Do you really sleep on your side all night?

onecoknower · Post by **onecoknower** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 7:58 pm

Never on my back or stomach. ALWAYS on my side. I can't handle being on my stomach at all, or my back. In fact, during my sleep study they asked me to stay on my back, and I did - uncomfortably- but stayed awake the whole time. When they told me it was OK to roll to the side I went to sleep immediately.

I usually toss back and forth, but some nights I don't think I move at all. There are days that I wake up a little stiff from not moving...

Oneco

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 9:32 pm

i used to always sleep on my side but hip pain made that difficult; on the advice of my chiropractor i started sleeping on my back (took some getting used to) because she said it's the best position for your spine; now since cpap, if i roll onto my back in my sleep i will wake up mouth breathing every time...guess my chin drops when i'm on my back...now i sleep most of the night on one side, then when the pain wakes me i switch to the other side, but don't sleep as soundly and can't seem to keep a good seal so frustrating

track · Post by **track** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 10:02 pm

Rose.....My software doesn't technically show what position I am sleeping in. However, I know the way my software reads when I restrict myself to side sleeping by sticking a soccer ball under my night shirt and I know how it reads when I don't...... when I get a series of apneas, I know I have rolled on to my back...even though I always start out sleeping on my side. In addition the duration of each apnea is typically much longer when on my back versus when I am on my side...another indicator that I have turned on my back. I think I am a little like rooster......the pressure I would need to stop apneas on my back is about double what it is for my side.

Snoreless · Post by **Snoreless** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 10:06 pm

I start by sleeping on my right side but end up turning to the left and my back, strange, but every time I have nightmares I wake up and I'm laying on my back. go figure.

jrfoster · Post by **jrfoster** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 10:08 pm

I start out on my back then roll over to my right side. When my arm goes to sleep or starts hurting under the pillow I roll onto my back. Can't go on the left side because of pain in the shoulder.

Before CPAP I could not sleep on my back but now I find myself some nights falling asleep on my back. Just wish the AHI wouldn't go up when I am on my back. Guess I am getting old.

Jeff

ColoradoDreamer · Post by **ColoradoDreamer** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 10:28 pm

I have always preferred sleeping on my back but after years of being awakened by the xyl when on my back (snoring) I was conditioned to be a side sleeper….at least the getting to sleep part.

I’ve found that I now wake up several times a night when changing positions while side sleeping with having to deal with mask leaks, repositioning headgear or moving the hose. If I do end up sleeping on my back I will remain in that position the rest of the night without waking up. This is the way I prefer it and hope that some day soon I can get to the point of unlearning side sleeping and go straight to back sleeping.

kteague · Post by **kteague** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 10:38 pm

I can fall asleep on my back, but I'm most comfortable on either side. Generally on my side when I awaken. But as sure as I'M sleeping on my back my tongue loses its seal and I wake up with an incredibly dry mouth from mouth breathing. Happens maybe every couple weeks.

sleeplessinaz · Post by **sleeplessinaz** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 10:59 pm

YEP!! Can ONLY sleep on my side---cannot sleep on my back!! Wish I could---all the masks would fit so much better if I could sleep in my back instead of flopping from side to side---LOL!

Carrie

MidnightOwl · Post by **MidnightOwl** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:41 am

I know that I don't turn onto my back while I'm sleeping. Before CPAP I really didn't feel I could sleep on my back. I managed very briefly during the sleep studies at the insistance of the tech but I couldn't stay that way once I fell asleep. I suspect that some of my aversion was because of the apnea even tho I didn't know I had it. After starting CPAP I found i could make myself sleep on my back but I still find it bothers my back and I don't do it.

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 2:45 pm

I start by sleeping on my right side but end up turning to the left and my back, strange, but every time I have nightmares I wake up and I'm laying on my back. go figure.

this happened to me, too, and i used to attribute it to being on my back, but i've since learned that my nightmares were because of apneas...i rarely have them anymore, whereas before i had them every night, sometimes 2 - 3 x

DBoone · Post by **DBoone** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 3:19 pm

Always on one side or the other. I can't sleep on my back because my bad knee doesn't straighten anymore. If I lay on my back too long the knee will hurt more because it's being straightened more than it likes. I go to sleep laying on the side with the clear nostril so I can breath better. Doesn't make a whole lot of difference now with CPAP but it's a habit.

RosemaryB · Post by **RosemaryB** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 8:35 pm

track wrote:Rose.....My software doesn't technically show what position I am sleeping in. However, I know the way my software reads when I restrict myself to side sleeping by sticking a soccer ball under my night shirt and I know how it reads when I don't...... when I get a series of apneas, I know I have rolled on to my back...even though I always start out sleeping on my side. In addition the duration of each apnea is typically much longer when on my back versus when I am on my side...another indicator that I have turned on my back. I think I am a little like rooster......the pressure I would need to stop apneas on my back is about double what it is for my side.

That's quite interesting, that you have figured it out so well. Before I got everything working, I figured I could tell when I was in REM sleep from my software readouts. This was when I had a string of apneas in a row.

Luckily, my apneas are well enough taken care of that I don't see that pattern anymore. Also, I think the soccer ball is a great idea. If my pillow stuffed backpack seems like it's not working, it's another option.

Snoreless · Post by **Snoreless** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 9:02 pm

sharon1965 wrote:
I start by sleeping on my right side but end up turning to the left and my back, strange, but every time I have nightmares I wake up and I'm laying on my back. go figure.
this happened to me, too, and i used to attribute it to being on my back, but i've since learned that my nightmares were because of apneas...i rarely have them anymore, whereas before i had them every night, sometimes 2 - 3 x

Oh, really? hummmm, I wonder if that was the same cause of my nightmares too, and yeah, 2 or 3 a night sometimes that woke me up breathing heavily,you know, I haven't had any since I started on CPAP so I hope I never have them either again

JeffH · Post by **JeffH** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 10:54 pm

Side sleeper only. If I get on my back, I start having apneas.

Captain_Midnight · Post by **Captain_Midnight** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 11:38 pm

Track, you said Now I can tell by my software charts that I don't stay on my side but flip onto my back during the night part of the time.

And my story is somewhat similar.

I've only had the Encore viewer for a few weeks, however one morning I found myself about 30 degrees turned from my side toward the supine (where 90 degrees would be totally on one's back), and surely enough, my AHI was about doubled to 1.5.

Software, it's a good thing, is it not?

Do you really sleep on your side all night?

Side sleeping

Side sleeper?

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