Sharing a possible solution to sleeping on your back

OK Here are the pictures of my held in place pillow blockers.

It's a little pricey but much better than dealing with your Rube Goldberg setup:

http://zzomaosa.com/buy-zzoma/

BTW, you may not realize it, but when you roll onto your back or attempt to, you just had an arousal. This is true no matter what setup you are using.

My Rube Goldberg rig was FREE.. and it does not use a strap and more of less a tennis ball...not nearly $200.00 for their Rube Goldberg thing...

AND I am getting good sleep...

Rich

Sheffey wrote:BTW, you may not realize it, but when you roll onto your back or attempt to, you just had an arousal. This is true no matter what setup you are using.

Thanks on the device post as I was just thinking about my own situation while reading the OP's ongoing trials. Had been imagining ways of doing something like this in conjuction with my machine of course.

Yes an arousal. In my case, that's definately better than not breathing for 10 of the next 25 minutes. I'm resisisting the temptation to say some arousals are a good thing! Wait, I guess I did say it!

Seriously, do you guys think you would get used to it so that it's pressure against you when trying to turn wouldn't be any different than just rolling onto your back? Sort of like sleeping in a tight bunk or sleeping quarters where you simply can't turn. I imagine that in some situations (marine vessels, trains, etc.) occupants get used to this over time. I don't know I've always been in a larger sized bed, but this isn't typical everywhere.

Interesting find!

Mike

I actually share some of your issues.
Same machine.
Still crave my afternoon nap.
I am pretty sure I sleep as still as a fresh caught salmon all night. I do occasionally find myself on my back.
I do manage 4-6 hours sleep before waking for a bathroom break, but I don't have a camera or other mechanism to detect partial arousals that may disturb my sleep cycles.

I actually did read your long post with interest because it could be me, minus the need for heart surgery.

A lot of stuff, but if it works for you that is great. After all, we are all seeking the best solutions for us and we are all different.

I have no inclination to sleep on my back and rarely even end up on my side for more than a short period of time occassionaly. I sleep on my stomach and don't move much at night except my head from one side to the other.

Thank you Rich for taking the time to show your solution to back sleeping. It has reminded me that I need to get some body pillows to help keep me on my side. Glad it is working so well for you.

Sheffey wrote:BTW, you may not realize it, but when you roll onto your back or attempt to, you just had an arousal. This is true no matter what setup you are using.

That maybe true, BUT I do not think such a normal arousal is the same as a abnormal OMG I have stopped breathing alarm arousal is.

Rich

[quote="racprops"

So now the only things that seem off are my breathing rate and why is the machine raising the pressure a lot??

I am having NO apneas..ZERO, ZIP, NOTHING..so what is the machine reacting to???

And why is my breathing rate running so fast…my oximeter has not shown any major drop in my O2 …yet my breathing rate seems high and can drop down from time to time…

Are these things a problem??
[/quote]


You see the machine reacting to maybe snores or flow limitations or air flow reductions that don't materialize or grow up to become full fledged flagged events. It's just doing its job which is prevention.

I also wouldn't worry about the respiration rate. It's normal to have it vary quite a bit.

BTW...I think that the tennis ball trick seems rather barbaric. I mean the whole idea is to improve our sleep quality and reduce arousals and the idea of using tennis balls so we wake up and go back on our side seems to defeat the whole purpose.
Seems like sleep quality would suffer greatly.
I tend to like the idea of using a more comfortable way to stay on one's side much better....and whatever works that doesn't disturb sleep is fair game in my book.
For myself I have used one of those buckwheat pillows up against my back. It's comfortable against my back if I do happen to roll back onto it and it's heavy enough that I don't normally have it slide out from under me.

Thanks Pugsy...

You validate my findings..

I felt funny showing my bed room BUT at the same time hoped it would help someone.

A little pay it back for all the help I have received here.

The Great news is it is working I now have mainly zero AHIs or very low numbers like under 1 AHI nearly every night.

I got used to CPAP and I am getting used to sleeping 100% on my side.

Rich

Pugsy wrote:[quote="racprops"

So now the only things that seem off are my breathing rate and why is the machine raising the pressure a lot??

I am having NO apneas..ZERO, ZIP, NOTHING..so what is the machine reacting to???

And why is my breathing rate running so fast…my oximeter has not shown any major drop in my O2 …yet my breathing rate seems high and can drop down from time to time…

Are these things a problem??

You see the machine reacting to maybe snores or flow limitations or air flow reductions that don't materialize or grow up to become full fledged flagged events. It's just doing its job which is prevention.

I also wouldn't worry about the respiration rate. It's normal to have it vary quite a bit.

BTW...I think that the tennis ball trick seems rather barbaric. I mean the whole idea is to improve our sleep quality and reduce arousals and the idea of using tennis balls so we wake up and go back on our side seems to defeat the whole purpose.
Seems like sleep quality would suffer greatly.
I tend to like the idea of using a more comfortable way to stay on one's side much better....and whatever works that doesn't disturb sleep is fair game in my book.
For myself I have used one of those buckwheat pillows up against my back. It's comfortable against my back if I do happen to roll back onto it and it's heavy enough that I don't normally have it slide out from under me.[/quote]

Rich,

Thanks to a spinal fusion, I have only slept on my back for pain reasons for the past 7.5 years. I have tried what I thought was your set-up and, despite the blocking pillow not staying in position all night, my AHI has come down about two events per hour.

Thanks a bunch for showing your system. I'm a visual person and it helps to actually see what we are talking about.

Again, thanks for your time. It's helpful!

Warm regards,
TheWino

Thanks and I hope it helps you.

Rich

Thewino wrote:Rich,

Thanks to a spinal fusion, I have only slept on my back for pain reasons for the past 7.5 years. I have tried what I thought was your set-up and, despite the blocking pillow not staying in position all night, my AHI has come down about two events per hour.

Thanks a bunch for showing your system. I'm a visual person and it helps to actually see what we are talking about.

Again, thanks for your time. It's helpful!

Warm regards,
TheWino

It is correct that anytime you change positions in bed you have an arousal. But if you are sleeping well, you immediately go back to sleep and don't remember awakening or moving.

Tennis balls are a bad idea because the rude arousal will make you aware of your awakening and that is counterproductive.

I slept for six months once wearing a small backpack. It was soft and had soft shoulder straps . I put a plastic container in it so I literally could not roll onto my back. I slept well and don't ever remember anything poking me in the back.

I carried the backpack on flights and everywhere I traveled. It was not a big deal.

After six months someone here told about using a spinal collar. So I tried it instead of the backpack and I can now sleep in any position and get a low AHI. The spinal collar is easier to carry on trips and it gets no funny looks from TSA like the backpack did.

Think about whatever you are using and plan on how it will be for you when you travel.

VVV wrote:plan on how it will be for you when you travel.

I was wondering how racprops will do with that sheet system when he travels.

You are right about the spinal collars. They are a big help and they are small, easy to carry when you travel and no fuss at bedtime.

Well IF I do any travel it will be in my custom van with a bed in it which is up against a wall so there is the back brace..and later if I ever can get a full sized motor home I plan on a bed set like that..twin beds against padded walls.

Overseas I don't know what I will do...but at this point in my life and with my projected income overseas travel it totally out of the picture.

I really love the open road and the sights you see between towns and cities, so do not want to fly, ride a bus or travel by train, I like how I can stop when I want to sleep when I want to and look at what I want to and go where I want to.

Rich