SleepWeaver

Knowing that there are one or two other CPAP users here, I thought that this might be of interest.

I’ve just taken delivery of a radical (at least to me!) new nasal mask called SleepWeaver. Unlike conventional masks, this is made of soft fabric, and inflates in use, ballooning to fit the contours of your face. The SleepWeaver can be used with CPAP, BiPAP or AutoPAP.

I’ve just given it a quick try, and with minimal adjustment, I got it settled very quickly, with no leaks and very comfortable. I am going to give it a proper try tonight.

Being fabric, it is easy to keep clean – you can hand wash it with mild detergent – and it doesn’t press into your face as a conventional mask can. It makes it easier to sleep on your side (although I developed a way to do this with my hard plastic mask, I know some folk have difficulty), and it is even possible to wear glasses while wearing the mask. It is much lighter and smaller than the plastic masks. I went for the flesh-toned one, which makes it even less obvious, but it also comes in nifty patterns such as camouflage and leopard.

The one slight downside is that unlike conventional masks, this has no angled hose swivel, so the air hose by default points down your body. I tend to sleep with the hose over my head and the headboard, but I am going to have to experiment with positioning with this one. Intus/EU PAP, who I bought it from, also sell a quite nifty hose lift, but I am not sure I need it.

At 100 pounds, including delivery, it is not cheap, although it is comparable with the top end gel masks. Also, that price includes the integrated headgear/strap, which is often extra with other masks. From reading forums, people are saying they are lasting for 10-12 months, which is pretty good – I’ve had conventional masks last less time than that.

If this price is out of reach to you, it may be worth talking to your sleep clinic, and see if they will be willing to fund it. Intus is selling them into some clinics, and have indicated they are happy to follow up when contacted by a clinic on a patient’s behalf.

Will write more after I’ve given it a try for a few months.

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