I have been using the CPAP for about 2 months and all of a sudden, I've started waking up in the middle of the night to a gurgling noise and it seem that my tubing has started accumulating water in it. My mask (full face mask) also seems to be very damp almost wet inside it. I don't know what is causing this. I've not touched the settings and I make sure when I put water in the tank that it's exactly to the fill line. Any ideas ?
I had the same issue last night only, which was my 4th night on CPAP. I've heard climate change can cause this and last night we had COLD weather for this first night this year. I hear you can wrap your tube with a special velcro wrap for insulation. I'm going to make one with fleece and velcro to match my bedroom decor.
Permalink Reply by Tim on October 17, 2009 at 5:09pm
It is called rainout and is caused by the moisture from the humidifier condensing in the tube and/or mask. With the cooler weather , there is a greater chance of condensation -- sort of the opposite of condensation on the outside of a glass of ice water. As Jerri mentioned, you can put insulation, such as a fabric sleeve, over the hose to help keep it warm. There is also an "Aussie Heated Hose", which is a heated tube that prevents rainout. Turning the heated humidifier setting down or off may also stop rainout. Placing your CPAP machine several inches below the top of your mattress may help drain the water back into the humidifier rather into your face.
If you are handy with a sewing machine or Stitch Witchery, it should be easy to make a sleeve out of flannel, fleece, or jersey that you can slip over your hose. If you find that the rubber ends of your hose "stick" to the fabric, making it difficult to slip the sleeve on; wrap the rubber ends with plastic wrap or cover with a small plastic bag -- use scotch tape to hold the plastic on while you are sliding the sleeve over your hose. A sleeve will help prevent rainout, but it may not be a complete solution if your room is very cold.