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[KMCKOB]

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[AirBreather]

I can't avoid sleep apneas merely by sleeping on my side or stomach without CPAP. My sleep study report states that no difference was found during periods when I was sleeping on my back, side or stomach.

It is commonly thought in the medical community that people tend to have more apneas sleeping on their backs, but that may vary considerably between individuals.

[Wulfman]

I only have sleep apnea when sleeping on my back.

Mayoclinic.com states re: Sleep Apnea: "Sleep on your side or abdomen rather than on your back. Sleeping on your back can cause your tongue and soft palate to rest against the back of your throat and block your airway. To prevent sleeping on your back, try sewing a tennis ball in the back of your pajama top."

However, I can't sleep on my side because my left femur has a steel bar and my right hip has gone to hell. Sleeping on my stomach with my head turned causes a sore neck and shoulder.

MY QUESTION: CAN ANY OF YOU CPAP USERS AVOID APNEA BY SLEEPING ON YOUR SIDE OR STOMACH?

Thanks!

It's highly doubtful that you'll get any affirmative answers to that question on this CPAP user forum. We all have apneas in varying degrees and try to minimize the number of events by various means.......including sleeping positions. But, we still have it.


Den

[Gilley]

Mayoclinic.com states re: Sleep Apnea: "Sleep on your side or abdomen rather than on your back. Sleeping on your back can cause your tongue and soft palate to rest against the back of your throat and block your airway. To prevent sleeping on your back, try sewing a tennis ball in the back of your pajama top."

However, I can't sleep on my side because my left femur has a steel bar and my right hip has gone to hell. Sleeping on my stomach with my head turned causes a sore neck and shoulder.

MY QUESTION: CAN ANY OF YOU CPAP USERS AVOID APNEA BY SLEEPING ON YOUR SIDE OR STOMACH?

Thanks!

This is the BIG secret DME's don't want any of us to know....

[kevincoop]

You probably have a condition called orthopnea. It keeps you from sleeping flat on your back without being uncomfortable or having apneas. Have you tried sleeping on a wedge. If you sleep better elevated in a recliner a bed wedge may help.

[azhosehead]

I have heard of something called "positional" sleep apnea. Something I believe is what the Mayo article discusses. Some people's physical anatomy might avoid apneas by changing the position they sleep in. I have had a doctor tell me OSA is not a disorder. It is a plumbing problem with a patient's airways. I suppose that is one way to look at it.....

[fiberfan]

My sleep study showed almost no apneas when I was sleeping on my side, instead I had RERAs (respirator effort related arousals). I had mostly apneas when on my back but there might have been some RERAs as well.

[kteague]

Do you have copy of your sleep study reports? I just want to encourage you to examine it in great detail. Did you get enough time side sleeping and in REM for them to get a good representative sample of your normal sleep when able to lay on your side? Did they capture any time sleeping on your stomach? I guess the techs on here can best answer how often they see apnea being totally resolved by sleep position. I know if a particular position causes me pain, that's the end of it for me. Can't sleep with pain, so I have to put that first. Good luck as you go forward to resolve your sleep apnea.

[JStaggie]

In discussing treatment options, my doctor mentioned that had I demonstrated Apneas primarily when on my back that a mouthguard that pulls the lower jaw forward to prevent the tongue from blocking the airway might have worked. You might ask about that option.

However, my study showed apneas in all positions so he did not think it would be good for me.

[mdintx]

My sleep study showed that my apnea was entirely positional. Unfortunately, I'm most comfortable on back. Sleeping on my side is good but I don't think I can do it all night. The tennis ball strategy does not work for me. I'll still be able to sleep on my back. So CPAP it is...

[roster]

I only have sleep apnea when sleeping on my back.

Mayoclinic.com states re: Sleep Apnea: "Sleep on your side or abdomen rather than on your back. Sleeping on your back can cause your tongue and soft palate to rest against the back of your throat and block your airway. To prevent sleeping on your back, try sewing a tennis ball in the back of your pajama top."

However, I can't sleep on my side because my left femur has a steel bar and my right hip has gone to hell. Sleeping on my stomach with my head turned causes a sore neck and shoulder.

MY QUESTION: CAN ANY OF YOU CPAP USERS AVOID APNEA BY SLEEPING ON YOUR SIDE OR STOMACH?

Thanks!

I have Positional Sleep Apnea. There are some things I can recommend that would help you. But first I would like to know what evidence you have that you only have sleep apnea when sleeping on your back. Or to put it another way, how do you know you don't have apneas when sleeping on your side or tummy?

[Snorkler]

I also have a degree of positional sleep apnea. My sleep apnea is worse when I sleep on my back as shown during my sleep study. I used to sleep mostly on my back, but I would sleep on my side at some point during most nights. My RT said to just sleep on my back and let my apap adjust accordingly. However, once I started tracking my own progress I noticed that I could achieve better results when sleeping on my side. So, now I try to sleep on my side mostly and sleep on my back less frequently. Sleeping on my side can cause some pains in my shoulder, but I try to shift from one side to the other and this helps to avoid pain.

[roster]

My RT said to just sleep on my back and let my apap adjust accordingly. However, once I started tracking my own progress I noticed that I could achieve better results when sleeping on my side. So, now I try to sleep on my side mostly and sleep on my back less frequently.

Absolutely. Good job. The medical profession just doesn't know the therapy like the patients know it.