stomach sleeping for OSA? (different approach)

[anonfan1432]

soso after googling this, this idea is not a new idea. I have seen threads on sleep apnea forums about this topic.
However, i have thought of a new approach.

What if you slept in a massage style bed, the ones that are arched and have a hole for your head?
Like this:
http://www.spaandequipment.com/images/T ... 0towel.gif

It sounds like in theory it will fix the sleep apnea, because:
1. you are on your stomach, and your head is in a neutral position. You dont have to cramp your neck to one side due to that hole.
2. You are not flat; you are slightly upright.

It seems like both of these factors will eliminate or reduce the soft tissues collapsing on each other, because in that position, it just doesn't seem possible, no matter how relaxed they get.

Any thoughts?

[Krelvin]

1) it is not comfortable to "sleep" on for 7-8 hours
2) even though I sleep on my stomach most of the time, I still shift to my right several times a night and back. Would fall off the table if I used that
3) I still need my Xpap to breath. Lying on my stomach is more for how I have slept all my life, most likely most of it because it helped me breath better, but I still have OSA without my Xpap.

[Julie]

I've posted this many times so hope regulars forgive me, but... I sleep alone ('cept for my cat) and so can get away with this - I cut a 3" wide, 4" deep and 1' long 'trench' in my memory foam mattress starting at the head and going towards the foot, with an electric knife, and rounded top edges with scissors. I have a FF mask and when sleeping on my front with my head turned right, the mask dips into the trench diagonally or more vertically, avoiding a very sore neck in the a.m. I've also cut and fiddled with sheets to accommodate things, but have been sleeping like this for years, and so far so good. Important to mention is that my particular mask's vent holes are higher on the mask than most (they're usually at the elbow), so foam or sheet don't block holes but probably would for other masks.

I also think an actual massage table wouldn't be comfortable - opening's too small and not flexible - but you have to figure out your own version of things I guess.

[chunkyfrog]

That sounds a whole lot more comfy.

[BlackSpinner]

Your wind pipe is still parallel to the ground and can still collapse due to gravity.

[andy5805]

to anyone who clicks this thread and thinks "wow this looks great I wonder how that works, lets try it tonight.......... " is somewhere between mad and the bravest person in the world!

In either event, I salute you as the adventurer I will never be!

[palerider]

to anyone who clicks this thread and thinks "wow this looks great I wonder how that works, lets try it tonight.......... " is somewhere between mad and the bravest person in the world!

In either event, I salute you as the adventurer I will never be!

I like julie's knife wielding method for a dedicated stomach sleeper

wouldn't work very well on my waterbed though.

[Singer34]

yeah I can see this is going to be interesting lol. I am a complete neophyte here so bear with me. I go get my equip on thurs. I will say this. I'm a pretty dedicated stomach sleeper, and did so at my study as well, before and after they came in put a cpap on me. I think it was just nasal pillows though. I'm not sure those would work for me as a long term solution, I will have to try some things.

[andy5805]

suppose if you can build and/or if you have money the sky (or the ground) is the limit - the hole in the bed is obvious,- how do you pack that up so you won't move, circlular pillow of that buckwheat hull stuff? then you get the tubing running straight down - who knows maybe put holes in for the arms to dangle down , adjust the machine etc. I don't have money but I can build, I also don't sleep on stomach which is a good thing because I'd have to try and do it if I did - frequently I find that I try something I'm told will help in the scary world of CPAP and it helps - just others not me, e.g. Buckwheat, other times I get told this stuff is great , e.g. lanolin, and it's right out the box how people said it was and I'm so grateful for being told. you can standardise OSA about as much as you can standardise your cat next to another cat. I wouldn't want to standardise my cats, but I'd love for a one in all fix to CPAP - I would say, in all seriousness for a mickey taker type , that crowd sourcing comes close to the one in all solution - people posting on here, you get the best the worse and the silly- the best rises to the top gets repeated and helps others. A 21st century solution to a stone age problem.

[Julie]

[archangle]

Stomach sleepers can still have apnea. For some people it makes things better, for some it doesn't.

Unless you're using CPAP while stomach sleeping, you won't have any way to know whether it's working or not.