side sleeping

Has anyone had success decreasing their apnic events by learning to sleep on their sides instead of their backs?

If so, how did you teach yourself to stay on your side throughout the night?

Thank you.

Edited to remove a device that gets bad reviews.

My sweet bullfrog has been doing it by sheer willpower.
Lately, it's been quite a bit more difficult, as he is recovering from
a fractured sternum suffered in a recent auto accident. (Not our fault)
He was unable to side sleep on the right for a month; and 2 months later,
still cannot sleep on his left. Not good for apnea.
You never know when circumstances will make a simple solution unworkable.

nmevan wrote: ↑

Sun May 26, 2024 9:57 am

Has anyone had success decreasing their apnic events by learning to sleep on their sides instead of their backs?

Sleeping on my sides has been the way I've done it for decades... it is not good for my shoulders but definitely helps the apnea and (on my left) the reflux.

CPAP has cured the reflux but at the normal pressures I could not go on my back (supine). I had a bi-level titration which the tech had me go supine and set my pressures while watching my EEG, blood O2, etc. Now I use a bi-level machine at 21/17 and have no worries about positional apnea. You do have other issues at the higher pressures... aerophagia is now more of an issue, for instance. Mask leaking is worse and nasal masks are out of the question. It did cost money to have the titration but that is helped by the deductible being taken up so that the new machine is cheaper... and a bi-level machine just gives superior therapy compared to CPAP or APAP even at lower pressures.

You know I think my mask leaking is worse when I sleep on my back which doesn't make any sense. It may be coincidental but when I had pretty bad pre-surgical pain in October as I was due for surgery November 17th, I slept on the recliner from the middle of October to the middle of January and my AHIs went up from about . 5 to 1.5 on my side to six seven or even eight when I was sleeping on the recliner. I would think when you are side sleeping the pillow and the way your head lays could push the mask away and lead to leaks. Maybe the nasal pillows, like the p30i, that I have, makes that more avoidable than other kinds of masks.
This morning looking at last night's graphs and stats on Oscar, my percentage of large leaks were 13% and you can see on the graph how much of it was low and last night I slept on my side.

Alan

ChicagoGranny wrote: ↑

Sun May 26, 2024 12:29 pm

https://www.amazon.com/WoodyKnows-Upgra ... ref=sr_1_6?

I ordered this thing and is an absolute piece of crap. Only one size and way too small. The inflatable sections to put inside the backpack are water wings for kids and almost impossible to blow up. I'm sending it back to amazon today for a refund.

nmevan wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 08, 2024 9:46 am

absolute piece of crap

It got some good reviews. I've edited it out of my comment. Thanks.