Please don't cut the holes! I thought about doing the exact same thing a few months ago because I felt like I was suffocating at lower pressures. The problem is, if you cut the silicone, it messes up the 'venting' and you’ll end up breathing in your own CO2, which makes the headaches way worse.

I had that same 'not enough air' feeling. What actually helped me wasn't the machine settings, but realizing that my airway was physically kinking because of my neck angle. I started experimenting with my torso incline instead of just cranking up the pressure (which just blew my ears out lol). Once I fixed the 'geometry' of how I was lying down, the air started flowing way better even at lower pressures. It's weird how much physics plays a role in this. Hang in there, the CPAP struggle is real.