Comments on: Becoming a Hosehead http://www.realmsoftheraven.com/2009/12/15/becoming-a-hosehead/ Home of Author Maura Anderson Mon, 08 Aug 2011 01:35:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Maura Anderson http://www.realmsoftheraven.com/2009/12/15/becoming-a-hosehead/comment-page-1/#comment-49350 Maura Anderson Thu, 17 Dec 2009 04:12:16 +0000 http://www.realmsoftheraven.com/?p=1141#comment-49350 Thanks for sharing your experience, Joe! I've never seen the Dreamhelmet before. Might be worth a small investment to see if it helps the strap slipping issues... Hoseheads unite! Thanks for sharing your experience, Joe!

I’ve never seen the Dreamhelmet before. Might be worth a small investment to see if it helps the strap slipping issues…

Hoseheads unite!

]]> By: Joe http://www.realmsoftheraven.com/2009/12/15/becoming-a-hosehead/comment-page-1/#comment-49348 Joe Thu, 17 Dec 2009 04:03:30 +0000 http://www.realmsoftheraven.com/?p=1141#comment-49348 Maura, You're not alone. My experience with the CPAP is a lot like yours: I was a snorer for a long time. As I got older, my snoring got more frequent and louder. I also noticed I was tired a lot and liked to take naps during the day. I was overweight. People complained about my snoring and I did not want to sleep in the same room with other people for fear of keeping them awake. Finally, I talked with a doctor about the problem. He sent me home with a machine to check my breathing and pulse while I slept. The results really shocked me! The doc said my airway was closing off up to 70 times each hour, and that I stopped breathing for as long as one full minute at a time! I had severe apnea. He strongly recommended I start using the CPAP machine, since I was risking damage to my heart due to lack of oxygen. I had read about CPAP machines before and always thought I would never be able to sleep with one, since I am a little claustrophobic. Surprisingly, it only took me a few minutes to get used to, and I was able to start sleeping comfortably right away. The mask part is just a small nose manifold that covers the nostrils to blow in air. That keeps the throat inflated like a balloon, preventing throat closures and snoring. One problem is the straps over the head that keep the nose piece in place. They can be a little annoying at first, and if you change sleeping positions at night, it is possible for these straps to move, causing the nose piece to slip off. I have been using a Dreamhelmet (a combination sleep mask sound-muffling pillow) for years now, to sleep at night and for napping during the day. I always find it hard to sleep without the Dreamhelmet, and was afraid I would not be able to use it with the CPAP mask, but I was wrong about that too. After using the CPAP machine and mask for a short while, I tried wearing the Dreamhelmet over the CPAP mask, covering up the straps – voila, it worked like a charm! I found that the Dreamhelmet actually helps keep the straps in place when I change positions, so now I can sleep all night in comfort, not being bothered by sound, light, or changing positions. for under 30 bucks at www.dreamhelmet.com Now I don’t snore, I wake up rested, and I have energy that lasts all day long. I’m still overweight, but I don’t feel so run down all the time or feel like I need an afternoon nap. Maura,

You’re not alone. My experience with the CPAP is a lot like yours:

I was a snorer for a long time. As I got older, my snoring got more frequent and louder. I also noticed I was tired a lot and liked to take naps during the day. I was overweight. People complained about my snoring and I did not want to sleep in the same room with other people for fear of keeping them awake.

Finally, I talked with a doctor about the problem. He sent me home with a machine to check my breathing and pulse while I slept. The results really shocked me! The doc said my airway was closing off up to 70 times each hour, and that I stopped breathing for as long as one full minute at a time! I had severe apnea. He strongly recommended I start using the CPAP machine, since I was risking damage to my heart due to lack of oxygen.

I had read about CPAP machines before and always thought I would never be able to sleep with one, since I am a little claustrophobic. Surprisingly, it only took me a few minutes to get used to, and I was able to start sleeping comfortably right away.

The mask part is just a small nose manifold that covers the nostrils to blow in air. That keeps the throat inflated like a balloon, preventing throat closures and snoring. One problem is the straps over the head that keep the nose piece in place. They can be a little annoying at first, and if you change sleeping positions at night, it is possible for these straps to move, causing the nose piece to slip off.

I have been using a Dreamhelmet (a combination sleep mask sound-muffling pillow) for years now, to sleep at night and for napping during the day. I always find it hard to sleep without the Dreamhelmet, and was afraid I would not be able to use it with the CPAP mask, but I was wrong about that too.

After using the CPAP machine and mask for a short while, I tried wearing the Dreamhelmet over the CPAP mask, covering up the straps – voila, it worked like a charm! I found that the Dreamhelmet actually helps keep the straps in place when I change positions, so now I can sleep all night in comfort, not being bothered by sound, light, or changing positions. for under 30 bucks at http://www.dreamhelmet.com

Now I don’t snore, I wake up rested, and I have energy that lasts all day long. I’m still overweight, but I don’t feel so run down all the time or feel like I need an afternoon nap.

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