Stomach sleepers: have you tried this (or other) pillow?

[mellabella]

Hi-- due to my anatomy/obstruction, I've been an obligate stomach sleeper since the airway issue began (jaw development issues, tongue obstruction, high vaulted palate, UARS), and it obviously still isn't a great help (BiPap pressure of 15/18 currently). Sleeping on my side = waking up choking. (All that info was to try to head off derails about "why don't I just train myself to sleep on my side or back, sleeping on your stomach is so bad for you"--believe me, over the last 20 years I've tried.)

Anyway, after an acupuncture treatment on my back where I laid face down on a massage table for an hour (and came close to falling asleep), I've been looking for a way to mimic that full-release position for my jaw and tongue (not to mention my poor neck muscles, which twist around for stomach sleeping otherwise). Has anyone actually tried the pillow below, or anything like it? It would be problematic to sleep on an actual massage table, so I'm looking for a pillow solution first:

http://www.bodysupportstore.com/facedown-pillow

Amazon has similar pillows listed, but many of them have poor reviews (sweaty, non-porous plastic, no forehead support, etc.)

[Julie]

I cut a 1' long, 3" wide (with very slightly angled sides) and 4" deep 'trench' from top of memory foam mattress with an electric turkey slicer towards the foot of the mattress, into which me and my FF mask dip diagonally downward. It avoids having my body bent upward in the middle when on my stomach, something I wouldn't recommend.

[Pugsy]

Never heard of this one before. Looks promising for what it is intended for.
Price isn't horribly expensive unless shipping costs are high.
Non returnable though since it is a considered a personal use item.

I did a quick google for similar pillows and one I saw was interesting....and made me wonder if a person could make their own with a cheap memory foam pillow from Walmart. Just cut out a section for the face placement which is no different really than cutting out holes on the sides that typical cpap pillows show for side sleeping and mask placement.
http://www.beautyboutique.com/cgi-bin/b ... rtbyprice=
This is the one that gave me that idea.

Memory foam is easily cut using an electric knife of some sort.

[mellabella]

Julie,I would love to see a photo of your setup! I have a memory foam mattress now, but I'm not brave enough to trust myself to take an electric turkey carving knife to it!

Pugsy, I was looking at reviews of similar products, and some folks complained that the lack of forehead support on those models put too much strain on the shoulders and neck. (With the one I linked, I do wonder if the slight incline that's necessary if you're not using a massage table or a hole in your mattress is great for the neck either.)

[Pugsy]

Hadn't thought about lack of forehead support. I could see where that might be an issue...just don't know how big of an issue...wonder if a hole could be cut in the memory foam pillow....sort of like what Julie did with her mattress. Especially if the pillow was not "tall".

I would think a small incline for the cervical spine shouldn't be much of a problem.. personal question here...would your boobs maybe elevate your chest/trunk area to help keep the cervical spine in a more straight alignment?
You don't have to answer...just mentioned it as boobs do make a difference when we lay on them and they are of substantial size.

I can't use a "tall" pillow either...on my side or my back. Creates too much torque in the cervical spine which doesn't sit well with that metal plate in it. I can take a small incline but not a big incline. I often sleep on my stomach but my head is always turned to the side.
I have never tried the total face down thing though.

You know if the incline starts low enough in the chest area then it isn't so abrupt in the head and neck area. That maybe the idea behind the part of the pillow that extends down past the armpits. The longer the incline of the ramp...the less the steepness of the incline.

[LSAT]

Hi-- due to my anatomy/obstruction, I've been an obligate stomach sleeper since the airway issue began (jaw development issues, tongue obstruction, high vaulted palate, UARS), and it obviously still isn't a great help (BiPap pressure of 15/18 currently). Sleeping on my side = waking up choking. (All that info was to try to head off derails about "why don't I just train myself to sleep on my side or back, sleeping on your stomach is so bad for you"--believe me, over the last 20 years I've tried.)

Anyway, after an acupuncture treatment on my back where I laid face down on a massage table for an hour (and came close to falling asleep), I've been looking for a way to mimic that full-release position for my jaw and tongue (not to mention my poor neck muscles, which twist around for stomach sleeping otherwise). Has anyone actually tried the pillow below, or anything like it? It would be problematic to sleep on an actual massage table, so I'm looking for a pillow solution first:

http://www.bodysupportstore.com/facedown-pillow

Amazon has similar pillows listed, but many of them have poor reviews (sweaty, non-porous plastic, no forehead support, etc.)

I don't see how you could use this pillow with a mask on your face.

[mellabella]

Hi-- due to my anatomy/obstruction, I've been an obligate stomach sleeper since the airway issue began (jaw development issues, tongue obstruction, high vaulted palate, UARS), and it obviously still isn't a great help (BiPap pressure of 15/18 currently). Sleeping on my side = waking up choking. (All that info was to try to head off derails about "why don't I just train myself to sleep on my side or back, sleeping on your stomach is so bad for you"--believe me, over the last 20 years I've tried.)

Anyway, after an acupuncture treatment on my back where I laid face down on a massage table for an hour (and came close to falling asleep), I've been looking for a way to mimic that full-release position for my jaw and tongue (not to mention my poor neck muscles, which twist around for stomach sleeping otherwise). Has anyone actually tried the pillow below, or anything like it? It would be problematic to sleep on an actual massage table, so I'm looking for a pillow solution first:

http://www.bodysupportstore.com/facedown-pillow

Amazon has similar pillows listed, but many of them have poor reviews (sweaty, non-porous plastic, no forehead support, etc.)

I don't see how you could use this pillow with a mask on your face.

You're right with many masks--but I now use the Nasalaire II prong, which protrudes less than 1" from my face. If the side hoses were too pinched, I'd try going back to the Swift FX (which was leaking more than the Nasalaire, but still OK).

[Julie]

Oh! Forgot to mention that my set-up works for me because the CO2 vent on my mask is higher up than others - it's not on the right angle of the hose connection, so doesn't get blocked by foam, bedding, etc. Sorry!

[mellabella]

....well, I went ahead and bought it--I'll report back.

[mellabella]

....well, I went ahead and bought it--I'll report back.

So, the pillow listed above was a complete bust, at least for me. Face opening didn't fit comfortably at all, angle wasn't good for the neck/spine no matter how I tried to position the "legs" sewed onto it, material wasn't cushioned enough.

I was just about to order an actual massage table, when I saw Plan B, (another) stop gap measure before that step:


Adjustable, fits between your box spring and mattress. Would at least be more portable than a table. (It folds down into a carrying case.) I'll report back again.

[MountainMommaC]

Hi, just curious--how did that EarthLite turn out for you?

[mellabella]

Hi, just curious--how did that EarthLite turn out for you?

Hello-- just found this now.

It's definitely not something I can do every night, and it certainly isn't preferable, in terms of comfort, to a good night with the mask. However, I've leave it set up at night (it folds down when not in use) in case I have a mid-night "mask off" incident I can't get myself to completely wake up to address--it's been a good compromise (sleeping with face totally pointed downward creates its own comfort issues). I did replace the cushion that came with it with a memory foam cushion.

[purple]

Might one adapt a massage table, to sleep face down, and do without the machine entirely?

[mellabella]

Might one adapt a massage table, to sleep face down, and do without the machine entirely?

So this particular product is probably the closest you can get to that (I'm very thin, and I still wouldn't want to risk spending all night on an actual massage table)--and I wanted to see if this was a viable solution not just to enhance the effect I was getting from the Bipap, but to take "on the road" where electricity wasn't available or taking an expensive delicate Bipap didn't appeal.

My own experience was that it was not a suitable long-term substitute for xPap in my case, and that sleeping face down (especially since that inhibits the natural shifting around/mobility most people engage in at night for comfort) caused some of its own comfort issues which made it unsuitable for regular use. It turns out that I actually prefer to be able to flop around with a mask than to have to essentially stay in one position without moving all night.

That being said, I do leave it up since using it is still better than nothing, if I can't keep the mask on, for some reason.

The product is relatively inexpensive enough (and great for massages!) that it wouldn't hurt to try yourself, if you're curious. Again, I would suggest purchasing a memory foam cushion to replace the one that comes with the frame.

[musculus]

Worth trying but I think Julie's method is better.

I have the same problem as yours. If I cannot get my surgeries scheduled soon enough, I will surely trying cutting a memory foam mattress.