Sleep Position and APNEA

Sew Tired,

Good answer. Not confusing at all

Thanks

My severe OSA is not affected by sleep position. My wife has severe OSA while sleeping on her back only. She would need very high APAP pressures to bring her AHI to acceptable levels <5. She can't tolerate pressure above 12 so it is impossible for her to sleep in her preferred position (back). We experimented with several options for over a year. She would always end up on her back at some point during the night and her AHI would soar. She solved her problem by wearing a product like a fanny pack inflated with air on her back . It prevents her from going on her back and her AHI is consitently <1. Her Ahi when not on her back and the PR560 set wide open still shows times where she needs pressure, so she still needs APAP.

Cokomo wrote:My severe OSA is not affected by sleep position. My wife has severe OSA while sleeping on her back only. She would need very high APAP pressures to bring her AHI to acceptable levels <5. She can't tolerate pressure above 12 so it is impossible for her to sleep in her preferred position (back). We experimented with several options for over a year. She would always end up on her back at some point during the night and her AHI would soar. She solved her problem by wearing a product like a fanny pack inflated with air on her back . It prevents her from going on her back and her AHI is consitently <1. Her Ahi when not on her back and the PR560 set wide open still shows times where she needs pressure, so she still needs APAP.

Thank You,

I actually tried the inflated back pack to force me to sleep on my stomach. I had some limited success with it. Stomach is not the most comfortable position for me on a continuous basis. I would end up on my side usually.

I should have mentioned she starts out on her stomach but sleeps on her side for the vast majority of the night and her numbers are fine. She complains less about wearing a mask than she does about the fanny pack, but it works for her .

IMO...If you are using an APAP and have the appropriate range of pressures, your machine should react to events regardless of what position you are sleeping in. It's possible that there will be fewer events to react to on your stomach, but, your AHI should not be greatly affected by your position.

motownmike wrote:
Since the collapse of the airway is the cause of obstructive apnea I would like to know also if anyone has had success by simply training themselves to sleep on their stomach.

Why are you limiting your thinking to the stomach? The most common positional sleep apnea treatment is on the sides. For most people, sleeping on the stomach is more difficult and more uncomfortable than sleeping on the sides.

http://www.sleep-journal.com/article/S1 ... 5/abstract

and

Positional Therapy

Positional therapy is a behavioral strategy to treat positional sleep apnea. Some people have sleep apnea primarily when sleeping on their back. This is called the “supine” position. Their breathing returns to normal when they sleep on their side. Positional therapy may involve wearing a special device around your waist or back. It keeps you sleeping in the side position. Another option is a small device that uses “vibro-tactile feedback” technology. Worn on the back of the neck, it gently vibrates when you start to sleep on your back. Without waking you up, the vibration alerts your body to change positions. Positional therapy can be used alone or together with another sleep apnea treatment.

http://www.sleepeducation.org/essential ... /treatment

I have been sleeping on my back since using CPAP. It's really the worst position for apnea, but it's the best position for mask fit.

The technician on my baseline study said I was sleeping on my back, so he titrated accordingly.