Matress Question

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
RobertS975
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Matress Question

Post by RobertS975 » Tue Jul 22, 2014 5:49 am

As my wife and I get not younger, we find that the old mattress we have, quite firm, somehow causes us to often retire to bed feeling fine, yet somehow wake up injured ! So we have now invested in a high end soft tempurpedic mattress and an adjustable platform. My question as a 5 month CPAP user is this: Has anyone found that their mattress makes a big difference in their OSA therapy, ie. easy to remain still while asleep and thus avoid leaks and sleep arousals, and so forth? And as for the adjustable, head slightly elevated and legs slightly elevated might also be helpful.

Advice from your own experience is welcome!

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Julie
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Re: Matress Question

Post by Julie » Tue Jul 22, 2014 7:40 am

I think foam is a personal choice (though I have gotten a slightly firmer version than you did), and does allow one person to not affect the other as much as conventional mattresses do, it's also important to not stay on your backs if you can as that does provoke more apneas, whether or not you're on Cpap... so the issue of leg support would not matter on your sides, though very slightly raising the head of the bed may help with GERD if you have it.

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dadbar1
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Re: Matress Question

Post by dadbar1 » Tue Jul 22, 2014 10:19 am

Not so much the mattress, but I've found that the pillows do seem to matter for me.

My AHI readings have been slightly higher at our vacation home, but when I bought new pillows to replicate what I have at home, the AHI readings went down.

The differences weren't huge (like ~3.5 down to~1.5) but it was definitely noticeable.

I am using a fiber fill pillow, topped by 2 down pillows for a total of 3. YMMV
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Luthie2006
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Re: Matress Question

Post by Luthie2006 » Tue Jul 22, 2014 11:13 am

This is my personal opinion of course; I was going to buy a Sleep Number Adjustable bed or a Tempedic Adjustable Bed. Not only do I have sleep apnea, but I have GERD and I have low-back pain. The reason I decided against it for me is that as the last member wrote, it is important that we don't sleep on our backs which I know creates more apneas. I think having the back of the bed adjusted upwards while on our back is fanstastic, however, it is not wise to sleep on our backs. (I like to). So that leaves side or stomach sleeping. I had a hard time (at the store) sleeping on my side with the bed adjusted up. I felt like I was being crunched up and that then my back had a arch to it, like an angle (even with a good back). I spoke to the salesman at Sleepy's by the way, and at least he told me regarding the Temperpedic Adjustable's that they are not meant for sleeping on your side (if the back is adjusted up) and only for back sleeping if the back is adjusted up. He was being honest with me.
Has anyone found this true. I really wanted to buy an adjustable bed badly, but again, for me, I could not get comfortable in the store on my side with the back adjusted up, sleep apnea, GERD or back pain or not. Just in general.
Please give me your opinion with side-sleeping on the adjustable part of the bed in an upward position. Thank you.

JDS74
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Re: Matress Question

Post by JDS74 » Tue Jul 22, 2014 11:34 am

The problem with adjustable beds lies in their design.
The adjustable design mimics a hospital bed and has three flexion points,
One at about the hips (or where they guess your hips are)
One at about where your knees are
And another between these two points.

That gets the head of the bed raised.
And lets the foot of the bed to be raised but kept level.

That position does not permit a person to sleep on their side.

A better design for sleep apnea patients would be a mechanism that raised the head end of the bed with the only flexion point being at the foot of the bed. The result is a bed that stays flat and also can raise the head of the bed tilting the the whole bed.
Imagine adjustable blocks on the head of the bed.

It would be fairly easy to convert an adjustable to work in this manner.
1. Install hinges at the foot of the bed to allow the bed support to tilt.
2. Install angle iron braces on each side to reinforce the support structure as a single flat surface.
3. Disconnect any attachment points that connect the support structure to the bed frame.
4. Disconnect the mechanism that allows adjustment of the foot of the bed.

The support structure referenced is the flat piece of plywood on which the mattress rests and not the bed frame.

Just a thought.

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Luthie2006
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Re: Matress Question

Post by Luthie2006 » Tue Jul 22, 2014 11:52 am

Thank you for your point: However, even without any conditions (except apnea), sleeping on your side in an adjustable bed such as Sleep Number or Tempepedic with the top of the bed upward does not work for us sleep apnea people?

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chunkyfrog
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Re: Matress Question

Post by chunkyfrog » Tue Jul 22, 2014 3:09 pm

Articulating beds are also not appropriate if bed partners are of significant height variation from "normal".
--especially for shorties. Any bed that forces you onto your back is going to be difficult for many people.

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LinkC
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Re: Matress Question

Post by LinkC » Tue Jul 22, 2014 4:25 pm

When we got our "memory foam" bed my APAP pressure dropped by almost 2. And I sleep more soundly and am more refreshed in the AM.

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Re: Matress Question

Post by Janknitz » Tue Jul 22, 2014 4:47 pm

Because of CPAP I tend to stay in one position longer than I otherwise would (because I sleep better and also because moving around too much makes the mask leak), and I was starting to have a lot of hip pain that was waking me and forcing me to turn for comfort. We added a 3 inch foam topper, and it's heaven! I still have to turn but not until about 5 a.m. instead of 2 a.m. and every few hours thereafter.
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chunkyfrog
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Re: Matress Question

Post by chunkyfrog » Tue Jul 22, 2014 5:45 pm

It's funny, but some of us need a new mattress after starting cpap,
because we are finally sleeping long/well enough that we realize it can be even better.

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Luthie2006
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Re: Matress Question

Post by Luthie2006 » Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:42 am

Does anyone recommend one of those adjustable beds like Sleep Number Bed or Temperpedic bed for CPAP and does it really help? Thanks, and if anyone has one, feel free to comment if you like it or not. I cannot believe the number of negative and horrible reviews on the official Sleep Number website. (I am surprised that they even print these negative reviews) And yet, I have co-workers who swear by the adjustable beds and love it. Thanks.

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Julie
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Re: Matress Question

Post by Julie » Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:52 am

I think a raised head of the bed can help GERD, but not so specifically Cpap, unless you're in a position that keeps your head up when it otherwise would be scrooched towards your chest and blocking air entry.

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Re: Matress Question

Post by Guest » Wed Jul 23, 2014 9:16 am

I realized I needed a new bed after my 1st sleep study.

As mentioned a mattress topper can be a significant savings over the cost of a new bed and more comfortable.

Any position which moves your chin closer to your chest (such as sleeping on your back with pillows raising your head) can increase obstructive events. Try to keep spinal alignment in whatever position you choose.

Placing 2x4 blocks under the head of the bed can raise the head enough to help gerd.

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dkhinz
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Re: Matress Question

Post by dkhinz » Wed Jul 23, 2014 1:40 pm

Wow! So many variables. We have a king-size King Koil mattress that we got from Art Van furniture. I have always been able to fall asleep immediately on it no matter when I lay down.

I have found that as far as my AHI reading goes though, the pillow I use has more to do with it. I have found that the higher I have my head propped up the worse my numbers are. I have done the best with a foam contour pillow using the flattest part of the pillow. My theory on this is that unless my head and neck are relatively flat, there is a chance for a kink in my airway. So I try to lay either on my side or if on my back with the straightest shot down.

Of course, everyone is different. This seems to have worked for me.

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Re: Matress Question

Post by Guest » Wed Jul 23, 2014 2:27 pm

dkhinz wrote:I have found that as far as my AHI reading goes though, the pillow I use has more to do with it. I have found that the higher I have my head propped up the worse my numbers are. I have done the best with a foam contour pillow using the flattest part of the pillow. My theory on this is that unless my head and neck are relatively flat, there is a chance for a kink in my airway. So I try to lay either on my side or if on my back with the straightest shot down.
Yes that is spinal alignment.

If you do (or must) sleep on your back - not using any pillow can reduce obstructive events. Admittedly, sleeping w/o a pillow can take some getting used to.