There are three styles of CPAP masks: nasal, nasal pillow, and full face. There are many masks to choose from in all three styles, but regardless of your choice, minimal leaks are essential for effective therapy.
If your mouth falls open occasionally while you sleep, your mask leak will be very high. The pressure from you CPAP will travel straight out your mouth versus down the airway to control your apneas.
So what are your CPAP mask options if you tend to breathe through your mouth?
Option 1: Full Face Mask
With the mask cushion covering both the nose and mouth, the mouth can open and the pressure will still enter the airway as intended.
Option 2: Chin Strap with Nasal Mask/Nasal Pillow Mask
The chin strap provides just enough resistance to keep the mouth closed during sleep. While the chin strap keeps the relaxed jaw from opening, therapy continues to enter the airway through the nose.
How Does a CPAP Chin Strap Work?
CPAP chin straps hold your mouth closed and keep your jaw in place while you undergo sleep apnea treatment. These chin straps are designed to work seamlessly with CPAP equipment and won't interfere with your mask's headgear. Using the chin straps will complement and optimize your CPAP therapy by reducing leaks and making the mask more effective. We offer a wide selection of CPAP chin straps for sleep apnea from industry leaders like PureSom, Philips, and ResMed.
Using one of these CPAP chin straps will help you to enhance your sleep apnea therapy for maximum effectiveness and better results. While CPAP mask straps are not a requirement for CPAP users, they can greatly help those who may be experiencing a greater-than-normal amount of leakage. As a bonus, CPAP chin straps also help to eliminate snoring. In addition to open-mouth sleepers, people who have a deviated septum or small nostrils will enjoy the convenience of a CPAP chin strap. Also, for those who have trouble breathing through their mouth instead of their nose and people who find the full-face mask uncomfortable and awkward, CPAP chin straps are a great alternative.
CPAP chin straps are designed to hold your mouth closed while using a CPAP machine, helping to reduce or eliminate leaks. Rather than a cumbersome full-face mask that might make you look like Darth Vader, with a CPAP chin strap you can comfortably use a standard nasal or nasal pillow mask.
Note: If you use a full face mask, you don't need a chin strap. It's designed so that the mouth area is covered, so you won't experience the leakage that you may get with a nasal or nasal pillow mask.