12 Helpful CPAP Tips You May Not Know - Part 1

Hello, Sleep Warriors!

This is Kenny McCollum with KimberlyMD.com.

Today is going to be part one of a two-part series called “12 Helpful CPAP Tips You May Not Know!

#1 Hose entanglement.
Solution:
A CPAP tube holder.
So, this is basically just a pole with a little flap that usually slides between the box spring and the mattress with a little strap at the top that holds your CPAP tube above your head. Now I've seen a lot of DIY methods as well. People will attach it to their headboards or to the wall. That works great as well. These tube holders are relatively inexpensive though. You can pick them up online and they are a great way to hold your tube out of the way!

#2 Your hose is not long enough.
Solution:
Heated hoses are about six feet long but with non-heated hoses, you can get in up to ten feet in length. Ten feet is the maximum length that you can have for a CPAP machine though. You do not want to string multiple hoses together; 10 feet is the maximum length that you can have for a CPAP machine. Once you reach ten feet, you're going to have to move the CPAP machine closer to your bed.

#3 The mask will not fit on the end of the hose.
Solution:
All tube ends or cuff sizes are universal at 22 millimeters. So, you can see here, the tube on the left here, what you have is the mask swivel stuck in the end of the tube. So sometimes people pull the mask off the end of the tube, and that swivel gets stuck in the end of the tube. So, the solution to this problem is just to pull that swivel out of the tube, and then your new mask will fit into the end of the tube.

#4 The mask will not stay on the hose
Solution:
So, the mask cuff is either worn or stretched out, or needs to be cleaned, or the mask swivel needs to be cleaned. You can do that usually with just a little soap, soap, and water, or just a washcloth, just clean it well. If that does not work it needs to be replaced, it has become so stretched out your mask will not stay on any longer. This usually happens after a few months.

#5 The hose is cold.
Solution:
So, this is a non-heated hose, so it's cold, and maybe getting some condensation inside of the hose, or it's cold up against your skin. So, the solution to this is a tube wrap. So, this is what a tube wrap looks like. This is a basic one that just has Velcro at both ends. There are also other wraps that have zippers that go all along the edge of the tube wrap. You can find these just about anywhere, either online or at a CPAP store,

#6 The hose is cold on a heated hose. 
Solution:
The hose heating element is no longer working. So, if your hose is cold and it's a heated hose the heating element on it is probably not working anymore and this can happen any time after you purchase the hose. Sometimes they stop working a week after you purchased them, you just purchased a lemon. Also, sometimes you may just have the heat turned down too low, turn up the heat if it feels too cold

All right, thank you for joining me, I'll see you next time for part two!