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How do you keep your mouth shut when you're sleeping?
Just baffles me. If you go into "sleep paralysis" in your sleep, what keeps your mouth shut?
Views: 60222
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by 99 on
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when i was at a convention of about 1200 people i fell asleep and someone about four rows ahead of me in the convention said
"stick an apple in his mouth" i was snoring loudly
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Permalink Reply by RChatty on
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It took me about 2 weeks, but I got it! I don't open my mouth anymore. I was going to get a chin strap, but never did and I'm grateful because it forced me to learn to do it on my own. j n k's suggestion is just what I did, only no one suggested that to me before I did it. Once in a while now, I let a little air bubble in my mouth, but it wakes me up instantly and I push it right out and go back to sleep.
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Permalink Reply by Matt on
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Good stuff j n k, thanks. I got the tongue positioning down, and it works great. That is, till I get to a certain stage, that first stage of sleep. Then it's not enough and my jaw drops. Really messes with the subconscious, doesn't want to let me relax to try again. I do wear a full face mask, and chinstraps haven't helped in my case. Awaiting delivery of a second dental device, hope it will work better than the first design. Wish they'd just let me have a tracheostomy; it's an inevitability after all, given my situation... Thanks again, Matt
j n k said:Some have been able to train themselves to keep their tongue in the right position at the front of the mouth so that even when the muscles are fully relaxed, the tongue position creates a slight "suction" effect that keeps the lips shut.
Try it. Place the tongue against the area at the front of the roof of the mouth just above the teeth. Consciously suck the saliva and air out of that area. Now allow the jaw to drop slightly. Can you feel the suction pull at the lips and the sides of the mouth? If a person has slept with his mouth open for years, this doesn't come naturally at first--it has to be relearned. But some have been able to do so with a little conscious effort.
Other people need a chin strap. I had to use a dental device for a while to keep my mouth shut. Still others (controversially) tape their mouth shut. Others use a mask that covers nose AND mouth so they don't have to worry about the mouth coming open.
Finding a way to stay off one's back while asleep can make a big difference too. It is harder for most people to keep the mouth closed during sleep when on their back.
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Permalink Reply by cheryl on
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My problem is, after about a minute or so, my mouth starts to fill with air, and then poofs the cheeks and the lips open to release the air. That has prevented me from progress in cpap. I truly would have no complaints about cpap if I could use my optii-life nasal pillow mask, but this problem prevents it. I have taped and used chin straps and that was unbearable. I now am on about my 20th full face mask, and am also attempting to use the Liberty mask, which has a nasal pillow and then also circles the mouth. Now this works, but it pulls my mouth open when the air fills up inside, and I have horrible dry mouth. I have done what has been suggested with placing the tongue up front, and trying to keep it there, but I think i breathe too slow and the air flow builds up and has to go somewhere, so the lips open..I'm havin a devil of a time. The full face masks are heavy on my face (thin face) and I have nose red/tenderness and marks on my face from those.
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Permalink Reply by Bob Schwartz on
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Hi Matt,
JNK's idea sounds interesting. I'm going to try it tonite.
My experience is with a chinstrap sold by Medline as follows.HEADGEAR, CPAP, HOLEY CAP 3 POINT
Product Number: SEE55046 Sleep Net Corp
It's a head cap with two velcro straps. All the "chin straps" I bought cut into my ear and caused me pain. They also were at a 45 degree angle and I feel you need a vertical line to pull your jaw closed. I use this item so that the straps come straight down and don't hit my ears. I also wear a mouth guard, $1 at Walmart, and the front part sort of seals my lips from the inside. I need the guard as I grind my teeth. All in all I have a small problem only once a week.
I'm anxious to try jnk's technique.
Good luck,
Bob
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Permalink Reply by Glen England on
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Not trying to upset, but, if you wear a full face mask, you shouldn't be worried about your mouth at all. That's why I went to a full face mask, I had a problem with my mouth being open all the time, so the CPAP was less effective.
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Permalink Reply by Joe Longo on
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I have the same problem as Cheryl: my cheeks balloon and eventually air is forced through my lips. I've tried the "controversial" taping of the mouth and the chin strap. They both work but are awkward. My solution was to switch from the nasal mask (my favorite) to a full face mask that actually permits my mouth to open. This works great - the CPAP forces air through both my nose and my mouth and I experience really deep sleep. You need a mask that fits under-the-chin, not under-the-lip. I suspect that this works well for me because I have a deviated septum which limits the airflow through my nose. Stanford has recommended surgery. For now, mouth-open-with-full-face is a great fix.
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Joe, what type of mask do you use? I have 2 that I seem to tolerate okay, except that they hurt my bridge of nose and dig into my cheek bone on one side. NO matter how I adjust it, this happens and I wake with a headache/marks on my face and pain. Now I wore a Liberty mask last nite, but that somehow keeps my mouth open the whole time and dries it so bad. I guess that is the price to pay. For me, the doctors cannot seem to see why I have this sleep apnea. I have no obvious anything in my situation in my mouth that could cause this. I had sinus surgery, coincidentally, the same week I got my results back from the sleep lab. The sinus surgery is still healing and has been about 4 months now, so am hoping it helped with the apnea. But for me, this has been a nightmare trying to find a mask. The fullface used to make me claustrophobic and it weighed down on my face, thus I tried the nasal pillows, but had the mouth fill problem...-it may be getting better, as I am better able to tolerate the fullface, but am still having the marks/pain and dry mouth. I do use the humidifier on my cpap and am hoping that my next sleep lab next week will show this apnea stuff has improved and maybe I can get an autopap or at least look into it. I think I breathe too slow and that is why the mouth fills with air. I'm very new to all this yet and am still trying to figure it all out. Seems like SOOOOO many people have the same problems, thanks for your input
Joe Longo said:I have the same problem as Cheryl: my cheeks balloon and eventually air is forced through my lips. I've tried the "controversial" taping of the mouth and the chin strap. They both work but are awkward. My solution was to switch from the nasal mask (my favorite) to a full face mask that actually permits my mouth to open. This works great - the CPAP forces air through both my nose and my mouth and I experience really deep sleep. You need a mask that fits under-the-chin, not under-the-lip. I suspect that this works well for me because I have a deviated septum which limits the airflow through my nose. Stanford has recommended surgery. For now, mouth-open-with-full-face is a great fix.
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No worries, you are very nice in your reply and probably correct in your response. But for me, as I explained to Joe, the full face was horrid for me at first. I am better to an extent with it,but they just wont fit properly on my thin face and the sides weigh down on my face, and dent into my cheek bone and bridge of nose, loosening the straps starts the provervial leaks! I have had better luck the last 3 nites, keeping it on, but my face looks like heck in themorning and hurts. I did use my Liberty mask last nite but it somehow forces my mouth open and then dries it out so bad. Just can't win!
Glen England said:Not trying to upset, but, if you wear a full face mask, you shouldn't be worried about your mouth at all. That's why I went to a full face mask, I had a problem with my mouth being open all the time, so the CPAP was less effective.
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Cheryl,
I have the Fisher-Paykel. I have 2. The old one works best. The new one hurts my bridge, like you, so I've had to revert back to the old which the new was meant to replace. My provider has since recommended a ResMed which has adjustments on the head of the mask to help minimize the pressure. I'll buy that next when my insurance allows another mask (every 90 days).
But try this: buy a packet of Nasal strips and put one over the bridge where the mask sits. The strip distributes the pressure, preventing the injury. Get the cheapest strips, not the brand-names. There's also a gel product recently released specifically designed to prevent this problem (can't recall the name). I bet it works like the strips, but for 3 times the price!
I've been on CPAP since 2004 and it's been life-changing/enhancing. I've tried almost all the mast configurations. My favorite were the nasal pillows. Resmed has an ultra-light called Swift-FX which I recently tried. But the open-jaw problem made them impractical. Stick with it. There's got to be a reason for your apnea. I didn't get any satisfaction with private doctors until I went to Stanford. They got it right and I've been with them since.
Hope this helps.
- Joe
cheryl said:Joe, what type of mask do you use? I have 2 that I seem to tolerate okay, except that they hurt my bridge of nose and dig into my cheek bone on one side. NO matter how I adjust it, this happens and I wake with a headache/marks on my face and pain. Now I wore a Liberty mask last nite, but that somehow keeps my mouth open the whole time and dries it so bad. I guess that is the price to pay. For me, the doctors cannot seem to see why I have this sleep apnea. I have no obvious anything in my situation in my mouth that could cause this. I had sinus surgery, coincidentally, the same week I got my results back from the sleep lab. The sinus surgery is still healing and has been about 4 months now, so am hoping it helped with the apnea. But for me, this has been a nightmare trying to find a mask. The fullface used to make me claustrophobic and it weighed down on my face, thus I tried the nasal pillows, but had the mouth fill problem...-it may be getting better, as I am better able to tolerate the fullface, but am still having the marks/pain and dry mouth. I do use the humidifier on my cpap and am hoping that my next sleep lab next week will show this apnea stuff has improved and maybe I can get an autopap or at least look into it. I think I breathe too slow and that is why the mouth fills with air. I'm very new to all this yet and am still trying to figure it all out. Seems like SOOOOO many people have the same problems, thanks for your input
Joe Longo said:I have the same problem as Cheryl: my cheeks balloon and eventually air is forced through my lips. I've tried the "controversial" taping of the mouth and the chin strap. They both work but are awkward. My solution was to switch from the nasal mask (my favorite) to a full face mask that actually permits my mouth to open. This works great - the CPAP forces air through both my nose and my mouth and I experience really deep sleep. You need a mask that fits under-the-chin, not under-the-lip. I suspect that this works well for me because I have a deviated septum which limits the airflow through my nose. Stanford has recommended surgery. For now, mouth-open-with-full-face is a great fix.
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Permalink Reply by Crabby Appleton on
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I wish I could find some combination that would work. I had a sinus deformation as a kid that would not allow me to breathe through my nose, so I naturally became a mouth breather. I finally had sinus surgery when I was 18-19 to open my nasal passages, but I now had to learn how to breathe through my nose. I've had the complete radical throat surgery (tonsils, adenoids, UPPP), but it did not help. It just made a larger hole for my giant tongue to fall into and block. I have tried every mask available (expect the astronaut-looking complete face), chin straps that hurt, etc. Nothing has been able to hold my chin up/mouth closed. I am at my wit's end because I am so overwrought and exhausted. I've been "surviving" on 2-3 hours (maybe) of sleep for years. Luckily (?) I'm self employed because I doze off several times a day. My mind is very cloudy and my eyes burn so bad I can barely stand to have them open. I honestly believe this condition is going to lead to a massive stroke or heart attack. I'm only 48 and used to be a very active athlete clear into my early 40s. I feel like this condition is leading me to an early grave. I have no insurance to cover any more tests and no money to pay out of pocket. I've had 5 sleep studies. Not trying to be overly dramatic or a whiner, but I'm looking for a miracle at this point.
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Permalink Reply by Julia on
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I think I learned to keep my mouth closed really quickly. My problem is that I bite down on the side of my tongue at night so much that I have caused sores to develop on my tongue. The doctor and my dentist do not have any solutions. It does wake me up and so far, I haven't figured out how to stop doing this.
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