Newbie who has a question about sleeping pillows

[Chitownbabs]

Hi Everyone,

I have been using a CPAP machine for about a month now and I took to it ok. The one problem I have is that I am a side sleeper and my mask always seems to move a little so I have the air going into my eyes. I have my mask as tight as I can handle but it seems sometimes the mask will move and air will escape. There are even nights when my mask totally comes off.

I use an Mirage Activa Small nasal mask. I did try a nasal pillow mask but I did not like the feel of it.

My question is this, is there a sleeping pillow out there that is made for CPAP (I have seen some but don't know which are good) that others have used and have had good results with?

Thanks and everyone have a great day!

Barbara

[Kumbakaran]

Hiya,

Just sharing what I did.

I also had a nice squishy pillow, which when you place your head in the middle the sides of the pillow would come up. This is fine, until
you become a CPAP user and used to sleeping on your side. The pillow would push up against the mask, either causing leaks, or pressing
the mask against my face and waking up with red marks.

What I did was go over to HomeSense, and found a pillow that when pressed in the middle, the sides didn't come buncing up. It took a bit
getting used to the new pillow (woke up a few times with severe neck pains) but now I am quite pleased with the results. Pillow only cost 20 bucks.

You could try those "specialized" CPAP pillows, this was going to be my next step if the above didn't work out.

[6PtStar]

You might contact Peggy (pjwalman ) she had a pattern for a pap type pillow she was willing to share. You might try making one from her pattern before jumping off and buying one to see if you like it and if it would work for you.

Jerry

[jnk]

Here is what I use, since I'm a total cheapskate:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40125296

I let the mask hang off the side.

jnk

[echo]

HI Barbara - Welcome to the forum!
I don't have much to say about pillows, but I can comment on the Activa. I'm assuming you have this mask:
https://www.cpap.com/viewImage.php?PNum ... -front.jpg

With the Activa, you must wear it LOOSE. So loosen up those straps, and allow the mask to "bellow" out. If it's too tight, then the seal will never work as intended.
Additionally, adjust the angle of the forehead piece so that the top part of the mask is not digging into the bridge of your nose, this will also help with the seal.

For most, the Activa is great at maintaining a seal. I can even sleep on my stomach with it and it doesn't budge.

So I'm guessing either you've got it adjusted wrong, or it's the wrong size, or you actually have a different mask.

BTW the Activa only comes in Shallow, Standard, and Large. The small doesn't exist.

hope this helps!

p.s. If you log in and then go into the "User Control Panel" on the upper left hand corner of the screen, then -> Profile -> Edit equipment: you can add in your equipment from the drop-down lists. This can help us to know exactly what equipment you have when we help you troubleshoot a problem.

[Chitownbabs]

Thanks for the reply but I was wrong about my mask. It is a ResMed Mirage Micro and it is a small.

I have been through three masks already. I started out with the nasal pillows, then they sent me a Micro but it was a large, too big for my face, so I got a small which is what I wore at the sleep study. I have figured out that if I make the dial on my head out to far, it hurts below my nose so that is figured out. What I am having a problem with is my mask moving on my face and sometimes even coming off my head in the middle of the night.

I noticed that when I sleep on my side and with my pillow the mask moves and I hear the air escaping. I was reading about the pillows that allow for the cpap mask but they are awful expensive.

Regarding me making a pillow, I do not have that talent to sew or do I want to sew. None of my friends sew so I think that would be out of the question.

Is there anyone out there who has this mask and can give me a few hints about it?

[marshaeb]

Hi, Barbara.

Let me throw another option into the mix. I use a regular pillow with a buckwheat hull-filled pillow on top of it, which I use as a neck pillow. Actually, it's advertised as a lumbar pillow, but the amount it's filled and resulting level of firmness is perfect for me. And it costs about half of the specialized pillows. You can read about it here (the customer review in there by "meb" is mine): http://www.amazon.com/Bucky-Baxter-Lumb ... 554&sr=8-1 Good luck!!

Marsha

[birdshell]

Another pillow suggestion: the Shapeable available at Target stores. I use mine to scrunch into a shape that I like, and it hasn't lost its shapeability. I also use a semi-circular neck pillow filled with buckwheat hulls on top of it on occasion, so that I get a little more boost when I wish.

Karen,
Who always loved down pillows pre-cpap

[rested gal]

Most of the time I use the PAPillow (double edge style.) Occasionally, just for a change, I'll switch to Target's Shapeable pillow. Both work very well for me.

[buttercupsammy]

Hi I am a newbie to the site. Its nice to see others have the same problems as me; and have a place to complain & get help for the problems.


The pillow I recently picked up off of amazon is the Beyond Down Gel Fiber Side Sleeper Pillow
Other products by Beyond Down
for about $22 when on sale. It is fabulous Helps alot with the side sleeping with my mirage 2. I'm changing to the lt to see if that helps me more.

I will put in the link but i'm not sure if I did it correctly

Take care all and Bless'd dreams

http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Down-Sleep ... Q4AZTC6A10

[yorkiemum01]

Wanted to report 'my experience'...which for myself has been the answer, thanks
to this forum. I discovered the Chiroflow pillow, which has a water chamber that
you fill that melds very well with my side sleeping, and my full face mask. If memory
serves me, believe Wulfman was the one who recommended this pillow, and as an
avid Goose/Down pillow user for decades, was very very pleased with this pillow purchase.
(wulfman rocks!) http://www.chiroflow.com