I have written an extensive article that speculates via detailed analysis, Why some people take to using a CPAP and others struggle.
Below I'm going to give some of the interesting points made in the article, but I think to really understand this, you will need to read the article.
Breathing with a CPAP should feel like natural breathing. I suppose I have already lost most of my readers. I absolutely believe this to be true. And if you now struggle with a CPAP, understanding this alone could be the biggest help to getting good CPAP therapy.
Full-face mask CPAP users are either struggling with puffy cheeks or closing their lips. The machine is supplying increased pressure that is capable of expanding your airway. If your lips are open, you are including your mouth in this pressurized airway. It will want to expand it as well.
The tongue-to-palate seal is critical to understanding easy CPAP therapy. For some, this may come naturally. For others, it may be learned. This key point is seldom discussed and often could be labeled something else like "Chin Drop."
Effective nasal breathing is a requirement of easy CPAP therapy. Your nasal breathing does not have to be perfect, but without being able to breathe through your nose, you will need to pressurize your mouth and deal with puffy cheeks.
Mouth taping and full-face masks have a benefit, but it is not what you think. One key to successful CPAP therapy is a natural soft-palate seal. The primary benefit of these 2 devices might just be to help adjust when that seal fails.
Excerpts from the document:
... I am writing this to help the field of sleep apnea treatment. CPAP users who are taking on the responsibility for their own treatment may find some very valuable information here. I expect most professionals to discount what I am saying... But what I lay out here is based on physics and common sense. There is no leap of faith required to understand what I am saying. In some ways, as a CPAP struggling user, I do feel more qualified to talk on this subject than a medical doctor with years of medical education who has never tried to use a CPAP.
Feedback on this Article
I’d like to hear feedback on this article. I primarily want to solve my own sleep problems. I do feel that there is some real information lacking and hope that this article can help bridge that gap. Perhaps next I’ll create an annotated list of resources that I have found useful. Anyway, for now, I’d really appreciate any feedback on what is said here. Also, I have a very small survey where I’m trying to collect some data on how well people adapt to using a CPAP.
You can access the survey from https://SleepApneaPlus.com.
Peaceful sleep, Eric