How to avoid back-sleeping

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
Apappy
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How to avoid back-sleeping

Post by Apappy » Mon Feb 21, 2011 3:58 am

This has probably been discussed before, but I can't find anything. What is the most effective way to avoid or learn to avoid sleeping on your back? I know about the tennis ball method, and an improvement on that is supposed to be a vest with a bolster built into the back (advantage being you don't have to wash it as often), and I have heard that 4-6 weeks "training" is necessary for success. Has anyone had any any experience with these techniques?

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mars
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Re: How to avoid back-sleeping

Post by mars » Mon Feb 21, 2011 7:30 am

Hi Apappy

If you do a search you will find -
Search found 9820 matches: +sleeping +on +back
which should give you a lot of feedback.

cheers

Mars
for an an easier, cheaper and travel-easy sleep apnea treatment :D

http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t7020 ... rapy-.html

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Pugsy
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Re: How to avoid back-sleeping

Post by Pugsy » Mon Feb 21, 2011 8:40 am

I never could bring myself to "sleep" with the tennis ball trick. I knew there would be no sleep because the least little discomfort wakes me up. Sort of seemed counter productive to me but hey, it worked for a lot of people.

I played around with various things like large pillows (they will move), a foam wedge (it will move), rolled up blanket (it will move and flatten out). What I found was most comfortable and didn't move as much was a buckwheat pillow laid lengthwise against my back to support me if I rolled over. It was a lot more comfortable to roll back on and if I had obtained a larger one (or even 2) it would have kept me completely on my side. As it was I would roll back to maybe a 45 degree angle.

Over time I didn't use it and found that there was no real change in my pressure needs on my back. So I abandoned the back support. Most of my mask slippage comes when I roll onto my back so it is better for me to stay on my side. For the most part I do now.

Never tried those backpack things. I had the buckwheat pillow for my neck and decided to give it a try. It is really quite comfy up against the back.

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Mr Bill
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Re: How to avoid back-sleeping

Post by Mr Bill » Thu Feb 24, 2011 12:55 am

At first I slept on my side after my sleep study but finally, I tried it on my back because of my GERD. I have to say this ASV is the bees knee. It does not matter what position I sleep in, it still works. But I sleep on my back mostly because on my side its more of an effort to breath. On my back, its easier to breath and thus to fall asleep. But that may be because most of my problem is central rather than obstructive.

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mars
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Re: How to avoid back-sleeping

Post by mars » Thu Feb 24, 2011 5:25 am

Hi All

The simplest method is to sleep on your side. Then, a few inches out from your back, about the middle of your back, have one or two hard edged objects that will wake you up if you turn on to your back.

So there is nothing to keep you awake whilst on your side. Turn over, and oooowwwwww, you wake up. Do your swearing and cursing (you can use my name if you wish), then back onto your side, replace the objects, and back to sleep.

If you sleep with a partner you will need to use some kind of divider in the middle of the bed.

Or better still, have them spoon you from the outside, so you can't turn on to your back. And make sure you remember this is about sleep therapy, not anything else.

cheers

Mars
for an an easier, cheaper and travel-easy sleep apnea treatment :D

http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t7020 ... rapy-.html

kentoboo
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Re: How to avoid back-sleeping

Post by kentoboo » Thu Feb 24, 2011 7:43 am

Why are most people on cpap worried about sleeping on their back? I was always a side sleeper until cpap, now most of my sleep time is spent on my back. My AHI is 1.5, 0% leak rate and periodic breathing-3%, whatever that is. I don't see the problem of sleeping on one's back!

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Pugsy
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Re: How to avoid back-sleeping

Post by Pugsy » Thu Feb 24, 2011 7:58 am

kentoboo wrote:Why are most people on cpap worried about sleeping on their back? I was always a side sleeper until cpap, now most of my sleep time is spent on my back. My AHI is 1.5, 0% leak rate and periodic breathing-3%, whatever that is. I don't see the problem of sleeping on one's back!
Because some people have more events on their back and they want to try to limit the number of events.

Because some people have different pressure needs to take care of events. Rooster comes to mind because his initial titration pressures were quite high, over 17 I think and he discovered that when he sleeps on his side he only needs a little over 9 or somewhere close there. I don't remember exact numbers. He obviously would rather spend the night at a pressure half of that high number.

Because some people like me have much increased pain in their back from sleeping on their back. Sometimes it is just a comfort issue.

It is common for a person to have more events while on their back and this is why titrations are most often done while supine. It gives the tech a "worst case scenario" to deal with.

Some people are just trying sleeping on their back to see if it makes any difference in their "numbers" and that is okay too. I did this myself. I found it didn't seem to make a whole lot of difference with my pressure needs or my average AHI. I still try to stay on my side but only because of my back issues.

Sometimes the additional movement from onto our sides causes the masks to move a lot, thus leak and sometimes a lot, thus sometimes people just want to limit mask leak.

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Lizistired
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Re: How to avoid back-sleeping

Post by Lizistired » Thu Feb 24, 2011 8:27 am

I would assume that trying not to sleep a certain way would cause more arousals. I never knew I slept on my back until the sleep study.

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Pugsy
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Re: How to avoid back-sleeping

Post by Pugsy » Thu Feb 24, 2011 8:50 am

mars wrote:a few inches out from your back, about the middle of your back, have one or two hard edged objects that will wake you up if you turn on to your back.

So there is nothing to keep you awake whilst on your side. Turn over, and oooowwwwww, you wake up. Do your swearing and cursing (you can use my name if you wish), then back onto your side, replace the objects, and back to sleep.
Mars,
Believe me if I tried this method your ears would be flaming red from my cursing you. I might even get out my trusty voodoo doll and give you a good spell to think about. I know people do use this pain aversion therapy to learn to stay on their sides but I simply could not go down that road. I already have enough pain waking me as it is. So sorry, call me a wimp but I liked to take the easy way with something comfy to roll back on.

Back when I was experimenting with positions I found that I really had no change in data with either position.
Hubby reports that rarely he hears me snore a bit when I have rolled onto my back. I can assume that my mouth drops open from time to time in the supine position. He says he just gently nudges me and I will go back onto my side and things quiet down. Doesn't happen often and apparently never long enough to impact data or leak as nothing will show up on reports. That is why I sort of gave up on trying to mandate a side sleeping position. For me, didn't make a whole lot of difference. I do start the night on my side purely because it eases my back pain. Sometimes I move around a lot, sometimes I barely move.

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tschultz
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Re: How to avoid back-sleeping

Post by tschultz » Thu Feb 24, 2011 9:27 am

I think you've already been given some good information and although I don't make use of the method I do know people for which the following has worked well. Take a backpack and place an empty water jug, a 2 gallon or so is about the right size. Then wear this backpack when you go to bed. The large object attached to your back will prevent you from sleeping on your back and should not cause any significant discomfort unless you force yourself to sleep on this rather large object.

While I know many people do have increased obstructions when sleeping on their backs, those that are able to sleep on their backs tend to have an easier time controlling leaks. For many rolling around and the pressure on the mask can contribute to leaks. There are some "special" pillows that may help with this when sleeping on your side but I know they don't resolve things for everyone.

I have been lucky, and do sleep mostly on my back but when I do sleep on my side I have not had any significant change in leaks other then the night I did not re-attach the gel cushion to the frame properly (missed engaging the lower clip) after cleaning it.

I wish you the best of luck and hope you find a solution that works for you.

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beniblanco

Re: How to avoid back-sleeping

Post by beniblanco » Wed Apr 16, 2014 11:05 am

My husband has asked me to avoid sleeping on my back due to my snoring. He tells me he can control his sleeping position during sleep (and if he chooses not to sleep on his back his body will obey even while he is sleeping), but once I am asleep I cannot control my position. Is it possible to learn how to do what my husband says he can do without, for example, tennis balls, etc?

arnshkarnk

Re: How to avoid back-sleeping

Post by arnshkarnk » Wed Apr 16, 2014 11:06 am

My husband has asked me to avoid sleeping on my back due to my snoring. He tells me he can control his sleeping position during sleep (and if he chooses not to sleep on his back his body will obey even while he is sleeping), but once I am asleep I cannot control my position. Is it possible to learn how to do what my husband says he can do without, for example, tennis balls, etc?

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Julie
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Re: How to avoid back-sleeping

Post by Julie » Wed Apr 16, 2014 11:45 am

You can buy foam wedges to keep behind you in bed so you don't turn over. There are many out there, so you should be able to find lots if you google them. I've never heard of anyone magic enough to control sleeping positions while asleep - either your hustand's fooling himself (most likely) or trying to sound important!.