Semi-conscious removal of mask...

[Quack145]

I'm about a month into CPAP now and felt that I was tolerating it reasonably well (4-6 hours per night), but over the last week or so I been taking off my mask during the night and only having the vaguest memory of doing so (or no memory at all, weirdly).

I've no idea why as I find the mask much more comfortable now than when I first got it, and can get to sleep within the 30 mins ramp time. Really annoying to wake up and find mask either a) laid neatly on the pillow beside me or b) apparently ripped off in a frenzy and hurled onto the floor!

Can't think of a way to solve this as I must still be half-asleep when I take it off. So this is just a small rant really, but if anyone does have any bright ideas then even better.

Interestingly my boyfriend says that I can hold a whole conversation with him during the night, apparently awake, but again have vague or no recollection of it in the morning. I used to sleepwalk as a child as well, so I wonder if this is all some similar level of 'brain activity'...

[puffin]

Ya I have a similar problem for a few weeks, would wake up panicking or finding the machine turned off and the mask on the floor. I think subconsciously my brain was trying to reject cpap. Like someone turning on a switch I just accepted the mask. Not had a problem since.

[Joe McManus]

It happens with a few CPAP users and people solved it in a variety of ways.

Some ideas to try:

- Fix the headgear to your hair with hair pins etc. or tape the mask to your face a few nights. This way when you do rip it off, you will now it. Becoming aware of it allows you to consciously intervene.
- One of our latest members went to a clinical psychologist. NLP has also been suggested. These type of professionals can help make your brain associate CPAP with the right type of reaction again.
- Some CPAP machines have an alarm for this. Check your manual or consider getting one of those.
- Pre bedtime meditation can help slow the mind down a bit which may help in this situation.

[Quack145]

Thanks for the good ideas, will try the hairpins first and see what happens!

[JippiJ]

I know the feeling

Hi,

I was having a very similar problem. I was fine during my first three weeks but i think this was through fear. I was so scared of it not working and loosing my licence I made sure it stayed on.

A few nights ago though I must of started taking it off. My girlfriend had taken to the couch in disgust.

Remedy - For two nights allthough this is definately not a long term cure, it has stopped any problems for myself or girlfriend, I took a Tesco's own Sleeping Pill. They are about £2.00 over the counter things similar to Nitol. Like I say definately no good long term but to get you to sleep through these work perfect.
I would try for a night or two using these and then stop using them. They might just be enough to correct your sleeping pattern and having you going right through the night without stirring. That should stop you removing the mask.

Hope this helps.

Jippij

[dominics]

I seem to go through stages of taking my mask off during sleep for a few days and then I have a good night where I haven't removed it at all.

I haven't really bothered too much about it, as I am still getting an average of 5 and half hours a night which is a considerable improvement to before I started with CPAP.

Dom

[SarahW]

Seem to have developed this issue. Started off with out a problem and then have started waking up with it placed very neatly next to me and know I haven't intended to take it off as all the clips are still done up. But for the life of me cant remember taking it off. Am hoping in time this will stop

[Tigers Fan]

I've heard tell that using hair grips might help.

[dravidio]

This still happens to me - after 15 months of using the mask. I don't fret about it.

[Berneta]

On the floor

Hi all,
I have also tossed the mask a couple of times--but it is not something new for me. If I get too hot during the night, the next morning I find extra pillows, blankets, and a few times my P.J.'s were on the floor too. No shame at all when asleep--when its hot-- everything goes. (Even my poor cat gets banished.) I have tossed the mask along with everything else a couple of times when the power failed and the AC went off. So I always have a fan running, and try keep my room on the very cool side. This tossing habit, is a habit I got as a child, Just don't like being hot and am not aware when doing it. The poor tech in the sleep study had to retrieve my pillows. It was too hot in there for me unil the fan was running full speed. Hubby likes it hot--so he has his own room. Berneta

[ohcrob]

waaaay back in the beginning i used to do this now it never happens. The only cure was time - a long time!

[Sparticus]

Cured

I was cured of this after I started taking my ipod to bed with me and playing relaxation tracks, I would fall asleep listning to rain and wind tracks and I would wake 6-8 hours later with my mask still where I left it, on my face. try it what do you have to lose. There are loads of ambient tracks on the net or relaxation tracks.

Sparty

[shuckie]

Hi Quack145!

I had the same problem myself a little while ago. It happened for several nights in a row and in the end I was so tired and desperate to resolve the problem I was considering hypnotherapy, NLP or anything else which might stop it from happening.

In the end I accepted that it was probably a subconscious issue so I went to bed telling myself to relax and accept the fact that the mask was a good thing. I had already accepted this consciously and hoped that telling myself the same as I was going to sleep might cause the acceptance to be absorbed by my subconsciousness (for want of a better way of putting it).

I'm now able to keep my mask on most nights, although I'm now trying to figure out how to fit my mask without leaks or a red mark on my nose! I keep reminding myself that CPAP therapy is a journey with the potential for plenty of bumps in the early days. Looking back at some of my previous posts I believe I'm making good progress and I hope the same is true for you.


Kind regards

shuckie