Poll re: Sleeping Supine

[BleepingBeauty]

The poll assumes that your therapy is going fairly well.

We all know that sleeping supine is purportedly the worst position for inducing apnea. For some of us, this is the preferred position; for others (like me), there's no choice in the matter. (I've been sleeping exclusively on my back for over a year now, due to shoulder pain.)

So I'm just curious about how many of us ARE sleeping supine (for either all or a good portion of the night) AND are doing well with our therapy.

Please take the poll and then elaborate in your response to the thread.

[tattooyu]

Hey BP! I wish I could select more than one. I prefer my back but now exclusively sleep on my side(s). I also use a wedge pillow.

[packitin]

I could not answer because none of the options apply.
None of these apply to me either ---> http://www.flatseats.com/General/positions.htm
I alternate between TWO postions; One, on my back. Two, somewhere close the Freefaller (in the pic), but I don't place my head on a pillow, but wad it up and place it under one shoulder, and the other arm along the opposite side.

[jabman]

I actually sleep on my back and right side but mostly on my back. Before CPAP i would never sleep on my back.

[who]

I have never videotaped myself sleeping at home in my own bed; therefore, I have no proof to back up my assumptions about what positions I do and do not sleep in there.

Although people may be pretty good at knowing their "usual" sleep position ( http://ijahsp.nova.edu/articles/Vol2num1/pdf/gordon.pdf ), I am not so sure how good people are at guessing whether or not they "ever" or "never" sleep in a particular position, based on anecdotal reports from PSG interviews.

[Mtnviewer]

I MUST sleep on my side or I have events. I use ny own restraints & foam pillow design to accomplish this. it" THAT CRITICAL to my rest & AHI scores.

What I've also discovered is that one's body may be on it's side, but the head has turned to the supine position and so apneas or events occur. So one may "think" or believe that they are sleeping on their side but in fact the body may be, but the head and throat may not.

Even for those that respond that they are "successful" sleeping supine, I wonder if they'd get better results by not doing so, as well as being able to benefit from lower PAP pressure, and so a looser and more comfortable fitting mask, and also meaning fewer leaks, mouth breathing problems, aerophagia (sp?), Gerd, and so on.

All in all, I can see supine sleeping causing or contributing to compounding problems. But many don't like or want or believe in change ..... so they don't but would rather suffer along with their evil but loyal OSA friend.

[blakepro]

What!!?? No option on the poll for sleeping upside down hanging from the ceiling? Way to discriminate against bats bleeping beauty!

I'm a back sleeper, love it, cant sleep any other way. Have an AHI under .7

[Janknitz]

I sleep exclusively on my right side (O.K. I sometimes turn on my back or left side for the last half hour or so when I'm partially awake) and I STILL had 77 AHI in home testing. Imagine if I did sleep on my back

[Jaylee]

For most of my life I have only been able to sleep on my right side. I normally wake up in the same position I fell asleep in, without really moving at all. If for some reason I can't sleep, like if I have had caffeine so I am restless, I will end up on my back. That usually wakes me up, though, because that isn't a comfortable position for me.

[BleepingBeauty]

Hey BP! I wish I could select more than one. I prefer my back but now exclusively sleep on my side(s). I also use a wedge pillow.

Sorry, Kenny. I figured I'd keep it simple and just ask which position we sleep in most of the time. (Love the current avatar of Jonah - what a great face! So happy for you and Marie!)

I could not answer because none of the options apply.

Sorry to you, too, packitin. Again, just trying to keep the poll options simple, but you explained your situation well here (which is what I asked for). Thanks for participating.

I have never videotaped myself sleeping at home in my own bed; therefore, I have no proof to back up my assumptions about what positions I do and do not sleep in there.

Although people may be pretty good at knowing their "usual" sleep position ( http://ijahsp.nova.edu/articles/Vol2num1/pdf/gordon.pdf ), I am not so sure how good people are at guessing whether or not they "ever" or "never" sleep in a particular position, based on anecdotal reports from PSG interviews.

Hi, who. That study seems to indicate that people are pretty accurate in knowing what position they're sleeping in most of the time. Not 100%, of course, but close enough (to satisfy me, anyway). I never assumed anyone slept in just one position all night every night; just trying to discern sleeping position most of the time to see if many of us DO sleep supine.

I guess I'm trying to dispel the notion that back-sleeping is a terrible idea for anyone.

Even for those that respond that they are "successful" sleeping supine, I wonder if they'd get better results by not doing so, as well as being able to benefit from lower PAP pressure, and so a looser and more comfortable fitting mask, and also meaning fewer leaks, mouth breathing problems, aerophagia (sp?), Gerd, and so on.

I can only speak for myself, but my AHI is quite regularly 2.0, and I'm not tired during the day. So I'd say my therapy is successful, even though I'm currently sleeping solely on my back. I do wonder whether my AHI will be lower when I'm able to side-sleep, but I won't know that for quite some time yet. I have no problems with mask fit and seal, I don't mouth-breathe, have (thankfully) never experienced aerophagia or GERD, and I handle my pressure changes without realizing they're happening, so the potential benefit of lowering my pressure needs and/or better mask fit is not an issue for me.

But many don't like or want or believe in change ..... so they don't but would rather suffer along with their evil but loyal OSA friend.

I've always said here that attitude is the key with xPAP therapy. You have to be able and willing to do what you have to do to achieve effective therapy. Can-do/must-do/will-do works.

What!!?? No option on the poll for sleeping upside down hanging from the ceiling? Way to discriminate against bats bleeping beauty!

I'm a back sleeper, love it, cant sleep any other way. Have an AHI under .7

Woot!

I sleep exclusively on my right side (O.K. I sometimes turn on my back or left side for the last half hour or so when I'm partially awake) and I STILL had 77 AHI in home testing. Imagine if I did sleep on my back

FWIW, my initial diagnosis indicated I needed 9cms when on my side and 12cms when supine. When on CPAP with a fixed pressure of 10, 12, and 14 (or during APAP experiments I did with a tight pressure range), I could not achieve a consistently low AHI. But here I am, more than 2.5 years later, using an ASV machine with IPAP pressures from 10-20cms, sleeping exclusively on my back, and not only is my AHI consistently 2.0, but I also feel good. Go figure.

[BlackSpinner]

I sleep on my side with extra pillows so I can't really vote.

[Roman Hokie]

I slept on my back till my wife and I got married. Then she'd hit me and tell me to roll over. Left side up. I could never fall asleep on my back any more.

On therapy, supine. Big thick foam pillow on a sleep # bed. If I move to my side, I get mask leak. AHI is probably about a 0.6 or 0.7 for my first 6 weeks of therapy. 0 leak @ 95th percentile.

[who]

I guess I'm trying to dispel the notion that back-sleeping is a terrible idea for anyone.

And I believe that is an excellent point to make, BB. According to one interesting study, "body position during sleep influences the frequency of apneas and hypopneas in 50 to 60% of individuals with obstructive sleep apnea" and, according to the definition used there, "positional sleep apnea" is said to be present "when there is a 50% reduction in the AHI during nonsupine sleep." -- http://chestjournal.chestpubs.org/conte ... /2130.long

Another interesting point from that study is that "positional sleep apnea was significantly more common in patients with mild sleep apnea compared to patients with moderate or severe sleep apnea."

[sepool]

Before CPAP, I NEVER slept on my back, not since I was very young (about 5). Probably because I couldn't breathe that way.

Not long after starting CPAP, I started sleeping on my back - and my AHI is under 0.7. By the way, one thing that helped me get a APAP: during my titration, I slept on my side(s). Later I told my doctor I had started sleeping on my back - wouldn't my pressure needs change, maybe? He then wrote a prescript. for auto.

My initial prescript. was 18.0 CPAP. My auto is set 16-20, it rarely goes over 17.

[Hawthorne]

I also sleep on my back always. Because of Rheumatoid Arthritis pain, it is the ONLY pain free position. I have slept on my back for about 18 years now and I was diagnosed with sleep apnea almost 8 years ago. I hardly move at night and wake in the same position in which I went to sleep (on my back). The tech at my sleep study commented that I hardly moved at all during sleep. My pressure setting was 10 cm when I was diagnosed. I had an in home auto trial in 2008 and my pressure was determined to be 11cm. I now use an auto with a narrow pressure range (10.5 - 13 cm) and my 90% pressure is almost always 12 cm with an average pressure of about 11.2 cm.

I have no problems with mask leaks and have used several types over the years. I do use 1 piece of tape vertically across the middle of my lips because my mouth will open otherwise. I think it is my jaw dropping when I relax in sleep (as discussed in another thread today) and the 1 piece of tape keeps it shut.

My leak line is almost always just about perfectly straight, unless my nose pillows or cushions are getting old and need replacing. My AHI is almost always below 1 and occassionally goes up but remains under 3 always.

I use a contour pillow which keeps my chin tilted up a bit so that may also help keep my airway open. I feel refreshed when I wake in the morning. I only get up once a night, if at all. I have no gas problems. I fall asleep within minutes of hitting the pillow.

If there is such a thing as Positional Sleep Apnea and it affects only people who sleep on their backs, then I do not have it. I was interested in the study cited here that suggests that 50-60% of people with sleep apnea have Positional Sleep Apnea. It was also interesting to read that Postional Sleep Apnea is more common in people with mild to moderate sleep apnea. I was diagnosed as severe.

I don't think back sleeping is a terrible idea! I think getting a good night's sleep and good therapy is the goal and is certainly possible will sleeping on one's back in many cases.