by Carrissa Hankins, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, Hello Sleep Health & The Sleep NP LLC
If I could tell you one thing to save you frustration with your CPAP journey, it would be this: when deciding between a nose-only mask option (nasal pillows or nasal mask) and a full mask option (with nose + mouth coverage), follow your nose.
But what does that mean exactly?
If you can't breathe comfortably (and exclusively) through your nose while awake during the day, a full mask is going to be your best option.
Too many people with sleep apnea assume that because they mouth-breathe overnight that a full mask is their only option. While it is true for some, overnight mouth breathing isn't always the deal breaker you'd expect it to be.
The Backstory
Overnight mouth breathing in the setting of untreated sleep apnea is common. And it makes sense. It's the fastest way to get more air in when you're having a hard time getting the air in.
The actual deal breaker is daytime mouth breathing. How you breathe is not only a function of how open or blocked your nose is, but how you've learned to breathe. The "road" inside your nose may be open for "traffic," but if your brain hasn't figured that out, mouth breathing will continue per the established routine.
Whichever way you breathe while awake is likely how you're going to do it while asleep with CPAP in place.
And while you can actively work towards learning how to ditch a 24/7 mouth-breathing habit, you probably won't be ready to go nose-only on your mask until breathing that way becomes more automatic.
Why this topic?
It bothers me when I hear of struggling CPAP users who were never given much of an option on mask style. If you are someone who was handed a full mask, waived out the door without another thought about it, and found yourself on the CPAP-struggle bus, I'm so sorry.
Every style of mask has it's own challenges.
There's nothing one-size-fits-all about treating sleep apnea.
Thankfully, we don't need perfect for everyone...we just need good enough for YOU, the individual.
And that's why, when you're trying to decide which style of mask to try, you can't go wrong with "follow your nose."
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