Loud hissing noise when sleeping

[Aazimon]

I have a resmed airsense 10 autoset with a airfit P10 nasal pillow and a chin strap.
When I put it on, it seems to fit just fine, but when I sleep, at some point it makes a loud hissing noise that keeps my wife awake. She made an audio recording and it sounds like the mask is leaking really bad. I've tried to figure out how its leaking. I've tried rolling on my side, pushing on the mask, but to get that amount of sound from her recording I would essentially have to take the mask off.
The My air apps says a have a good seal most nights. About 18 leaks / minute, which it scores as "good."
Any ideas how I can determine how it's leaking? What I can try to prevent it?

[Violet West]

A lot of times when there's a loud, strange noise I find it's not in the mask, but in the unit itself -- usually something (chamber, hose) needs to be pushed in/re-seated.

[palerider]

A lot of times when there's a loud, strange noise I find it's not in the mask, but in the unit itself -- usually something (chamber, hose) needs to be pushed in/re-seated.

In which case, it would be doing that from the start, which isn't what the op said.

[Osiris357]

18 L/min is a pretty good leak even though it says it’s good. The myAir app will only say adjust after you hit 24L/min and won’t give you the red frowny face until you stay at that level for 30% of the session. All that said, that noise your wife is hearing more than likely is coming from your leaking mask. 18L/min is making your machine run that much harder and isn’t too far off from the 24 L/min that it can’t keep up with. But the most important part is your therapy is more than likely being compromised at 18 L/min. For me personally my flow rate waveform starts to distort at around 12 L/min. Which makes sense because that is the highest you should allow your leaks to get on a regular basis. Always aim for hardly any leaks to get the most out of your therapy and make any necessary adjustments if it spikes over 12. If the mask needs to be tightened till it hurts to achieve that it’s time to trial new masks until you find one that seals better for you. Masks are very personal and just because someone else loves it it may not be what’s right for you. After typing all that I just double checked what mask you have. I bet it’s coming from your mouth. The chin strap is holding your mouth closed yes but the air is still rushing out from between your teeth and is hissing. I had the same problem with mouth leak not hissing though. My solution was mouth taping. Some are against it but I am for it since it enables me to use pillows which give me optimal therapy. Hope this helps I hope you can get this under control.

[D.H.]

Try placing lower than the bed. This noise will be further way and muffled by the mattress.

[ragtopcircus]

I have the P30i, not P10, but I sometimes get hissing where the hard plastic diffuser housing seals against the soft cushion body. For the P10, the seal between the cushon and vent frame could be responsible. Applying a little KY to the seal with a Q-tip will fix it.

For that sort of leak, it may be totally silent while you are awake. Then, as you move in your sleep, the mask can get tugged around a bit. This can stretch/deform the seal just enough to hiss loudly.

[palerider]

But the most important part is your therapy is more than likely being compromised at 18 L/min.

No, no it's not.

For me personally my flow rate waveform starts to distort at around 12 L/min.

a leak of even 24lpm has *nothing* at all to do with your flow waveform 'distortion' issues. Look elsewhere.

Which makes sense because that is the highest you should allow your leaks to get on a regular basis.

No, no it's not.

Always aim for hardly any leaks to get the most out of your therapy and make any necessary adjustments if it spikes over 12.

I don't know what stinky dark orifice you pulled that out of, but there's no basis in *FACT*

[Pugsy]

That 18 L/min leak number is a 95% leak number and it is NOT where the leak was at for 95% of the night and it is NOT an average leak number for the entire night.

95% numbers just mean at OR BELOW for 95% of the night.. That "OR BELOW" part is very critical to the definition.
95% numbers are easily skewed upwards and often make things look worse than they are.
BUT even if the leak was at 18 L/min all night long...the machine can compensate for it easily.

Now any leak that wakes us up or disturbs our sleep is unwanted.
Connection leaks like the humidifier chamber not being inserted fully or loose mask connection would normally be present immediately when the machine gets turned on.
Leak noises that come on during the night will most likely be related to mask movement and the seal being broken.
Hissing noises make me think minor mask movement and small area of the mask not sealed completely.

[Osiris357]

That 18 L/min leak number is a 95% leak number and it is NOT where the leak was at for 95% of the night and it is NOT an average leak number for the entire night.

95% numbers just mean at OR BELOW for 95% of the night.. That "OR BELOW" part is very critical to the definition.
95% numbers are easily skewed upwards and often make things look worse than they are.
BUT even if the leak was at 18 L/min all night long...the machine can compensate for it easily.

Now any leak that wakes us up or disturbs our sleep is unwanted.
Connection leaks like the humidifier chamber not being inserted fully or loose mask connection would normally be present immediately when the machine gets turned on.
Leak noises that come on during the night will most likely be related to mask movement and the seal being broken.
Hissing noises make me think minor mask movement and small area of the mask not sealed completely.

Thanks for the info Pugsy. And also for doing in a classy way and not in a narcissistic internet smart mouth way...please palerider put me on the foe list...after that I won’t be back here again anyway

[jimbud]

please palerider put me on the foe list...after that I won’t be back here again anyway

He probably would, but he has to suffer fools "like you" so he can correct harmful information given out by ignorant self assured
posters "like you".

Anyway why should he when you:
"won’t be back here again anyway"

[Osiris357]

Nothing I said was harmful in any way...controlling leaks down to nothing can only be positive and I was talking about flow limitations as he so cluelessly said...flow rate what I was talking about. Lol arguing and name calling on the internet...internet muscles...dealing with high school kids in here...what a joke...bye bye now...have your very inappropriate forum who immediately attack someone for being wrong...

[palerider]

Nothing I said was harmful in any way...

Actually, it WAS. you're sending the OP off on a totally unnecessary wild goose chase, when there's nothing actually that *needs* to be corrected.

bye bye now...

You keep saying you're leaving... will you really?

have your very inappropriate forum who immediately attack someone for being wrong...

My my... some people are so *touchy* about being corrected when they're wrong.

[CPAPLuv]

I have a resmed airsense 10 autoset with a airfit P10 nasal pillow and a chin strap.
When I put it on, it seems to fit just fine, but when I sleep, at some point it makes a loud hissing noise that keeps my wife awake. She made an audio recording and it sounds like the mask is leaking really bad. I've tried to figure out how its leaking. I've tried rolling on my side, pushing on the mask, but to get that amount of sound from her recording I would essentially have to take the mask off.
The My air apps says a have a good seal most nights. About 18 leaks / minute, which it scores as "good."
Any ideas how I can determine how it's leaking? What I can try to prevent it?

I am pretty new at this but I am using the same mask and machine as you are and I get the same "hissing" sound on occasion and it is always from my mask. I have found two things that seem to help with this:

1. I use a cream called "Lansioh" which is a lanolin cream. It's for nursing mothers but works great on your nose to help with the seal and preventing any soreness.
2. Sometimes just gently and slightly lifting and releasing the nasal pillows to let them inflate and seal works wonders.

[Aazimon]

Thanks for the information. I will try a cream to help with the seal, and check the tightness of my chin strap.

[chunkyfrog]

This situation sounds very familiar to me.
My p10 will get turned slightly askew and make loud hissing noises.
If I wiggle it until my nose is comfortable again, the hissing stops.