sleeping on back

I start out sleeping on my side but end up on my back as my shoulders start to hurt this problems applies to both shoulders. What is the problem with sleeping on my back , when my AHI is 2 and my leak rate is 29 my mask leak rate is 29 so I,d say my leak rate is as good as it can get .I wake up in the morning after 8 to 9 hours sleep and do not feel sleepy at all during the day . I tried 8 times to register but was dropped each time I returned to post . Seems like I read all the time to get off your back WHY if I,m having good results?

Are you serious? You are getting low numbers, feeling good and sleeping a lot..you are in paradise..obviously you can sleep any way you want. For some of us sleeping on our backs closes the airways which requires a great deal of pressure to open...consider yourself very fortunate with those results.

Since you're getting excellent results sleeping on your back, I see no reason you shouldn't sleep on your back. Personally, it doesn't seem to make any difference if I sleep on my back or my side. My results are the same.

track wrote:Are you serious? You are getting low numbers, feeling good and sleeping a lot..you are in paradise..obviously you can sleep any way you want. ..........consider yourself very fortunate with those results.

Ditto.

I am envious of you because I would love to be able to sleep on my back but can't because of the airway blockage.

Among various patients the blockages that cause sleep apnea are diffuse. I believe around 50% have worse blockage on their back. But hey, that leaves 50% who can sleep on their back without worse blockage!

Enjoy!

I have to sleep on my back because I have Rheumatoid Arthritis. When I tried to sleep on my side ( 6 years ago now when I was first diagnosed), I got little or no sleep because of knee, hip and especially shoulder pain. In order to get some sleep I just sleep on my back.

I was at a pressure of 10cm. straight cpap for 6 years. In February of 2008,I got an auto machine with software and reader. With the help of this forum, I was able to optimize my pressure. In auto and straight cpap mode my AHI is virtually always under 1. Several times a months, my AHI is 0.0 Just last fall, I raised my cpap pressure to 11 cm(after an in home auto sleep study because I was feeling more fatigue). I had a full sleep study in April of 2008 (which was pretty useless - except that I guess I know nothing else is going on in my sleep like RLM or anything else).

My sleep apnea is well controlled with great data. I have to conclude that, for me anyway, sleeping on my back has not been a problem at all. My airway is keep open and very few events take place. I feel good and it is the RA, that limits my activities some - not my sleep apnea.

I guess I'm among that 50% for whom sleeping on the back does not adversly affect my cpap therapy.

Rooster so glad to hear from you I read your commets frequently , Yes I realize how fortunite I am to have such good results from CPAP . I will tell you pre CPAP nights where HORRIBLE I wont go into details I ,m sure most of the stage 4 apnea folks know what I,m talking about I was dying and didn,t know it, every night . I think I would do anything not to experience those nights. I will say when I found this site last fall my world opened up with a wealth of excellant information I was able to adjust my therapy thanks to reading this forum and I feel I have come close to nervona . I have tried to register under my registered name of imsleepynomore so many times the past few months but to no avail so I guess this is the way to go. My settings are APAP mim8/max15 my average is 12 with a leak of 29 which matches my mask leak rate, , Yes I have arthritis and have injured both shoulders in my younger days I can only say I was having fun at the time I injured them ,

imsleepynomore8 wrote:......... Yes I have arthritis and have injured both shoulders in my younger days I can only say I was having fun at the time I injured them ,

Sounds like your last words before the injuries may have been, "Hey guys, watch this!"

A buddy and I have imagined how we will die. We will have some injury or surgery that will prevent us from sleeping on our sides. Over some period of time, could be short or could be long, our sleep apnea will get us.

But for now, we are both having too much fun to let that thought depress us.

Best regards,

Way to live Rooster!! Keep it up! It's the only way to go!