Back (supine) Sleeping

Is any sleeping position such a bad position if you are getting good results with your cpap therapy? I know back sleeping without therapy is not good, but once you have your mask and machine under control why do I read that people try so hard not to sleep on their backs? I'm an active sleeper and go from back to sides and stomach, but as long as everything (mask/hose) is good, my results are pretty good. Should I be avoiding the back sleeping position?

IF you are getting good results, no matter your sleep position, it's fine. Back sleeping causes more events for some. I raised my pressure a bit to eliminate these events. Could I use a lower pressure if I stayed off my back? Yep, but I have no problem with the higher pressure and can sleep in any postion I want.
Bottom line, if your AHI is good the machine is doing it's job whatever position you sleep in.

Brenda

bdp522 wrote:IF you are getting good results, no matter your sleep position, it's fine. Back sleeping causes more events for some. I raised my pressure a bit to eliminate these events. Could I use a lower pressure if I stayed off my back? Yep, but I have no problem with the higher pressure and can sleep in any postion I want.
Bottom line, if your AHI is good the machine is doing it's job whatever position you sleep in.

Brenda

Brenda's telling it right.

If the sleep study came up with the optimum pressure to ward off events (apneas and hypopneas) when the person is sleeping on their back (supine) AND in REM (rapid eye movement, when you're dreaming) sleep, there's no reason at all to avoid sleeping on one's back while using CPAP at home.

If a person has the software to see how the CPAP therapy is going at home, and suspects (there's no way to know for sure without being hooked up at a PSG sleep study) that he/she might benefit from a little more pressure for "worst case scenario" (sleeping on your back AND being in REM at the same time) raising the pressure a cm or two probably will not cause any harm.

If using an autopap, "raising the pressure" means raising the minimum pressure setting in the range.

I'm not a doctor. Just my opinion.

Some folks have what is called positional sleep apnea. Typically sleeping supine is the worse, but this may not be the case always. If you numbers are good in any position I would not worry about it.

Same here...My sleep doc and I discussed this when I went for the followup to my titration study. Turns out that with CPAP I stay supine all night (but without CPAP I'm all over the place), but this is fine if the therapy is working. My AHI was 11 on average but 22 supine, but usually <1 with therapy.

SleepfulInSanJose wrote:Same here...My sleep doc and I discussed this when I went for the followup to my titration study. Turns out that with CPAP I stay supine all night (but without CPAP I'm all over the place), but this is fine if the therapy is working. My AHI was 11 on average but 22 supine, but usually <1 with therapy.

Sleepful, what pressures are you using, are you in cpap or auto mode? Sounds like you're doing great.

DoriC wrote:

SleepfulInSanJose wrote:Same here...My sleep doc and I discussed this when I went for the followup to my titration study. Turns out that with CPAP I stay supine all night (but without CPAP I'm all over the place), but this is fine if the therapy is working. My AHI was 11 on average but 22 supine, but usually <1 with therapy.

Sleepful, what pressures are you using, are you in cpap or auto mode? Sounds like you're doing great.

Hi Dori - I'm in auto mode with EPR, and the pressure range is 11-13.

Yes, I think I'm one of the lucky ones...took to the hose very quickly...