My dentist was trying to talk me into the mouth piece. The cost was outrageous, so I just laughed.
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The only thing about the nasal pillows. If you donāt keep your mouth shut while sleeping the air just rushes out your mouth. I seem to not have a problem keeping my mouth shut while sleeping. If you do they make a strap for under your chin or this mouth tape thingy. The irony is I donāt have a problem keeping my mouth shut while sleeping. 
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A ball gag to go with my nasal stuffies, sounds like a grand ole time 
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Give the nasal pillow a try, itās a much smaller profile than the mask that covers your nose and mouth. This is what I use.
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Nasal pillow user here too, for about 20 years. Its a bit of a pita, but itās my sleep crack now. I canāt imagine trying to sleep without it.
I stopped smoking cigarettes about 5 years ago and always wondered if that would positively impact my apnea, but havenāt thought about another test. Maybe someday, or when my machine breaks and insurance tries to force me into a new test (thereās always eBay for new machines though ā¦)
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for what ever reason sleep apnea is some how related to causing heart afib. i was recently diagnosed with a fib, had been feeling low energy for about a year or so, thought it was just old age. they did the electro-conversion, shocking the heart back into rhythm, and i feel a lot better and hands and feet are much warmer. lucky me is headed to the sleep study to see if i have sleep apnea. glad to get some insight from this thread.
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Honestly, i dont really receive that much āenergyā benefit from the machine. Iāve never really woken up feeling refreshed from using the cpap, even 20 years ago when I was a much younger man. Iāve always envied those that got that benefit.
Iām compliant with it because of the heart health issues. Stopping breathing multiple times per hour is a bit hard on the heart, and my family history doesnāt favor me there. So I try to do what I can (considering all my other bad habits ā¦)
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Iāve been using one (an APAP, for āadjustableā pressure rather than CPAP for āconstantā) for 6-7 years now. Iām definitely in the severe categoryā¦
The nasal pillows donāt work for me. I live in a constant state of allergies so my nose is always stuffed. I canāt get enough air unless I open my mouth to breathe which negates the whole point of the machine. Iām stuck using a full face mask. My gf has the nose pillow thoughā¦
A large number of my friends are getting them as they age.
My best trick for cleaning is to use StarSan. It is a āno rinseā food safe sanitizer, developed by Five Star chemicals. Their market is beer and wine makers, where sanitization is paramount. You just drop your gear in a container of StarSan, let it sit a bit, then pull it out to dry. No rinse required.
I bought a container maybe a decade ago. A little goes a long way. One ounce makes five gallons worth!
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Yeah, Afib is nothing to screw around with. Glad you are doing a sleep study.
Be Well. 
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Doc made me get tested last year. I have to say the take home testing kit was very hokey. But I was diagnosed as extreme, something like 45 disturbances per hour. Iāve never ever in my life felt rested when I wake in the morning. Ever.
Without getting really into it, there have been more red flags with the place I was referred to. And honestly, based on the testing i experienced, id go out on a limb and suggest 98% of people who get tested are told they have it even if they donāt. They seem like a huge money grab and being unregulated, thereās nothing to stop them. Going forward Iāll just buy what I need from elsewhere, even though my benefits cover it.
Took me a looong to get used to it, I also use the 360 swivel with the nose pillows. The small and medium feel like they pinch my septum. The large works but I find closer to morning, the slightest air leak wakes me up. I wear earplugs and itās quite loud breathing. And if I sleep on my back my mouth tends to open some and then the air blows through and I wake up with a very dry mouth. Iāve thought about trying the mouth/nose mask, might get one to see if itās betterā¦but when Iām not working I have a beard so might not be best.
I do like the app to get an idea of whatās happening, but it definitely tells me I need to deal with the leaking. Maybe Iāll try the medium again. That was the other thing I thought was pretty stupidā¦they wouldnāt allow me to try different masks when i picked it upā¦basically choose one and thatās what you get. How the hell does a person whoās never used one, know which is going to work? They just want to sell them, donāt carry āsampleā masks. And their markup is ridiculous compared to Amazon and the like.
Full cleaning is kind of annoying too, I like to scrub the inside to make sure thereās nothing building up. I use a toothbrush to get in and scrub around. Not the best tool but it is what it is.
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Iāve had one for the past 2 years or so and itās made a difference. With the machine Iām down to 1 or less events in an hour usually. Been using the Dr Bronners from day one after reading up on it and have never had an issue.
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I use the medium nasal pillows. Have you thought about the strap that goes under your chin to keep your mouth closed. Try having your headgear a little looser. I find mine keeps a better seal even when Iām side sleeping. It also doesnāt chafe my nostrils when I go looser on the straps verses tighter. 
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I just noticed that ResMed has doubled their price on the nasal pillow replacements. Was $13 now $22.
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No I havenāt, my brother in law mentioned something about face straps at Christmas. Iāll look into that! And I actually run my straps tighter than looser to keep it all in place. Sometimes i wake up because the velcro has been pulled apart im guessing from turning over/rubbing my head on the pillow.
Havenāt had any chaffing issues, just a pinch of the septumā¦but maybe that is chaffing and Iām not realizing it. Iām going to try the medium pillows tonight and see how it goes.
I appreciate the tips!
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This stuff is amazing. Itās pro level stuff. I used to home brew and you had to own this stuff for cleaning, period.
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āDonāt fear the foam!ā 
I really enjoyed my days brewing beer. We had a little co-op where we could make group buys. Iād order 50lb sacks of malted barley wholesale. With a grain mill, growing three kinds of hops in my yard, and a friend who cultured yeast, we kept costs low but quality high.
When I was diagnosed as diabetic it put a quick end to that hobby. Too many carbs!
I still use an autosiphon from my brewing days to move water from my 30 gallon reservoir into 5 gallon buckets where I mix nutes.
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i used a machine for probably 6 months at most. i was able to sleep on my back which never happened before (with the mask i guess i had no choice). i hated the thing. i would still wake up tired, but different than normal. the mask on my face made me feel panicky so it was hard to fall asleep i had to calm down. i donāt really know if it was beneficial but i donāt want to do it again. i had to switch to the nose piece because with the full mask i would wake up having a panic attack when i couldnāt get the mask off.
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I use something else that helps my headgear with the swivel stay on during the night. I bought 3 of these. They are like you would wear under a motorcycle helmet. If I donāt wear the beanie my headgear gets oily from my hair and slides all over. I wear one for 3 days and then switch out another clean one. Machine washable on delicate and hang dry. It keeps my head gear from giving me bed head and also holds my headgear and nasal pillows in place. 
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