When i happen to wake up sleeping on my back

[robz]

I seem to be having an apnea moment......I know sleeping on the back can make things worse, so I try to avoid.....But my question is, if sleeping on the back causes more issues, would that mean I need to have an increased pressure setting to help compensate for this or that won't really make much difference.....

[LSAT]

I seem to be having an apnea moment......I know sleeping on the back can make things worse, so I try to avoid.....But my question is, if sleeping on the back causes more issues, would that mean I need to have an increased pressure setting to help compensate for this or that won't really make much difference.....

That's why an autoset makes sense in that situation. The machine can compensate by increasing the pressure to head off events.

[Pugsy]

It's one of those things that CAN happen for some people but not necessarily ALL people. It's common for supine sleeping to make things worse but it isn't necessarily a given that it will do it for everyone.
So sleeping on one's back can make OSA worse but it might not do it for all people.
And those that supine sleeping does affect...sometimes some people might need more pressure and sometimes people don't.

For myself supine sleeping never seemed to do much in terms of causing more OSA or even pressure changing needs...but REM sleep sure does which is also one of those things that can happen for some but not necessarily for all.

So lots of possibles that wouldn't be uncommon.
It is possible that the OSA could be "worse" when on one's back and someone might need more pressure...and they might not.
Worse doesn't always equal more pressure needs though. Kind of like REM worse doesn't always mean more higher pressure needs.
It's possible that worse just means more apnea events trying to happen but those apnea events don't necessarily need more pressure....so possible but not an absolute.

Since there are so many possibles and variables...I just prefer to let the machine sort it out by having a machine that can increase the pressure if it needs to and not do anything if it doesn't need to. As long as the airway is held open and the collapse prevented in the first place who cares if it might have been worse in REM (for me) or on my back (if I happened to have it worse on my back). If they get prevented they don't happen do they?

Now if there is a significant change in pressure needs that causes a problem...then yes, maybe do something to try to avoid it but if not just let the machine sort it out.
I have zero control over REM (where my OSA is documented 5 times worse in terms of numbers).
Now we might have some control over sleeping position but it's iffy and often takes extraordinary effort to stay off our backs and I wouldn't do it unless it was really needed and all other options were exhausted. It's just easier said than done and if there isn't an absolute critical need then why go through the effort.

I think getting the good solid sleep is the primary goal. If going to some extraordinary measures (the tennis ball thing comes to mind) causes more sleep disturbances than the back sleeping problem presents...why do something that messes with my sleep? I have a machine that will fix the apneas no matter when or why they are happening...why not just let it do its job and get good sleep in any position I want????

So if you wake up on your back....look at your software reports to see if a lot of apnea events are happening at that time...if they aren't don't worry about it. If they are then we decide how to best prevent them and there are several options available to choose from.

[robz]

Thank you very much for the detailed response Pugsy.....It makes total sense....

[D.H.]

I was always a side sleeper. However, when I was titrated in 1999, the technician said that I was sleeping on my back. He told me that I was titrated for back sleeping, so it's OK to sleep on my back when using CPAP.

Since 2016 I have an automatic. I have the min pressure at 13.5 and the max at 20 (though it seldom goes above 15). I believe that I sleep on my back. I use two extra firm pillows under my head, I tuck a soft pillow under my chin and another soft pillow under my lower back. The back pillow is wonderful, as I no longer need medicine for back pain.

[chunkyfrog]

No matter what our preferred sleeping position, it is nice to have alternatives
when arthritis rears its ugly head, shoulder, or hip.