using oxygen for copd

I am on oxygen for my copd I am 40 years old a woman I use 3-4 liters of oxygen by nose cannula during the day to help me breathe better and at night I use a mask per my doctor at 8 liters per minute since I have a hard time breathing at night the only problem is I find my self waking up with the mask on my stomach not on my face I pull it off in my sleep so I wake up gasping for air then my oxygen level is at 56  any suggestions on how to keep the mask on my face so I don't rip it off at night so I can breathe better I go threw this everynight and it is driving me crazy.

[Jenn12546]

Hmm...good question. When I was on O2, I too would find my cannula in less than desirable places...under my pillow, around my neck, caught on my feet (not sure how that even happened). I wound up taping the cannula to my head, it helped some but not always. I also changed how I slept, if I was more comfortable I was less likely to toss and thrash around. I slept with my head elevated, but I also preferred being on my side.
I wound up on BiPAP which helped...I think part of the reason why I moved around so much with just the cannula was that I wasn't getting good enough breaths. The BiPAP machine (similar to CPAP) made it easier for me to get much needed deeper breaths that I just was not pulling in on my own. I never woke up with my mask on other parts of my body, so I assume that I didn't toss and turn.

Do you by any chance retain CO2? Maybe BiPAP would be a good thing for you, with advanced lung disease, it takes quite a bit of work just to breathe. While you are sleeping, the effort just isn't there and sometimes the breaths are shallow. It might be worth talking to your doctor about. I know I felt so much better with BiPAP and O2 than with just straight O2.

Also, how do you feel in the morning besides crappy because of the low O2 levels? Do you also have headaches? That is an indication of high CO2 as well.

I am just throwing ideas out, if you have concerns make sure you bring them up to your doctor. I am not a doctor, just someone who has been through her share of lung issues.

I hope you find answers.
Jenn