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Raise Head to Help Sleep Apnea?

Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 10:46 am
by edm_msu
There is a book that claims that if you raise your head when sleeping, it will help sleep apnea: Get It Up!: http://www.selfstudycenter.org/getitup.htm

The idea is that your apnea (and migraines) will be cured if you raise your head up when sleeping. One way to do this is to use a foam wedge to raise your head about 12".

Here are some links:
http://www.selfstudycenter.org/style_flat.htm
http://www.selfstudycenter.org/change_flat.htm
http://www.selfstudycenter.org/topic_flat.htm
http://ezinearticles.com/?Heads-Up!-The ... &id=795155

Here are some quotes:
"Gravity plays an important role in the circulation of the brain. When your head is down, it gets extra pressure because of gravity. When your head is up, gravity helps drain the brain and resist the pressure of blood pumping up from the heart to the head."

"There are two ways by which sleep position can cause sleep apnea.
First, if you are on your back and flat, this unnatural position allows the tongue to fall back and block the throat, causing snoring and obstruction of the airways. This is the cause of obstructive sleep apnea.
Second, brain edema from sleeping too flat for too long may make the brain stem sluggish and slightly dysfunctional. The brain stem is the part of the brain that controls breathing. This leads to difficulties in breathing, especially when the head is down while sleeping and getting further congested. This is the cause of central sleep apnea.
Head elevation has already been used to treat obstructive sleep apnea, although it has been underutilized as a therapy in favor of more costly alternatives, such as the surgical removal of parts of the throat.
We believe head elevation should be tried first for all forms of sleep apnea, including central sleep apnea."

It seems like this could work for more mild cases. The wedge would pretty much force someone to sleep on their back all the time. This is simpler and much cheaper than CPAP. Sleeping on a wedge is not normal, but using a CPAP is not normal either.

Does anyone know anything about this? If it does help, what levels (mild, moderate, severe) does it work for? Is this an acceptable alternative when power goes out and the CPAP stops?

Thanks,
Ed M.

Re: Raise Head to Help Sleep Apnea?

Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 11:34 am
by chunkyfrog
If my pillow is too thick, I get horrible cramps in my neck and shoulders to go with the splitting headache I wouldn't have otherwise. No, thank you.

Re: Raise Head to Help Sleep Apnea?

Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 11:42 am
by nanwilson
I have raised mine......all I did was raise the head of my mattress....didn't cost a cent.

Re: Raise Head to Help Sleep Apnea?

Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 4:37 pm
by teachcsg
It does help...to what extent? Im not sure there have been any studies showing the effect of a raised bed/pillow and the severity of sleep apnea it resolves. But it does help. That is why many patients before CPAP sleep in a recliner or with 2-4 pillows behind their back. As you said gravity plays a part in sleep apnea. If you have a cpap machine then that is the way to go...I would not be trying raised beds/pillows etc.. If you don't have a cpap machine then I guess anything is better than nothing (like slide sleeping is better than back sleeping).

Re: Raise Head to Help Sleep Apnea?

Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 6:00 pm
by VikingGnome
Are you kidding? I sleep and snore while airplane takes off sitting fully upright. Very embarrassing. I've never really figured out why taking off and landing makes me fall asleep. I snore in my recliner.

The only people that really benefit from raised head are those with congestive heart failure. My dad had one of those "Craftmatic" beds and it really helped him breathe and sleep at night.

Re: Raise Head to Help Sleep Apnea?

Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 6:09 pm
by ozze_dollar
I have one of those electric beds that can raise the top or the bottom or both and both sides operate independently. I havnt used it for ages. I might lift my top up 2 inches tonight.

Re: Raise Head to Help Sleep Apnea?

Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 6:47 pm
by BlackSpinner
When I was in ER last year, sitting up, I dozed off and woke up choking and my SPO2 was at 79%.

Re: Raise Head to Help Sleep Apnea?

Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 7:35 pm
by GumbyCT
ozze_dollar wrote:I have one of those electric beds that can raise the top or the bottom or both and both sides operate independently. I havnt used it for ages. I might lift my top up 2 inches tonight.
CHF is one of the reasons to raise the bed even with cpap. My dads doc had me cut a 2x4 to put under the legs of the head of his bed. You would hardly even notice it.