Sleeping on your stomach

[ddk]

I only started sleeping on my side after the doctor told me it was better for snorers. Before then I never even used a pillow and would always sleep on my stomach. Of course, then I got the CPAP and continued side-sleeping. But lately I've been having difficulty maintaining therapy and so I've been trying different approaches. A latex contoured pillow has helped somewhat but I've noticed that if I sleep with my face on the edge of it and stomach down that I can still use the nasal pillows and that my airways are far more open.

During the night I tend to abandon the mask at about 5-7 hours into therapy and just sleep the remainder without it because for some reason I just can't continue. The pressure seems to make it more difficult to breathe than less. So now I've taken to sleeping on my stomach again and again, I feel like my airways are far more open than when sleeping on my side.

So I'd like to hear from others about what they think of sleeping on your stomach and if there are pillows that can help with this or even masks that are good for it.

[ughwhatname]

I only started sleeping on my side after the doctor told me it was better for snorers. Before then I never even used a pillow and would always sleep on my stomach. Of course, then I got the CPAP and continued side-sleeping. But lately I've been having difficulty maintaining therapy and so I've been trying different approaches. A latex contoured pillow has helped somewhat but I've noticed that if I sleep with my face on the edge of it and stomach down that I can still use the nasal pillows and that my airways are far more open.

During the night I tend to abandon the mask at about 5-7 hours into therapy and just sleep the remainder without it because for some reason I just can't continue. The pressure seems to make it more difficult to breathe than less. So now I've taken to sleeping on my stomach again and again, I feel like my airways are far more open than when sleeping on my side.

So I'd like to hear from others about what they think of sleeping on your stomach and if there are pillows that can help with this or even masks that are good for it.

I sometimes sleep on my stomach and I use the Tap Pap mask. I just have my face off the edge of the pillow. Since there is no mask across my cheeks, I don't need to worry about the mask shifting and causing leaks.

[kteague]

I'd like to hear some of the sleep professionals on here weigh in on what they see in the sleep labs regarding the numbers on stomach sleepers and when they change positions. Can't quote any facts, but have a friend who was told he was one of the worst OSA cases they'd seen in their practice, and that him being a stomach sleeper was probably the only reason he was still alive. I'm guessing that's because in that position the tongue can't fall back into the throat. My friend is still a stomach sleeper, and has managed to do so wearing a full face mask. I think the advice to side sleep is in preference to back sleeping.

[DavidCarolina]

Ive never heard that side sleeping was better than stomach sleeping before. For one thing its the position of your head that matters it would seem, not your stomach. So your head is on its side, not face down.

I HAVE heard its best for your heart to side sleep.

[avi123]

"The Best Sleep Position

Sixty-three percent of Americans sleep on their side. Only 14% sleep on their back and 16% on their stomach. Which way is best? Shut-eye expert Park offers these tips.

Go with the flow. You may have heard that sleeping on your back prevents facial wrinkles because nothing is pushing against your face, but that doesn't mean you should change your snooze. Trying to change your natural sleep position can harm the quality of your sleep, says Dr Steven Park."

[grapeshly]

I am a stomach sleeper, and have always slept this way. Just like someone previously posted, I let my face hang over the side of the pillow, and have little or no problems with my mask (a nasal pillow) sliding out of position. Sometimes I have trouble with some vent air reflecting back into my face, but I can almost always adjust the position of my head or rotate the vent on my mask to control this. (For whatever it's worth for anyone reading this to know, I sleep in a sort of swastika-like configuration, so I'm not completely flat on my stomach.)

Prior to getting my Cpap, it did seem to me that sleeping in this way did help prevent my tongue from falling backwards and blocking my throat. But not enough to make much difference in my OSA.

[Xney]

Sleep in whatever position works best for you.

If you stomach sleep with CPAP, then you'll get used to scrunching the pillow and hanging over the side without even waking up.

[Kenwood]

I sleep on my stomach with a SwiftFW and bucket wheat hull pillow

[hyperlexis]

I sleep on my stomach mostly, but was told ideally, to sleep on my side.

A problem with sleeping on your stomach is the tendency to move around and dislodge the mask on the pillow/mattress when you sleep on your stomach. That can cause leaks, and wake you up, etc.

The best (for your back and to prevent dislodging the mask) is to sleep on your back, but that often requires higher pressures to overcome apneas than if sleeping on one's side.

Alas nothing is perfect.