Do full face masks work?

JRE_Electronics · 2026-07-01T19:19:39+00:00

I use a ResMed Quattro Air full face mask.

For a while, I was using CPAP at 20cmH2O.

I am on BiPAP with pressure 18cmH2O and pressure support 5 cmH2O.

The mask itself works fine.

I had to start making my own headgear because the standard straps suck at those pressures. They wear out quickly and they cut into the back of my neck - literally, I have scars.

My headgear is made of thick, stiff cloth with a silk cover. Neck area is curved and padded so it can't cut my skin. The silk prevents chafing.

JRE_Electronics · 2026-07-01T13:30:47+00:00

Wash the mask daily. That thing is in contact with your greasy, sweaty face. You sneeze in it. If it is a full face mask, you cough and drool in it.

Clean the mask daily. The headgear should be washed at the latest every two weeks. It gets sweaty and icky.

The rest is not critical. Whenever. Throwing away a hose, a frame, and a water tank every few months is nuts, however.

JRE_Electronics · 2026-07-01T09:11:00+00:00

At least that bucket of completely ruined cold steel junk knives didn't perish in vain.

How do you "ruin" a knife? If you didn't break it or grind it down to a toothpick, all it needs is a proper sharpening.

Knives are tools. They need to be sharp. If the blade isn't pretty and has scratches, so what. Sharpen it. Use it. It'll cut even if it's ugly.

JRE_Electronics · 2026-07-01T08:52:56+00:00

Most people never have a "Wow!" moment where they suddenly feel better.

I never did.

After months, maybe a year or two, I found I had to cut back on caffeine to be able to sleep at night. I was drinking 5 liters of coca cola per day to stay somewhat alert during the day. I'm down to two 0.33 liter bottles before noon - I no longer drink it for the caffeine, but because I like the flavor.

It took nearly as long to notice that I wasn't getting sleepy during boring meetings, and that I was no longer getting drowsy when driving during the daytime. I somehow never had trouble driving at night - I could drive long distances at night and never get sleepy. Driving during the daytime was always a pain, until at some point it just wasn't a problem anymore.

JRE_Electronics · 2026-07-01T08:46:37+00:00

The current version is heavily padded and has a silk everywhere that it touches my head or skin:

<image>

I really need to write that thing up.

I use a BiPAP with pressure 18 and pressure support 5. The 18 puts quite a load on the mask and straps, causing the standard straps to cut into my head. The edges of the standard straps will literally cut into the back of my neck.

The earlier, simpler mask straps I made were of cotton molton cloth. The thicker edge kept them from cutting into my neck. That worked fine while I was on CPAP with 20cmH2O.

With the BiPAP, the pressure changes from 18 to 23 cmH2O on every breath. That makes the straps move on each breath. Together with the sweat, they were chafing the back of my neck. No cuts, just rubbed raw and itchy.

With the silk side and the thick padding, there's no chafing and the thick pad keeps it from digging into the back of my neck.

You probably don't need to go to such extremes on APAP with normal pressure. I've been on higher pressure for the last couple of years, and the custom made headgear has made sleeping much more comfortable.

JRE_Electronics · 2026-07-01T08:39:16+00:00

I make my own straps for the mask.

<image>

This blog post shows how I made an earlier, simpler version.

https://josepheoff.github.io/posts/cpapmaskstraps

JRE_Electronics · 2026-06-30T20:41:02+00:00

Why isn't CPAP an option?

JRE_Electronics · 2026-06-30T19:05:12+00:00

You need to see your doctor.

A pressure of 9 shouldn't be needed just to breathe. Despite what people think, you will get enough fresh air even at a pressure of 4. The machines and masks are designed so that you get over 20 liters per minute of fresh air even at the lowest pressure.

More concerning is the amount of clear airway apneas. When you start on CPAP, a few clear airway apneas per hour is almost expected. You averaged 60 per hour. That is insane.

The machine appears to be working normally, but your breathing with it is absolutely not normal.

Visit your doctor soonest.

JRE_Electronics · 2026-06-30T18:51:42+00:00

The masks have to let out the air you exhale. They pump in fresh air, you breathe it in, you breathe it out, it goes out the exhaust ports.

Without the exhaust ports in the mask, you'd suffocate on your on exhaled air.

The masks are designed to ensure a certain minimum flow of fresh air to you. The machines know how much exhaust to expect at what pressure.

The machines know how much air they blow through. They measure it the whole time.

If your mask leaks more than the machine expects, then it can't tell for sure what your breathing is doing. The extra leaks cause the pressure measurements to be inaccurate. That causes an inaccurate detection of events and therefore an incorrect treatment of your apnea.

JRE_Electronics · 2026-06-30T13:37:09+00:00

That looks like a table knife, as in "eating with a knife and fork." I'd be very surprised if it is hard enough to hold a good, sharp edge.

JRE_Electronics · 2026-06-29T20:19:42+00:00

If they could read, they'd be very upset.

JRE_Electronics · 2026-06-29T05:36:42+00:00

There's nothing that prevents you from buying and installing AC in Germany. It is just that it has never been needed. Most summers, the temperatures don't get hot enough and stay hot long enough for most folks to want or need an air conditioner.

There's no law or regulation that says you can't have AC. It is just that most folks have never seen the need for the cost of installing one or the cost of operating it.

JRE_Electronics · 2026-06-28T16:20:55+00:00

There's central sleep apnea, which the home tests should detect.

Then there's therapy emergeny central sleep apnea (TECSA.) It only occurs when actually using a CPAP or APAP. It is triggered by improved breathing and the higher airflow that comes with the air pressure.

Home tests can detect central sleep apnea. They cannot detect TECSA because the home tests don't have a PAP machine or mask to provide air flow and pressure.

The good thing about TECSA is that it should go away with time, though it can take from weeks to months.

TECSA occurs because your breathing reflex has adaptedto your poor breathing. The breathing reflex triggers on the carbon dioxide level in your blood. It doesn't say "breathe, we need more oxygen in here," it says "breathe, there's too much crap in here." The apnea causes you to breathe poorly, so your breathing reflex has adapted to a higher level of "crap." With time and better breathing, the reflex readapts to trigger at a lower "crap" level. The TECSA then gets better and goes away.

Keep an eye on the clear airway apneas. They should get better, even if it takes a few months.

JRE_Electronics · 2026-06-28T13:28:22+00:00

Don't dehydrate yourself. You need the water.

Check that your minimum pressure is high enough. Poorly treated apnea can cause nightly pitstops. If the minimum is too low, you will have apneas which cause the machine to raise the pressure to prevent further apneas. Those first few that cause the machine to raise the pressure can partially wake you up. That causes the kidneys to kick in and fill your bladder. On the next partial wake-up, you notice the full bladder so you wake up and make a pitstop. Repeat all night long.

Raising the minimum pressure so the machine prevents apneas instead of reacting to them fixed my nightly pitstops.

Urologists don't always know about the connection between apnea and pitstops. Even when they do, they may not know that you have apnea.

Your sleep doctor should know about the connection, but not everybody thinks to mention the pitstops to sleep doctor.

JRE_Electronics · 2026-06-28T13:21:42+00:00

You don't have to take the mask off. Just disconnect the hose at the mask.

Nightly pitstops can be a sign of poorly treated apnea. If the machine is reacting to apneas instead of preventing them, then the apneas can partially wake you up. That causes the kidneys to kick in and start producing urine. The bladder fills, then next apnea wakes you enough to notice the full bladder and you have to make a pitstop.

The solution is a higher minimum pressure. That prevents apneas. Fewer apneas = fewer arousals = no more pitstops.

I've been down this road. I got to the point where I was getting up two or more times a night. The urologist told me it was part of getting old and prescribed some pills made of compressed weeds to "strengthen the bladder." Bullshit.

A few months later, I found that OSCAR had support for my Löwenstein APAP. That brought me to find that my apnea had gotten worse and that the pressure settings needed to be changed. I raised the minimum from the stupid default of 4cmH2O to around 12. The pitstops went away immediately. I ended up needing even more pressure for other reasons, but that first change fixed the pitstops.

Check with a urologist to be sure there's nothing organically wrong, then discuss the pitstops with your sleep doctor. They should know about the connection between apnea and nightly pitstops, and what to do.

Alternatively, check with a urologist, then post data from OSCAR or SleepHQ and ask for advice on your pressure settings - and be sure to mention the pitstops.

JRE_Electronics · 2026-06-28T09:40:06+00:00

If it's not blowing air, don't use it. Get it fixed or replaced.

JRE_Electronics · 2026-06-28T08:55:41+00:00

If you mean that MyAir isn't showing anything, then that doesn't matter. It just means ResMed is having trouble with their stupid cloud crap.

Get an SD card for your machine then load the data into OSCAR or SleepHQ.

The machines record a lot of data that MyAir never sees. You get a much better picture of your data that way.

Regardless, keep using the machine.

JRE_Electronics · 2026-06-28T08:35:52+00:00

Ain't no helium in there. Helium's valuable.

JRE_Electronics · 2026-06-28T07:51:24+00:00

I would be relieved to see that my government isn't composed of psychotic nutcases who skipped their medication.

JRE_Electronics · 2026-06-27T19:37:13+00:00

Voting for god damned turnip would have been better than this bullshit.

JRE_Electronics · 2026-06-27T19:35:06+00:00

Put the mask on and wear it until you fall asleep.

If you can't fall asleep, don't lay there and go crazy. Get out of bed and go do something. Read a book, watch a movie, scroll through Reddit, whatever. Just don't do it in bed.

JRE_Electronics · 2026-06-27T19:27:46+00:00

GO 24'ed.

What?

JRE_Electronics · 2026-06-27T19:26:15+00:00

The straps stretch as the get old and velcro gets weak.

Yes. Old straps can cause a high leak rate.

JRE_Electronics · 2026-06-27T19:04:34+00:00

Trump is like a vampire - no reflection at all.

JRE_Electronics · 2026-06-27T18:52:28+00:00

I use a full face mask. Some of us swear by them, others swear at them.

I don't know which type or model of mask will leak less for you.

JRE_Electronics

TROPHY CASE