disappointed. I have fairly small features and the hole on the mask seemed too big to be able to get a proper seal. I had leaks all over the place and especially into my eyes, will try again tonight but if anyone has any suggestions i would be grateful so it doesnt turn out to be a total waste of £100.

Debbie

[ElleCee]

You could try a remzzz liner with it. I use them and it helps the seal but I have to fold over the bottom of the remzzz otherwise I would end up eating it I was also told that it leaks more at the higher pressure so am hoping that mine is better still on a setting of 10 rather than at 18.
All the best
Lorraine

[symmit]

Well yesterday after a few months of saving my sleepweaver mask arrived and with great excitement I went to bed to try and fit it. After an hour of lengthening and shortening the side and top straps i finally gave up totally disappointed. I have fairly small features and the hole on the mask seemed too big to be able to get a proper seal. I had leaks all over the place and especially into my eyes, will try again tonight but if anyone has any suggestions i would be grateful so it doesnt turn out to be a total waste of £100.

Debbie

Hi Debbie - let me try and help you from my experience with this mask so far.

Firstly as I have mentioned elsewhere, the mask is a bit of a comprimise, in exchange for a mask that doesn't irritate the face it's quite sensitive of positioning and can leak in unusual places.

This is what works for me.

Loosen the top strap. Make sure the neck strap is as low as you can get it behind your neck (if you can get the side straps below your ears) then tighten the side straps quite tightly.

Well before bedtime lie down and get set up.

Turn on your machine and cancel the ramp (so you're at full pressure) - they leak less as the pressure goes up (mine is silly at the ramp start of 4, if you can adjust it then go up a couple of notches on the ramp start pressure on the machine).

Find the tightness of the top strap that causes the lowest leakage into the eyes. Then pull the mask away from your face a little, remount it as low on your top lip and nose as you can (this brings the inner hole seal bit over as much of the nose as possible) and gently rest it back. Keep adjusting until you've got minimal leakage.

Personally I'm not bothered about the slight leakage, after all there is built in leakage and as long as the pressure is still at your therapy pressure then the effectiveness should not be affected - it's very minor. Also after a few nights I feel the material becomes more flexible and stretchy to your face. With adjustment you can get the leakage down or eliminated.

I find now it just slips on and off with the stretchiness of the headgear (it does need quite a lot more headgear tightness than my silicone mask) without having to undo the velcro, so it stays adjusted most nights, I will admit I don't wash it out every day (about every 2-3 days) although with the cold / flu I've just had I have been doing it daily. As per the instructions general washing in warm soapy water can be done with all the headgear in place.

You'll have to weigh the pros and cons for yourself, whether the fiddly fitting, down only hose positioning and poor performance at low pressures is worth the feeling you get from sleeping all night at higher pressures and waking with no face marks or discomfort. And if like me you like to sleep on your side I can't imagine any hard mask is nearly as comfortable for side sleeping. When you roll to your side a little wiggle may be needed again to get it sealed.

Hope the above helps - I'm sure ElleCee will have more advice too!

[Tigers Fan]

Down only hose position

Hi symmit

You may have just saved me a lot of dosh! Ive been ever more tempted to buy one by all the positive SleepWeaver reports but you say, "down only hose position" and that may mean it's not viable for me.

I take it this means you'd need a sizeable loop in the hose, from mask down toward your navel, before heading vertically upward to a HoseLift - kinda making the HoseLift a waste of time?

TF

[James @ Intus]

if anyone has any suggestions i would be grateful

Hi Debbie,

Sorry to hear your first attempt didn't go so well.

We've had less than half a percent of people who fell outside of the one-size-fits-almost-all range. You'd have to be specifically petite to be amongst those.

So let's see if we can get there with the straps, perhaps have a try before you go to bed as well.

And which pressure is your machine at?

[James @ Intus]

but you say, "down only hose position" and that may mean it's not viable for me.

I take it this means you'd need a sizeable loop in the hose, from mask down toward your navel, before heading vertically upward to a HoseLift - kinda making the HoseLift a waste of time?

The SleepWeaver doesn't have the double 360 degree swivel that general masks have. It has a single-directional 360 degree swivel so indeed the hose points downwards, which may not be everybody's favourite direction.

We're looking to source universal 90 degree elbow couplings with 360 degree swivels on both ends so you can make masks like these behave more like you want in terms of routing the hose. But despite the myriad of couplers and adapters available to us, we've yet to find this exact piece (I personally would have thought to exist). I'll make this a suggestion to the manufacturers as well, they're very open to ideas for future developments.

So indeed, for the time being, you will probably find that with the SleepWeaver, the hose will point downwards along your chest only. Whether or not it can then loop back up depends on your tubing, hose management arrangements and how you sleep.