Techniques for Side Sleeping

mattman · Post by **mattman** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 6:54 pm

Prior to being put on CPAP I tried the tennis ball thing and it worked really well for me to "train" myself to sleep on my side and I was told it cut my snoring down a good bit.

Now that I'm on CPAP though, I really don't care what position I sleep in. As long as my month average AHI is below 5 I can be sleeping on my head for all I care!

I do find it more comfortable now to fall asleep on my side though. I switch between a Comfort Gel and a Swift and both work well for side-sleeping for me.

There is something to be said for straight CPAP working better for some people. I think it's a lot like masks - one way is an absolute Godsend for some people where for others it's the pits and vice-versa. Go with what's comfortable and keeps your long-term average AHI below 5 and then go live your life is my personal advice.

mattman

deebatt · Post by **deebatt** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 7:54 pm

SelfSeeker wrote:I was/am surprised to see that I started waking up and being on my back. Pre CPAP I would not have been on my back. I wonder if this is because I can actually breathe again, and I am not "mentally fighting the fear" of sleeping on my back anymore.

I was thinking the same thing myself. I have always been a side sleeper, well actually became a tummy sleeper for the past 5 years i think due to the OSA. Last year i was "forced" to sleep on my back for a few months after surgery and i hated it. Now with CPAP i never find myself on my stomach, its like my body knows it doesnt have to sleep that way to breathe. I sleep very well on my side and even find myself having slept quite well on my back........go figure.

laurie2025 · Post by **laurie2025** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 9:45 pm

I looked at that Sona Pillow, and it's funny because that exact position is the way I have slept my entire life, and I have fairly severe sleep apnea. If you do want to sleep on your side and not on your back, it does look to me like it would be a help, but I would think you would also want another pillow wedged behind your back, not just your neck. It seems to me that something pulling you forward from the front rather than pushing you from behind would be better. But I cannot imagine what you could do to accomplish that. Unless you attach a cat to your pajamas and dangle it over the side of the bed.

preemiern · Post by **preemiern** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:14 am

laurie2025 wrote: Unless you attach a cat to your pajamas and dangle it over the side of the bed.

ROTFL!!! I am just picturing either one of my cats dangling over the side of my bed!! I DON"T think they would be very helpful!!

laurie2025 · Post by **laurie2025** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 6:48 am

How about the dog in the picture?
hehehe

Laurie

Snoozing Gonzo · Post by **Snoozing Gonzo** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:57 pm

I started to sleep on one side as a result of major pre-CPAP snoring. By far the best for me was use of a buckwheat hull pillow. They are about half size of a regular pillow but you don't need the extra area as you rarely move from the little hole that you dig for yourself at bedtime. They give me the neck support I must have, and you can easily sleep with your mask over the edge or rest the mask on the pillow near the edge (depending on the mask).

My wife loves hers because it seems to help with pain from a bad shoulder. We travel with them. They take a little getting used to as they but it has been worth it for us.

You can get them online through HSN.com or, as I did recently for replacements, had them made at a local futon and pillow shop.

Good Luck

Chris

xxx · Post by **xxx** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 7:56 pm

I sleep primarily on my right side with a king-size pillow between my legs, which are usually bent at the knees. I have foot pain from fractures and need to cushion them.

When I had attacks of sciatica in the past I started sleeping with a hot water bottle filled to the top with the hottest possible tap water and I position it at the waist touching my body and very slightly lean into it. The warmth relaxes my back, which helps me fall asleep, and keeps me from rolling over.

If I get too sore from sleeping in that static position, I roll it away, sleep briefly on my back, then flip to the other side and re-position the hot water bottle. Even when it cools down, I still like the feeling of pressure, which gives support like a pillow but is not squishy.

Machine	Mask