Tips on keeping mouth closed

[Pugsy]

Why or how do people see something in someone's post that was never there and then go on to argue a point that was made because of the non existent comment? Do they see words that I don't see or something?

Original post...no where does it mention poor sleep quality or waking often...it mentions fixing big leaks by preventing mouth opening because he thought his mouth breathing was causing the big leaks.
He's using a full face mask...he is allowed to mouth breathe and expect it to not impact his therapy.
No where does he say he is waking often for any reason.

No where did I ever say that mouth breathing wouldn't affect sleep quality...all I said was that with a full face mask it wouldn't harm the therapy itself. Now maybe some people equate sleep quality with therapy but while they go hand in hand they aren't necessarily the same thing.

Again for the upteenth gazillion time that I have made this statement.
"Anything that disturbs sleep is unwanted"...that means anything.... but it's because it is messing with sleep itself and not necessarily impacting the therapy effectiveness that it is unwanted and needs to be worked on.

[avi123]

From Resmed:

If you breathe through your mouth (sometimes referred to as 'mouth breathing'), you can try a full face mask or a chin strap to stop your mouth from opening during sleep.

How to treat mouth leak

Mouth leak happens if you sleep with your mouth open, and air “leaks” out of your mouth during therapy.

Opening your mouth during sleep can either be out of habit, or it could be because your nose is blocked. Mouth leak can be very uncomfortable and leave you with a dry mouth. (It’s also very noisy; if it doesn’t wake you, it can wake your bed partner.)

If it happens every now and then, you might be able to stop it by wearing a chin strap to keep your mouth closed, or by using a humidifier to stop your nose getting blocked.

If mouth leak happens a lot, you may need to use a full face mask, which covers both your nose and mouth, so even if you breathe through your mouth while you sleep, air will not leak out.

[ChicagoGranny]

My jaw tends to drop on its own and the bottom of the mask naturally pushes the jaw downward. As a result, my mouth dries out. Neither cervical collar nor chin strap help. But taping mouth with FFM does.

Did you use a cervical collar that was wide enough? I found the width of the collar is critical. You might want to try a 4-inch firm foam collar. It's a cheap trial. An old post of mine:

I like the DMI Universal Firm Foam Cervical Collars -
http://www.walmart.com/search/?query=DM ... %20Collars

The firm works better and lasts longer than the soft. There seems to be no loss in comfort with the firm over the soft.

The cells in the foam break down over time. One lasts me about four months.

Typically the 3-inch width fits a smaller person, and the 3.5-inch or 4.0-inch fits a larger person. Some may need to change the size up or down on the second order. The larger size you can wear, the more support to keep the jaw from dropping.

Walmart ships free to your closest store for customer pickup.

[tan]

From Resmed:

If you breathe through your mouth (sometimes referred to as 'mouth breathing'), you can try a full face mask or a chin strap to stop your mouth from opening during sleep.

How to treat mouth leak

Mouth leak happens if you sleep with your mouth open, and air “leaks” out of your mouth during therapy.

Opening your mouth during sleep can either be out of habit, or it could be because your nose is blocked. Mouth leak can be very uncomfortable and leave you with a dry mouth. (It’s also very noisy; if it doesn’t wake you, it can wake your bed partner.)

If it happens every now and then, you might be able to stop it by wearing a chin strap to keep your mouth closed

failed for me (reportedly worked for other people). Wearing a chin strap either made no difference at best or it actually worsen my sleep.

, or by using a humidifier to stop your nose getting blocked.

failed for me (reportedly worked for other people). Using a humidifier *can* also get your nose blocked, by the way. I couldn't find the proper settings which alone could prevent nose blocking.

If mouth leak happens a lot, you may need to use a full face mask, which covers both your nose and mouth, so even if you breathe through your mouth while you sleep, air will not leak out.

failed for me (reportedly worked for other people).

[tan]

My jaw tends to drop on its own and the bottom of the mask naturally pushes the jaw downward. As a result, my mouth dries out. Neither cervical collar nor chin strap help. But taping mouth with FFM does.

Did you use a cervical collar that was wide enough? I found the width of the collar is critical. You might want to try a 4-inch firm foam collar. It's a cheap trial. An old post of mine:

I like the DMI Universal Firm Foam Cervical Collars -
http://www.walmart.com/search/?query=DM ... %20Collars

The firm works better and lasts longer than the soft. There seems to be no loss in comfort with the firm over the soft.

The cells in the foam break down over time. One lasts me about four months.

Typically the 3-inch width fits a smaller person, and the 3.5-inch or 4.0-inch fits a larger person. Some may need to change the size up or down on the second order. The larger size you can wear, the more support to keep the jaw from dropping.

Walmart ships free to your closest store for customer pickup.

Looks like the one I ordered. I have tried different sides (narrow and wide). I think the issue in my case was that not only does my chin drops, but it also tends to move slightly backwards, when relaxed. I remember somebody else describing this same problem. The best trick was to keep the jaw up and forward with a dental device (either some cheap guard from a sports store or SnoreRx)- worked for some (Chinstrap for CPAP, BiPAP, Bilevel? Why a mouth guard may work better.) but didn't work for me.

[RRL]

I have tried different sides (narrow and wide). I think the issue in my case was that not only does my chin drops, but it also tends to move slightly backwards, when relaxed. The best trick was to keep the jaw up and forward

Lots of good experiences, ideas and suggestions/recommendations shared here. I struggle with mouth leaks and/or breathing and have tried many things as well. I continue to monitor and tweak and repeat. Some nights my 95% leak rate is over 20 L/min; others it's 2 L/min or even less.

I still don't have it all figured out, but there is one thing I know has helped:

using a "Firm" foam cervical collar (as ChicagoGranny suggests) - any less firm than my current one and it would definitely result in more chin dropping/moving backwards for me. I see that you've tried narrow and wide sizes, but I think it's important to make sure it's "firm" foam, if you haven't already done so.

Also, if you haven't already tried the 4 inch size collar I definitely think it's worth trying. I noticed a dramatic difference between 3.5" and 4" for me.

My 2 pennies and as always, YMMV. Best wishes!

ETA: Just noticed ChicagoGranny already suggested the 4" size in this thread - so I second that motion.

[ChicagoGranny]

using a "Firm" foam cervical collar (as ChicagoGranny suggests) - any less firm than my current one and it would definitely result in more chin dropping/moving backwards for me. I see that you've tried narrow and wide sizes, but I think it's important to make sure it's "firm" foam, if you haven't already done so.

Also, if you haven't already tried the 4 inch size collar I definitely think it's worth trying. I noticed a dramatic difference between 3.5" and 4" for me.

It's been a very effective addition to my CPAP therapy. Spread the idea around in case it will help others.

[Lucyhere]

using a "Firm" foam cervical collar (as ChicagoGranny suggests) - any less firm than my current one and it would definitely result in more chin dropping/moving backwards for me. I see that you've tried narrow and wide sizes, but I think it's important to make sure it's "firm" foam, if you haven't already done so.

Also, if you haven't already tried the 4 inch size collar I definitely think it's worth trying. I noticed a dramatic difference between 3.5" and 4" for me.

It's been a very effective addition to my CPAP therapy. Spread the idea around in case it will help others.

I recently ordered the cervical collar that GC suggested. I had to order it from Walmart because the nearest Walmart is 45 minutes from me, and I seldom go that way anyway. I think the foam collar might be better than the all cotton. Mask $6.00 - shipping $6.00... but if it works that is still inexpensive enough.

[ChicagoGranny]

if it works

Let us know.

[tazmania]

Love my collar. It keeps my mouth shut for the most part. This extended my sleep therapy from just under 4 hours to over 6.30 hours!!!! And now most mornings when I wake up I forget I even have one on.

I bought mine on Amazon but I don't see anything that tells me it's a firm collar. 1 inch low density foam. Is there typically just an adjective that says firm or are there more detailed specifications that would give an idea on the firmness of the collar?

[RogerAN]

Walmart ships free to your closest store for customer pickup.

I just ordered mine from Walmart. I have used my CPAP for five years this month. Until recently, I have done fairly well with a "tight" chinstrap, but it was probably too tight and was causing some jaw pain (TMJ) so I am hoping that this will help. Always appreciate the comments of fellow members!

[Okie bipap]

I ried several chin straps, but could never get comfortable wearing them. I have been using a cervical collar for about eight months now, and I no longer have problems with dry mouth. The collar keeps my mouth closed and keeps my head from falling forward when I sleep. Due to arhtritis in my back, hips and shoulders, I sleep on an adjustable bed with my head and feet raised. It is similar to sleeping in a recliner.

[Sir NoddinOff]

To sum up:

Taping lips (edgy and scares the crap out of some people but usually works)
Cervical collar (iffy, but it's hard to bend your padded neck)
Chinstrap (another damn thing on your face, plus your lips can still part and let out air)
Denture adhesive on your lips (no comment)
Full Face Mask (You look like Darth Vader).

Good luck.

[ChicagoGranny]

Cervical collar (iffy, but it's hard to bend your padded neck)

If you have one of the right size and firmness, the neck can't be bent.

But, I still manage to get in and out of bed and usually get up once in the middle of the night to take medication without removing the collar.