Mouth taped, cheeks puff, how do I stop that?

[Bright Choice]

I'm really wanting Swift LT or FX to work for me. Last night I got a good seal at nares and taped my mouth so there were no leaks around mouth either. But, I did get air blowing into my mouth and puffing out my cheeks - very annoying. I had to try to figure out how to move the air out of my mouth and out through the mask. Weird. How does that air get there? Is that what a chin strap is for? Would a chin strap prevent that air from entering my mouth? Or, am I destined to be a FFM wearer?

[Pugsy]

The air goes up the nose, down the back of the nasal passageway and into mouth because the tongue is relaxed and not blocking the air. Practice keeping your tongue positioned in the roof of the mouth and it should shut that door.
Otherwise instant chipmunk cheeks..

Tongue placement habit is fairly easy to get into.

[headbored]

Pugsy hit the nail on the head, hang in there and given time the cheek puffing will go away if you keep your tongue against the roof of your mouth.

[DocWeezy]

I second what Pugsy said....and it is possible to train your tongue to "block" the air. Now I find myself sleeping with my mouth open, BUT my tongue is blocking the air, so my leak line is basically flat.

Who'da thunk it?

Weezy

[robysue]

I second what Pugsy said....and it is possible to train your tongue to "block" the air. Now I find myself sleeping with my mouth open, BUT my tongue is blocking the air, so my leak line is basically flat.

That's one big tongue.

Me? I learned to keep my tongue on the roof of my mouth many, many years ago because it was more comfortable when I was sleeping with headgear for braces and for sleeping with my retainer. But my tongue (which is very long and skinny) isn't capable of blocking air from getting into my mouth if I merely open my lips slightly. Instant chipmunk cheeks and very uncomfortable. Only way I've found to deal with it is to turn the machine off and then open my mouth to exhale all the excess air.

[DocWeezy]

I second what Pugsy said....and it is possible to train your tongue to "block" the air. Now I find myself sleeping with my mouth open, BUT my tongue is blocking the air, so my leak line is basically flat.

That's one big tongue.

Yup. I'm one of those that have probably had apnea from a young age--small jaw/mouth, tongue too large for the mouth. I never realized it until using a pillow mask, but that's how I always hold my tongue because there's no room to be flat....it never dawned on me that other people didn't have to do that!

Weezy

[robysue]

I second what Pugsy said....and it is possible to train your tongue to "block" the air. Now I find myself sleeping with my mouth open, BUT my tongue is blocking the air, so my leak line is basically flat.

That's one big tongue.

Yup. I'm one of those that have probably had apnea from a young age--small jaw/mouth, tongue too large for the mouth. I never realized it until using a pillow mask, but that's how I always hold my tongue because there's no room to be flat....it never dawned on me that other people didn't have to do that!

Weezy

I also tend to hold my tongue that way whenever I'm not using it for something. My problem isn't so much the width of my tongue as it's length: It's long enough where I've always been able to do the "touch your nose with your tongue" trick with little or no effort. So it's way too long to lie flat in my mouth.

[Bright Choice]

You all are great!

Then what is the chin strap for if the secret is in the tongue?

[rested gal]

Then what is the chin strap for if the secret is in the tongue?

For some people, just keeping the chin from dropping down much keeps the tongue "up" enough to create a seal inside the mouth. An open mouth (jaw dropped down) is going to have more space inside than a mouth that's closed. So, that's why just a chin strap can help some people.

For others (I'm one) the tongue just can't stay in a sealing position no matter how tightly the jaw is held shut. That's why a chin strap doesn't help some people at all. At least not when being used to try to prevent mouthbreathing.

Some of us simply cannot "train" the tongue to keep a seal during the relaxation of sleep, no matter how long (I've tried for years! ) we try to develop a habit of keeping the tongue in a sealing position. And yes, the tongue is indeed the key to preventing mouthbreathing and/or CPAP air leaks-out-the-mouth.

Being able to let the tongue (or train the tongue) to make an airtight seal inside the mouth has to do with the "space" and "configuration" - size/shape - of the tongue and of the inside of the mouth, I suppose. Different people are different.

As

I second what Pugsy said....and it is possible to train your tongue to "block" the air. Now I find myself sleeping with my mouth open, BUT my tongue is blocking the air, so my leak line is basically flat.

Yes, some people can develop that tongue placement habit. And if the tongue DOES maintain an airtight seal inside the mouth, the mouth can be hanging wide open and still have no air escaping or mouthbreathing going on.

I use tape AND a chin strap. I add a chin strap simply to keep my cheeks flat. If very much air balloons into my mouth, it tends to loosen the tape sometimes.

As for what to do with the air in ballooned-out cheeks, if you wake up like that or are having that happen while trying to get to sleep... well, this takes a bit of practice but can be done:
viewtopic.php?p=135049#p135049

[Acc0mpl1ce2]

I had this problem at first. What I did was use the chinstrap and a bandana. I fold the bandana twice and pull the ends through the side straps on the chin strap. It seals the lips but allows for built up air to safely bleed out without disrupting your sleep. I started this because the idea of tape freaked me out.

[christinepi]

I'm a teeth grinder and therefore need to wear a mouthguard all night long. That doesn't help at all to get a seal, because it keeps the tongue away from parts of the roof of the mouth. Seems I'm doomed and will need tape for a long time to come (tried chin strap and made me feel like my head was in a vice so forget that).

[360]

The air goes up the nose, down the back of the nasal passageway and into mouth because the tongue is relaxed and not blocking the air. Practice keeping your tongue positioned in the roof of the mouth and it should shut that door.
Otherwise instant chipmunk cheeks..

Tongue placement habit is fairly easy to get into.

"Practice" as in all the time or as in when you're getting ready to go to sleep?

[Pugsy]

Pugsy wrote:The air goes up the nose, down the back of the nasal passageway and into mouth because the tongue is relaxed and not blocking the air. Practice keeping your tongue positioned in the roof of the mouth and it should shut that door.
Otherwise instant chipmunk cheeks..

Tongue placement habit is fairly easy to get into.

"Practice" as in all the time or as in when you're getting ready to go to sleep?

Gosh, never thought about it. I breath through my nose all the time so mouth is closed. My tongue just naturally goes there. Watching TV or whatever. It was something that I just naturally did the first time I put the nasal pillows on. One time with chipmunk cheeks let me figure that my natural way of holding tongue would stop the air going into cheeks.

When I did a trial screening on my sister she got chipmunk cheeks real fast and I told her what to do and she was able to do it immediately. She had no practice.

I also swallow with tongue place in the roof of the mouth to help equalize inner ear pressure. Sort of like what you do in an airplane with altitude changes.

I would imagine that if a person routinely breathes through the mouth (even if no nasal congestion) then it might take them some time to learn to breathe through the nose with mouth closed. In that case I would say practice while watching TV. Maybe put the mask on and turn on machine while watching TV and see if they can do it so that it just comes naturally.

[lars4life]

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[Bright Choice]

Still experimenting. I bought a "boil and bite" mouth guard and was pleased with the results. It seems like my tongue seats it self properly when I use it. It kind of taught me how to place my tongue on the nights I don't use it. My current "b & b" must be a bit off as it makes the teeth on one side of my mouth sore during the night. I'll try a new one - for .97 cents at Walmart, you can't go wrong. But it definitely cuts down on the leaks. That plus my "do it yourself" chin strap made of 2" "self adhering" ace bandage - really seems best for me.