OK, so you will laugh,but I have to share this tip for those who use them. I need a chin strap with my model and I could not find one that I could tolerate. SO,I put a panty liner/mini pad over my mouth at night. It hold my mouth shut,catches the slobbers(yes, we all have them),and it does not hurt when you pull it off. It is very comfortable ! Just use un scented if you have sensitive skin! Ok, you can all laugh now,but it works great for me and might help someone else. :thumbup:

Not laughing. It's a pretty good idea.

Now, go add tampons, pads and liners to your first aid kits. I'm not kidding. When the zombie apocalypse hits, they'll really come in handy.

I use a c-pap and have the mack that fits over my nose that has soft "waterbed" type blue tings. I sleep well. No chin strap required. Wonder why you would need one. Oh ok to hold you mouth shut. Mine stays closed. If I open it the air rushes out and it sounds like a northern blew in. Not a silly subject. May help someone who doesn't have a c-pap.

I keep them in my first aid kit, so I don't find other uses for them strange/odd at all :wink:

What a great idea. No laughing here.

I'm sorry I laughed. Its a good idea even though its funny.

There are times that I would love to do this to DH when he forgets to put his chinstrap/bondage strap on :D Don't think that he would like that idea tho. :(

Ok I laughed..I could just hear my sister saying she needs to pick up pantyliners for her husband when he sleeps... :shock:

I use a full mask.
Very creative though!

I laughed, too.

Are you willing to post a picture?

Hey, if it helps, it's a good idea. But I'm still smiling at my mental image.

DH is laughing hysterically and says NO WAY - he'd rather slobber. ROFL!!!!!

Forgive me, I'm still getting past the mental image.

Now on top of clean undies, I have to make sure if I ever need a C-pap, I have a clean liner. Oh dear me.
God bless those who have to use them and thank God I don't have to, yet.

I use a full mask too, so I wouldn't need your 'solution'. I couldn't tolerate the nose only mask, because I tend to cough quite a bit, and just got in a real mess when I tried to cough with a nose only mask - nearly choked myself.

Dare I ask!!! what is a c pap?? The imagines are mindboggling.

C pap is used by folks with sleep apnea.

Thank you.

It stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. We wear a mask at night, attached to a machine that blows air to us under pressure to keep open our airway so that we don't stop breathing during sleep.

Some of us have a small mask that just fits over the nose, and others have a larger mask that covers the nose and mouth. Neither are pretty, but getting a good nights sleep makes a difference, besides which, if left untreated, it puts more of a strain on our hearts.

For me the real danger was that my oxygon levels went down to about 56 in the night, and I am in rem sleep most of the time I am asleep. I had no idea until I was in the hospital a few years back for surgery. The nurse kept trying to wake me up because even with oxygon on my stats were around 72. She wasn't very happy with me. She deserved it though for being mean earlier in the day.

My younger sister uses a C-Pap. I need to tell her of your creativeness. I don't know what kind of mask she uses as I have only been to visit her a couple of times,(and briefly, at that) since she got it. I think she only had the nose one, unless she has had to get something else.
I've been told I ought to see the sleep clinic, but have not had time. Between doctors, dentists, attorneys, and accountants (and this board), I have not have not had many minutes to call my own this summer.

CPAP is Continual Positive Air Pressure, used to help people who stop breathing during the night. oops, I see it's already there.

Here's a thought for you Cpap users:

I have a friend who's used one for years. This past summer she got some sort of bite guard from her dentist and she no longer needs the machine! It took several trips to get it adjusted right, but she is doing better than ever.

We even roomed together on a quilting retreat and other than some very gentle snores, she did great. :)

LOL LOL -- I use one, too, and I'll be DARNED if I'll do that!!! It's bad enough DH teases me with the mask -- but a pantyliner???? Nope....he'd have too many jollies over that!

That's something I'm going to look into! I've noticed my front teeth chipping and cracking and I KNOW I grind my teeth at night. A dentist told me to get a bite guard but I ignored him!

If you have sleep apnea, please see a Pulmonologist/Pulmonary Specialist before you consider an alternative like this.

I was supposed to go to the sleep clinic a few months ago, but there is no way I can leave my disabled DH alone all night. None of his nearby family are willing/able to do all the personal services I must do for him, so I had to cancel my appointment. Doctor wass less than pleased with me, but hey, you do what you have to do.

To clarify: she worked with the sleep specialists and her dentist.

My comment was to ask people who have sleep apnea to be careful. It had nothing to do with your friend. I am glad she was able to do this!!!!

I totally agree with you that it's a medical condition. For people who have established that a cpap helps, the next step might be a mouth appliance. :)

Wish I was closer, I would volunteer to stay with your husband for you. It's always a hard decision when other family just don't get it!

Thank you, Sharon. That is sweet of you.

I also wish I lived closer. Before I lost my husband I was in much the same situation and it is very difficult. If you ever need to just talk, please pm me. I truly understand what what it is like.

Thank you, Sadiemae. The people on this board are such great friends.

Theoldgraymare...can you hire a night nurse for one night? He might be resistant to the idea, but sleep apnea can be dangerous, and I'm sure he'd like to keep you around as long as possible!! You need to get your testing done..for both of you!

My sister uses a c pap..she had the full mask for a while, now she has a mini mask that has two stopper looking things that fit tightly into her nostrils, I tease her that her nose will stick like that!! She doesn't snore anymore and sleeps easily. Oh..dogs (especially hers) seem to really enjoy the texture of the masks for chewing.. :lol: :lol:

I have always had a box of panty liners in the bathroom closet for a variety of things..really good dressings for still slightly draining abdominal surgeries. you can stick those suckers inside your clothes at any angle anywhere you need them!! My ex used them after two of his surgeries..way more comfy than heavy dressings and tape...doesn't rip every hair off your body ;-) ;-)

Please, go back to your doctor and ask more questions - or call the sleep study center and ask a few questions. They have ways of testing that don't involve a stay in a sleep center. I know, because my husband had to do it...granted, its not comfortable sleeping for those couple of days, but it does work! And, the results of using a c-pap are wonderful...since I got mine, my thinking has cleared and I don't fall asleep EVERY time I sit still like I used to! (Made going to Church a real challenge!!! (I SNORE!) )

Please, don't give up...if you need the help that a c-pap will give, there is no substitute!

Sorry, I still can't wrap my head around the Panty Liner thing, though.....

Do you have any hospitals or assisted living facilities nearby that offer overnight respite care? I know that is something that medicare/medicaid will often pay for.

I truly hope and pray you can find a way to get tested it is life changing to use a c-pap machine and it really is not good if you don't and need one.
As I side note when I got mine had to save up they are 1000.00 dollars and we have no ins. Knew of at least 10 people that had them and didn't use them they just threw them in the closet because they were uncomfortable to get used to. I'm guessing their ins paid for them, sorry for the rant just so silly not to use them when they will prolong your life.
Anyway sure hope you can get the test. :)

LOL well that is a good idea, but I use just the nose pillows also, seems to work good for me

Fine idea! But (Thankfully,) I use a full face mask. But I have used them, Sanitary pads, on wounds that were "leaking" after surgery. Works Great! I also had a time were a blood vessel just would not heal. Blood would actually shoot out of my arm across the room. My Dr just could not understand, because he never saw it or the mess. But you should have seen the nurses at dialysis scramble when it happened there! I just got to were I would grab a pad and put over it and then would go looking for help to wrap coban(that stuff that sticks to itself and not you) around it. This worked super and saved a lot of cleaning and laundry.

Doing the sleep study and getting/using the CPAP machine is the best thing that I have done for myself medically. My average was 117 episodes per hour. This number was way beyond serious. No wonder I was walking around in a daze.

Do what you have to do to use the machine:-) I like your creativity/ resourcefulness :-)

By the way, DH sleeps better now that he doesn't hear myestop breathing and then wait for the gasp to begin the breathing process.

It is wonderful to have a clear head to think and some energy to enjoy life!

I have breathing problems when awake, in addition to Sleep Apnea, and I have recently got an oxygen concentrator to help with the daytime breathlessness. Just recently it dawned on me that my full face mask for the SA has an opening that I could attache the concentrator to. Bingo! I now get oxygen to breath in additon to the CPAP pressure, and I am waking up feeling tons better.