If you have sleep apnea then you know just how hard it can be to get a good night’s sleep. Breathing is one of those things that should come naturally to us. But many people simply don’t have that luxury when it comes to sleep. This is of course why we have invented CPAP masks for mouth breathers and CPAP machines. However, there can still be problems that occur when sleeping with sleep apnea, even with a good travel CPAP machine.
The problem we are talking about here is mouth breathing. It might not seem like breathing through the mouth as opposed to breathing through the nose is a big deal. But when it comes to sleep apnea and the use of a CPAP machine is involved thought, this can big issue.
This is why many companies around the world make CPAP masks for mouth breathers. Let’s talk all about these things right now and find out what the big deal about mouth breathing is. This can mainly be solved with sleep apnea masks for mouth breathers.
Nose Breathing vs Mouth Breathing
Like I said before, it might not seem like a huge deal if you sleep while breathing through your mouth. But anybody with sleep apnea knows that there is a big difference. Yes, if you don’t have sleep apnea, breathing through your mouth might lead to a dry mouth when you wake up and that is about it. However, if you are a mouth breather and have sleep apnea, there are some problems that can occur.
A big problem here is that you cannot just tell a mouth breather to stop breathing through their mouth. Breathing is something that happens on a subconscious level, like blinking and swallowing. Sure, you might breathe through your nose because your nose is clogged, but many people still do it even though their nasal passages are perfectly clear.
It is more of a habit and subconscious phenomenon that causes this. Therefore, anyone with sleep apnea can come across some serious problems. Normal sleep apnea masks are simply not designed for people who breathe through their nose. And it's not like a mouth breather can simply start breathing through the nose due to the fact that mouth breathing is not good. It’s not a conscious decision to be made.
The solution is to find the most comfortable CPAP mask for mouth breathers like a personal favourite of mine, the ResMed Quattro FX Frame System with Cushion.
Sleep Apnea & Mouth Breathing Issues
So, it’s not like we look down on mouth breathers, but there is a problem when it comes to cpap machines. You see, most CPAP masks are designed for people who sleep with a closed mouth and breathe through the nose. Normal sleep apnea masks are simple nasal or nasal pillow masks that just cover the nose. So, of course, if you are a mouth breather, these masks will do you no good.
Sleep apnea is of course very dangerous due to the fact that sufferers stop breathing all of a sudden. These episodes can be extremely dangerous to say the least. Breathing through your mouth when you have sleep apnea will do you absolutely no good if the oxygen mask is only hooked up to your nose. This means that the CPAP machine is only effective if you breathe through your nose.
There is another problem involved with many masks, which is leakage. Much of the air often leaks out due to mouth breathing, which makes it near impossible to get effective treatment for the sleep apnea episodes.
CPAP Mask Solution
However, they do have a solution and it comes in the form of sleep apnea masks for mouth breathers. As opposed to traditional CPAP masks, ones for mouth breathers come in the full face mask form. Some have a chin strap to keep your mouth shut and feature both.
The point is that there are indeed CPAP masks for mouth breathers that will still treat sleep apnea episodes while sleeping. Even if you do breathe through your mouth. Some full face masks simply cover your nose and mouth. So even if you do breathe through your mouth, it makes no difference. There are also nasal CPAP masks with chin straps, which close your mouth and force you to breathe through your nose.
Many people are actually shown to adapt to these masks and start breathing through the nose while sleeping, thus allowing for the use of normal CPAP nasal masks. The ResMED Quattro Air Full Face Headgear will ensure your mask stays in place all night.
Travel CPAP For Mouth Breathers
Luckily, there are some good options to go with when it comes to travel CPAP machines and CPAP masks for mouth breathers. Now, most CPAP machines are compatible with both nasal masks and full facial masks, so this is not a huge issue, but finding the right CPAP machine for you might be a problem. Let’s go through some of the options you have.
Z1 Auto Travel CPAP Machine
The Z1 Auto Travel CPAP Machine is a great all around CPAP machine to go with. It is portable, lightweight, and comes with all of the features that a sleep apnea patient requires. This particular model does come with leak compensation. So, if you are a mouth breather and only want to use a nasal mask, at least this model will compensate for air leakage.
That being said, there are a couple of different accessories you can get. It is compatible with only some select CPAP masks for mouth breathers. So be sure to check out the product by clicking the button below or read my full review here.
Philips Respironics Dreamstation Auto CPAP
I'm not not going to get into the specifics of the DreamStation Go but it does come with leak compensation, which is great for mouth breathers. Philips Respironics does feature a wide array of accessories for their CPAP machines. Which include a nasal mask with chin straps and full face masks for mouth breathers too.
Best CPAP Masks For Mouth Breathers Conclusion
When it comes to the best CPAP masks for mouth breathers, the options might be a little limited when compared to nose breathers. There are specialty built full face masks and other options available for sleep apnea patients who breathe through their mouth. Pretty much any great CPAP machine will come with an option to use a full face mask.