Wrist restraint to keep me on side....

[rottyjohn]

Hello All,

Several folks here have hinted at the fact my apnea is positional. I am now convinced...as I spent last month and a half using a home made wrist restraint to keep me on my right side through the night. Took a neoprene wrist support added metal ring through clip and added an adjustable bungee cord which is attached to the bed frame. The rig seems to work well I start sleeping on right side put left wrist into it adjust cord so I can move arm but do not roll over on back. It did take some getting used to but of course but that's what we CPAP users do! Fortunately wife is sure I am out of my mind anyway .

I have always started out sleeping my right side or stomach but moved around constantly often ending up on back. Since CPAP tend to be on right side or back. Never on left side or stomach kind of weird. Not sure why?

My average AHI numbers have dipped well below 3 currently and sleeping between 6 and 7 hrs a night...

My apnea is almost uncontrollable with CPAP if I am on my back. AHI numbers would often go well over 15 with as many as 200 events and many arousals a night. I have had machine set at straight 15cm and many nights that is just not enough. Not to mention pretty comfortable. At one point they gave me a APAP for a week set wide open which was just horrible it started at 4 nightly and often went to 20 then dived back down to 10 or less... I virtually didn't sleep for a week. But they did change prescription to 13cm from 8cm?

Now since I have used this crazy rig I set machine at my prescribed 13cm with initial ramp of 8cm for 20min and c-flex 3. It has worked well for me thats why I mention it.

Thanks,
John

[pap4life]

Congrats John. Sounds like you have a handle on it. You are fortunate to find a method of reducing your AHI with positional sleeping and only w/ the aid of CPAP.

[Sheriff Buford]

May be too early for my brain to get in gear... but just out of curiosity, how do you know that the "uncontrollable" events and arousals occurred while you were on your back? The software will tell you the time of the events, but how do you know that you were on your back at that time?

Sheriff

[Perrybucsdad]

Wow... sounds a little barbaric John, but if it works for you, all the more to you. I just hope you can unhook it easily in case you had a fire or something.

[rottyjohn]

Thanks all...

Yes I agree a little dark ages dungeon like fix but easy to remove velcro closure and I can pull hand completely out of it in an emergency or simply unhook clip. Excellent point to consider.

I suspect if I really pushed the issue with sleep dr they would torture me with different types of machines, talk of ENT etc.. just enjoying the fact that this helps. Really don't want the hassle with them right now!

Prior to side sleeping only... I would wake up when the events were at there worst... very fragmented sleep and I am always on my back. The high AHI correlated with times I wokeup when I looked at the data. The other way is my wife reported it to me. And she is never wrong! lol!

John

[Perrybucsdad]

John, I have noticed positional issues for me too. Just being on my side is not enough though, I have to be on my stomach. That's fine with me as that is my natural sleeping position, but somehow I eventually flip over and end up looking at the ceiling. My wife too pointed this out to me.

I tell you what though, if your house burned down, and your wife gets out and you don't... you know the cops will be asking her some really tough questions on why you were "chained" to the bed.

[chunkyfrog]

Barbaric? Maybe; but medicine is known for that.
Think leeches, chemo, EST.
A little bungee, not so bad.

[cindjo717]

My apnea's are off the hook for me when lying on my back too, even with the cpap. So I do try and sleep on my sides, it's hard.I have not tried sleeping on my stomach with the mask on, is that even possible? I love sleeping on my stomach.

[Perrybucsdad]

Sure it's possible to sleep on your stomach with CPAP. Check out the Falcon Sleeping Position in my signature.

[Tom W]

.....

[Jay Aitchsee]

Interesting post, John. My sleep is also most disturbed when I'm on my back too as verified by my video setup. I've tried a number of things to stay off my back, but so far I haven't been successful. One time I put a pillow in a back pack and woke up on my back on top of the back pack! One of the most interesting things I've seen for this is a pillow placed between the legs and shaped in such a way as it look like it will prevent one from rolling over.
http://www.the-pillow.com.au/more/side_ ... r_more.php
Mars referenced it earlier and said it keeps him on his side. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to be available in the US, although I suppose it could be shipped. I've tried a regular pillow tied between my legs and it has potential. A pillow and your wrist tie just might do the trick. Worth a try anyway.

Jay

[ThirdOutOfFive]

I'm a stomache sleeper, too. That's the position that makes my brain understand it has to "shut up and let me sleep!" I bunch up my pillow and hang my mask (nasal) over the side. Works every time. Go for it.

[rottyjohn]

Wow thanks for all the great feedback!

Very Funny Perrybucsdad you made me laugh.... Lets see if the house burns down and she makes it out and I dont? After 25 years of marriage think I'll fashion a note I'll stick in between my teeth nightly that states " She ties me up every night...and didn't even wake me up...lock her up and throw away the key!

As to the question about pulling tight and waking me up. It really hasnt been a problem...of course not sure I have much creditability? I am sure I have been having apneas all my life and really never woke much. The only reason I ever had a sleep test done was at the urging of my 20 yr old daughter. Who I was watching tv with one evening i fell asleep on couch and scared her to death with the snoring no breathing and then gasping? Never really waking up during this cycle. Diagnosed with severe apnea and have been on CPAP since.

I have been able to sleep on stomach with mask on successfully too. FF Mask fits in the hole in my cpap pillow. I really prefer to side sleep now I do as someone else suggested with a pillow between knees in addition to the wrist thing seems comfortable to me.

[snuginarug]

Wow, rottyjohn, you're an inspiration. You're so determined and positive. As well as clever. I never would have thought of a wrist restraint to encourage side sleeping. This topic has made me think more about my own sleeping position. Thanks for posting this great fix.

[TheDreamer]

I had actually wondered about full restraints in bed....that would work for a guy living alone....

Though since new sleep doc put me on Ropinirole, things have become less of a problem.

Though I hear they use weighted blankets on kids with autism these days....wonder if I could get one for myself (though I don't really believe that I have aspergers, even though out of the blue my doc wanted to consult a specialist to see if my having it would explain my continued EDS with CPAP...) Though he thinks I'm crazy that I thought being told I had OSA was good news, and being told "good news, we still don't know what's wrong with you" I take as bad news.

The Dreamer.