Sleeping sitting up ok?

What position of sleep is the best if you don't have your machine? I know its not on your back but what about sitting up? I might be traveling for work soon where there will be an hour and a half train ride each way, everyday. I will most definitely be sleeping and will most definitely not be bringing my machine lol.

acidragon wrote:What position of sleep is the best if you don't have your machine? I know its not on your back but what about sitting up? I might be traveling for work soon where there will be an hour and a half train ride each way, everyday. I will most definitely be sleeping and will most definitely not be bringing my machine lol.

Most people seem to do better while upright. I know that I personally can have problems when I am upright. If I fall asleep sitting on the couch or propped up in bed while watching tv, I will wake myself up with the snorting and snoring. So, I clearly have a bunch of episodes while upright. Last Christmas, my family members told me to go take a nap as I was disturbing their movie.

That said, I did ask if I snore when I fall asleep in the car (as a passenger), and I was told I do not, so maybe the car seats are upright enough with the higher back to keep me upright enough to keep from snoring.

My mom also has sleep apnea. She does not snore. She stops breathing for long times. She sleeps in a recliner, not quite down flat, so a little up. She still has major events if her machine is not on.

Just to state what I hope is already obvious, you really need to think along the lines of not getting in to a position where you'll be sleeping without you machine. Sure, for some sleeping upright REDUCES the problem, but it's not a fix, and you are causing damage to your body.

I've yet to find the person that reacts negatively to the use of a machine, so I would bring it everywhere I travel.

Sounds like a little at-home experimentation could help you see things a little clearer. Set your autopap at a range starting pretty low and sleep in the position you will be in during travel and see if your pressure rises. You might even test it with and without a neck pillow to kept your neck and head aligned and not falling forward or backward. Not a foolproof assessment, but better than doing it blind.

khauser wrote: . . . not getting in to a position where you'll be sleeping without you machine. . . .

May be more important for those with moderate-severe OSA than for those with mild-moderate.

For someone whose events are mostly in REM, keeping the nap shorter than what it takes for him to get to REM might be good. Drifting in and out of sleep on a train might not be that bad for some people sitting up, since they may not go very deep. Depends on severity of OSA in the stages reached.

The amount of pressure needed in a certain position may not be directly related to the severity or number of events in that position when without pressure.

Improving sleep hygiene to the point that napping doesn't happen at all would be the answer in a perfect world. But I don't know anyone who has ever lived there.

Sitting up can lessen number and severity of events for some. But there are exceptions to every rule.

As I understand it, in my opinion.

I am always looking for alternatives the cpap machine does not work for me when sleep with it I get up I'm so tired that I can't keep my eyes open so I have to go back to sleep for 6 7 hours

If tried different things and nothing seems to work any ideas are wellcome

You might try hanging by your feet, as long as it's more important not to use your machine all the time you sleep. At least it would keep your co-workers a chuckle! Jim

If you do want to sleep while sitting upright then use a soft cervical collar to avoid chin droop (and avoid the same effect as sleeping prone without your machine)

Sometimes your diagnostic sleep study will show whether or not your apnea is positional.
You might try to sleep in whatever position has the fewest events.
If you have apnea in all positions, you might be better off not sleeping until you can use cpap.
If you are having trouble using cpap, it often helps to run/wear it while watching TV or reading.
Not using cpap is rarely a good choice.
Consistently sleeping in a fixed position or sitting can result in pain.

Dd wrote:I am always looking for alternatives the cpap machine does not work for me when sleep with it I get up I'm so tired that I can't keep my eyes open so I have to go back to sleep for 6 7 hours

If tried different things and nothing seems to work any ideas are wellcome

Register for the forum and begin using Sleepyhead software. Let's figure out whether your CPAP therapy is effective before worrying about alternatives to CPAP.

Holden4th wrote:If you do want to sleep while sitting upright then use a soft cervical collar to avoid chin droop (and avoid the same effect as sleeping prone without your machine)

chunkyfrog wrote:Sometimes your diagnostic sleep study will show whether or not your apnea is positional.
You might try to sleep in whatever position has the fewest events.
If you have apnea in all positions, you might be better off not sleeping until you can use cpap.
If you are having trouble using cpap, it often helps to run/wear it while watching TV or reading.
Not using cpap is rarely a good choice.
Consistently sleeping in a fixed position or sitting can result in pain.

Grrrrr.

khauser wrote:Just to state what I hope is already obvious, you really need to think along the lines of not getting in to a position where you'll be sleeping without you machine. Sure, for some sleeping upright REDUCES the problem, but it's not a fix, and you are causing damage to your body.

I've yet to find the person that reacts negatively to the use of a machine, so I would bring it everywhere I travel.

Here's your first person who's reacting negatively to machine. So much so as soon as that mask hits my face my body gets flooded with adrenaline.

It's alive.
It's ALIVE.
God help us!

chunkyfrog wrote:It's alive.
It's ALIVE.
God help us!

huh?

The downside the ride to the morgue laying on the gurney with your legs up! Jim

The sheet keeps falling off!