Sleeping on My Back

[Janknitz]

In all my life I've never slept on my back. I always slept on my tummy until my first pregnancy. When that was no longer feasible I switched to lying on my right side, and I've slept that way ever since. I now need a pillow between my knees and a pillow to support my left arm, but that's how I sleep.

When I had frozen shoulders a while back I learned to switch from right side to left side, but even then I could not sleep on my back. I lie awake very well on my back. And I sleep less well on the left side.

But now, a new pain has crept up, my left hip. It hurts when I lie on either side. And the other night, my right arm was killing me after sleeping on my right side in my usual sleeping position. So for a while I'm going to have to sleep on my back.

I actually slept that way last night. I was surprised that I slept fairly well and with no pain. This pain has been creeping up on me and getting worse, lately. It wasn't too bad except that I snore a bit even in my mask on my back and develop more leaks in my FF Quattro. On my side, I stop leaks by snuggling my face into the pillow--that doesn't work on my back.

Any suggestions for leak and snore control on my back? Should I bump up the upper pressure a bit, to accomodate the snoring?

[Sir NoddinOff]

If I were you I'd incrementally move up my pressure to wipe out your snoring. Experiment by making small changes and record your results before you forget them. I did that and now find I sleep on my back about eighty percent of the time... and I love it My nasal pillows work better, my leaks are down, my hips and lower back don't hurt anymore and my sleep is more deep and restorative.

[1Guest]

You might want to go see a orthopedic doctor to have your back, neck, shoulders, and hip checked out. It sounds like a c-spine problem to me and you don't want to wait to long for something like that. Get an MRI done of all the regions your having pain in.

sorry you are suffering.

[Pugsy]

Any suggestions for leak and snore control on my back? Should I bump up the upper pressure a bit, to accomodate the snoring?

If you are seeing excess snores when supine sleeping...and you are using APAP mode...the minimum pressure is what needs to be increased...probably won't take much.
Increasing the maximum is unlikely to do much good for snores reduction. It can't respond quickly enough unless your range is very tight.
Having a little more minimum will help prevent the snores from ever becoming an issue.

[CactusRoper]

I know exactly what pain you are feeling when you sleep on your side. I have always slept in the supine position until four months ago when I discovered that I had positional sleep apnea. I went the old tennis ball trick to make sure I slept on my side. Sleeping on my side almost completely stopped my OA and CA events. I now average only about 1 episode of OA a night. But I was paying a pretty good price to accomplish this. I would have tremendous pain in my shoulders and hips from sleeping in my side. I did a lost of research of memory foam and finally bought a memory foam mattress topper and it is very rare that I have any pain at all.

If you are interested in pursuing the memory foam option, PM me and I will share some of the info that I have learned.

[Always tired]

I know exactly what pain you are feeling when you sleep on your side. I have always slept in the supine position until four months ago when I discovered that I had positional sleep apnea. I went the old tennis ball trick to make sure I slept on my side. Sleeping on my side almost completely stopped my OA and CA events. I now average only about 1 episode of OA a night. But I was paying a pretty good price to accomplish this. I would have tremendous pain in my shoulders and hips from sleeping in my side. I did a lost of research of memory foam and finally bought a memory foam mattress topper and it is very rare that I have any pain at all.

If you are interested in pursuing the memory foam option, PM me and I will share some of the info that I have learned.

I have been looking for a definition for Positional Sleep Apnea-- is it as simple as when you sleep on your back your OA, CA and snoring get worse? How were you tested for positional?
About a week ago my wife and I went to another city and stayed in a motel. The electrical outlet was on the right side of the bed so I ended up sleeping on the right side too, I'm a left side of the bed, mostly supine sleeper. Anyway it was a queen size bed, crowded for us, and I think I slept the majority of the night on my side and my AHI was barely above 1 for two nights. Back home and I'm over 4, could it be positional?
Thanks
A T

[Pugsy]

I have been looking for a definition for Positional Sleep Apnea-- is it as simple as when you sleep on your back your OA, CA and snoring get worse? How were you tested for positional?

Yes, it's that simple.

If there happened to be much side sleeping during an in lab sleep study that information is usually easily seen.
They note AHI in each sleeping position.
If there wasn't any side sleeping...need a sleep study with both side sleeping and sleeping on your back...compare the AHI.
Some people have minimal to none apnea events when sleeping on their side but a truck load when supine sleeping.

Not everyone though...so it isn't a blanket statement that covers everyone.

Sometimes it's a pressure issue and not number of events issue...like sometimes people need a LOT more pressure when sleeping on their back and not much pressure at all side sleeping. I know one person who happens to need 19 cm pressure when sleeping on his back but only 9 cm when sleeping on his side...guess which way he prefers to sleep?

Me...according to my sleep study with just about equal supine sleeping and side sleeping...my AHI was about the same no matter what position I slept in..and no real difference in pressure needs either.
So I sleep in any position I want. I prefer side sleeping for back issues but I don't panic if I wake up on my back....my OSA is well treated no matter which position since there really isn't much of a difference.

[Always tired]

Yes, it's that simple.

Thanks Pugsy
A T

[Jay Aitchsee]

AT, you may want to check out this thread and links: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=70205&st=0&sk=t&sd= ... KS#p649581

J

[Sir NoddinOff]

If you are seeing excess snores when supine sleeping...and you are using APAP mode...the minimum pressure is what needs to be increased...probably won't take much. Increasing the maximum is unlikely to do much good for snores reduction. It can't respond quickly enough unless your range is very tight. Having a little more minimum will help prevent the snores from ever becoming an issue.

Pugsy's mention of maintaining a relatively narrow Pmin/Pmax pressure range is timely... I simply call it my pressure window. I personally think that Pmax (your upper pressure setting) is the major controlling factor in reducing snoring, simply because the increased pressure prevents your airway from collapsing. I'll cite my own experience while I was learning to supine sleep. BTW, I'm probably this forum's most forward proponent of back-sleeping (or most annoying as some would contend). Yes, I realize it's not for everybody, but how will you know unless you try it?

Anyway, I started APAP with a Pmin of 8 and a Pmax of 11, virtually all of my nights spent sidesleeping. Over several months I noticed that I was starting to sleep on my back more often and indeed my Vsnore line showed some five to ten minute spikes. Gradually I upped my 'window' of pressure (it always spans 3 cmH2O, but that's just my favorite range). I gradually changed my Pmin up to 9.5 cmH20 and my Pmax up to 12.5cmH20. This is where I currently keep them. My snores are all but eliminated and I can sleep all night on my back if I choose to. In my case I only have mild to moderate sleep apnea but I do have several other problems sleeping, too boring to go into here. So in summary: I suggest gradually moving your entire window of pressure upwards if you are still snoring, plus keep an accurate record of your changes and results. Sorry I didn't explain that in my earlier, somewhat hasty post.

[Pachyderm's Nose]

I too am a back sleeper, I'm most comfortable on my back and I have less pain. During my sleep study second night with cpap the tech woke me 2 or 3 times to tell me I could turn on my side, as I recall I told her "No thanks, I'm comfortable. For me sleeping on my side results in more leaks and I develop shoulder pain from pinching between the humerus and acromion that causes my arm from shoulder to elbow to ache so bably I need a sling for it. I have found that I also seem to have my best ahi on my back, contrary to the general understanding.

[Hawthorne]

I have slept on my back, exclusively, because of pain since long before my sleep study. I was on my back for the whole sleep study and the titration. I just get little or no sleep in any other position.

I was titrated at 10 cm. but I upped that to 11 cm to reduce events and snoring. That 1 cm was enough to do that with a straight cpap machine. I have had an auto for years now and have my pressure range set at 11 cm to 13 cm. I rarely go above 11, sometimes to 12 but have not been to 13 cm for years now. My AHI is almost always 1 or below. I have had an AHI of 0.0 many times over the 11 years I have been on cpap. I have no snores and my leak rate is great. I sleep well and wake refreshed, unless I am sick.

Good luck!

[Dreamrobot]

My name is Dreamrobot and I'm a backsleeper, there I admit it it's so much more comfortable for moi. I suffer from so much acid, sleeping on my sides actually aggravates it. I do use a type of neckbrace to prevent mouth leaks/jaw slack.

[Sir NoddinOff]

I'm glad you back sleepers have finally rallied to my side, but where were you last Spring when I was getting whupped with an ugly stick every time I mentioned the word supine?

[RogerSC]

Speaking of positional apnea, here's the reason that I try to sleep on my side *smile*... from my sleep study:

Supine AHI: 40.4
Non-Supine AHI: 6.7.

So I endeavor to sleep on my side...also a little worried about mouth-breathing if I sleep on my back, and don't want to have to go to a full face mask or chin strap. I'm more comfortable sleeping on my back, but trained myself to sleep on my side when I was told that I snored more sleeping on my back, anyways. Now I have even more reasons to sleep on my side *smile*.