sleeping positions

[MorpheusNJ]

I've been using my cpap for about two weeks and was encouraged when I started. However, I have been sleeping less and less. I have never slept on my back but it's difficult if not impossible to sleep on my side with the mask on. I am receptive to the therapy and was actually looking forward to having more energy and reduced levels of depression (that's what my Dr. said would result from the therapy). Any alternate masks that are for us non-back sleepers???

[Jaylee]

My mask *in my info down there* is fine for side sleeping. I can only sleep on my right side, always have. I don't use a special pillow to do it, either, but some do.

[DreamStalker]

The ideal mask should ... be comfortable to wear all night long and also maintain a leak-free seal throughout the night.

Generally, the smaller nasal pillow type mask interfaces have less surface area to seal and the smaller size allows for more tossing and turning without losing the seal. However, the drawback is that nasal type masks may induce the all too familiar mouth leaks. But there are techniques for dealing with these as well.

Finally, the type of bed pillow you use may also be the solution to your problem. Search CPAP contoured pillow and memory foam pillows and buckwheat pillow.

You have many options from fine tuning the adjustment straps, to trailing a different size of the same mask, to seeking a different mask altogether, to changing bed pillows ... something will work.

[Marie]

I have been on straight "ole" cpap for 6 years, have a mask like yours and can sleep in any position, side, right or left, back, or stomach. I have a regular cheapie pillow that I can maneuver any way. No foam pillow.
Marie

[Julie]

Marie, that's nice for you, but obviously not for Morpheus. We're all made differently.

[Gerald?]

I find the Swift FX is really good for sleeping on your side. I just tuck the hose under my ceiling arm and have a great night.

[sjishimoto]

I'm a stomach sleeper and what I do is i have a 'regular' size pillow that I lay down and then on top of that, I have a smaller (about 1/3 the size of the 'regular pillow) on top of that one. I lay on my stomach and the position my head on the smaller pillow so that the part of my face that the mask is on hangs off of the smaller pillow.

[rested gal]

Welcome to the forum, MorpheusNJ.

Quite a few people find that these three masks work especially well for sleeping on one's side:

Headrest nasal pillows - by Aeiomed

Swift FX nasal pillows - by ResMed

ComfortLite 2 nasal pillows or "simple cushion" - by Respironics

Some also find that hanging the main air hose overhead helps, so it doesn't tug on a mask as you turn over to the other side. Think of being like a fish on the end of a slack line, able to turn over and over and over without wrapping the hose around you.
LINKS to Hose hangers and methods of managing the air hose
viewtopic.php?t=10640

I'm a toss'n'turn side sleeper. The Headrest mask is my favorite. I've altered (often referred to as "deconstructed") my Headrest mask considerably. You can see quite a few of the creative fixes people have done to that mask, and other masks, here:
LINKS to LAB RAT AWARD Winners
viewtopic.php?p=127492

I use the double edge PAPillow:
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/papill ... illow.html

Or occasionally, for a change, a smushy soft pillow I got from Target called the "Shapeable" pillow.

[Patrick A]

Welcome to the forum, MorpheusNJ.

Quite a few people find that these three masks work especially well for sleeping on one's side:

"Headrest" nasal pillows - by Aeiomed

"Swift FX" nasal pillows - by ResMed

"ComfortLite 2 nasal pillows or "simple cushion" - by Respironics

RG
You forgot these two:

Swift Mirage II by ResMed
OptiLife Nasal Pillow by Respironics.

I have both am beging to prefer the OptiLife with the chin strap.
Himself

[rested gal]

Thanks for those additions, Patrick. Good ones.

Morpheus, as you can see, there are other masks to try. Hope you find the one that works best to let you actually "sleep" comfortably very soon!

[greg-g]

I've only been on APAP for 5 nights with very little trouble.
I am an active sleeper alternating between front, left and right sides, and back.
I started using an Opus 360 (Nasal Pillows mask) for the first three nights, but found that when sleeping on my front with my head over the side of a feather pillow, the pillow would move the head gear and cause leaks.
I've now changed to Mirage Activa LT (Nasal mask) and have virtually no leaks despite my tossing and turning.
Using a hose hanger helps a lot to reduce any pulling on the hose.

[chellesings]

Not sure if I should be posting, considering I've been having such a horrible time with my mask, but......I sleep on my side, always have, even before I was diagnosed w/sleep apnea. I have back problems, so stomach sleeping is out, and back sleeping? Absolutely not! So, I tuck the hose above my pillow, which by the way, is a down pillow. I may look into the pillows especially made for sleeping w/a cpap mask, but not right now. My mask tends to leak a lot, which I'm still trying to resolve that problem.
Best wishes on finding the right sleeping position for you!