A leaky CPAP mask is a prevalent complaint among CPAP users. If you lose air pressure, hear strange noises from your CPAP mask, feel stuffed up upon waking or experience disrupted sleep, chances are you have a leaky CPAP mask.
Advanced Sleep Medicine is here to provide you the top five reasons for why your CPAP mask leaks, and what you can do about it.
- Your CPAP pressure is too high.
When you first received your CPAP machine, chances are your doctor or respiratory therapist helped you set the pressure settings. These settings would have been based on your sleep study. However, if the pressure amount is causing a problem now, you can talk to your doctor about changing it. If your CPAP machine uses a ramp feature where it gradually increases the pressure, it might be set too high.
- You’ve been tossing and turning in the night.
This can cause your CPAP mask to become loose or shift on your face, breaking the seal and causing a leak. Often, this can be remedied by adjusting the straps. We also carry CPAP masks specifically designed for active sleepers.
- Your CPAP mask is dirty.
When the dirt and oils build up on your CPAP mask, it can cause you to lose the seal. A CPAP mask should be wiped down daily with a damp cloth or a CPAP mask wipe and submerged once a week in soapy water.
- How you sleep.
There’s no right or wrong way to sleep, but your position can affect how your CPAP mask fits. For example, if you breathe with your mouth open, a nasal CPAP mask is not going to be good for you, and you’ll want to use a full-faced mask instead. If you’re a side-sleeper, then a CPAP nasal mask is going to work better than a full-faced CPAP mask.
- Your CPAP mask is old.
The seals on CPAP masks do wear out over time, which cause leaks. Expect to change your CPAP mask once every three months. If it’s that time for your CPAP mask, check out the wide range of options we have on our website.
If you are still experiencing CPAP mask air leaks after trying the above suggestions, contact Advanced Sleep Medicine today!
Comments
Jordan
Posted on March 16, 2018Thank you mom for your kind words.
Mike g
Posted on March 06, 2019How many literally per minute is normal for leaking?
gerald riggins
Posted on November 14, 2019mask leaking, replace new one leak to . before using mask clean resura mask wipe this new leak to.
gerald riggins
Posted on November 14, 2019cancel reply
Denee Taylor
Posted on November 20, 2019My ramp was at 45, turned it down to 35. I wiped my mask down with a cloth. I checked the seal and it is in tact. In addition, I just received my replenished mask and tubing in September 2019. Please advise further.
Dave
Posted on January 06, 2020It’s because the mask is dirty. Run it under hot water and it will be fine!
JOHN MANSFIELD
Posted on February 15, 2020My mask leaks are running 25 to 34 Lpm yet my events are very low- never over 1/hour. Seems the events are the important thing. Can I just ignore the leaks? I tried a full face mask but had difficulty using it. The leaks were somewhat less but the leaks woke me up so I did not have a good nights sleep. Using a P10 now and I do not notice the leaks at all. Sleep wonderfully.
Dorothy Keller
Posted on August 26, 2020I was able to stop my mask from slipping up and causing air to leak and having to readjust my straps. I took the strap from an old mask and wrapped it around the mask, just an inch or so below the other strap. It keeps the mask in place and prevents it from slipping up on the back of my head. Manufacturers should look at creating a mask with a double strap in back.
M Therese
Posted on August 31, 2020Thank you for your wonderful suggestion. please show how you helped stopping leaking.
Thank you.