sleep tech said sleep on your back as long as possible

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sun May 06, 2007 10:57 am

DeltaSeeker wrote:Jim, you're pretty salty today . Are you having a bad day? Need a hug?
{{{{Jim}}}

Love ya!

Linda

I would NEVER turn down a hug! Jim

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sun May 06, 2007 11:04 am

bluegrassfan wrote:JSK, Delta, SDog...I appreciate the input...I bet that 420 will tell me what's happening like you said. I know more than one time a nite, I feel my teeth seperating slightly but my lips are closed...then sometimes I feel a burble...so I bet I am mouthbreathing sometimes and that's waking me up. The big gasps are probably my mouth opening slap dab wide open!. Well, tks again...bob

What could be happening, you are asleep, and start mouthbreathing. The escaping pressure can't keep your airway open, you have apnea events and they cause you to wake up gasping, from lack of air. You were asleep so you won't know what caused it, just the bad ending. Jim

oldgearhead · Post by **oldgearhead** » Sun May 06, 2007 12:43 pm

I was able to delay CPAP for three years by:
1) Training myself to sleep om my side.
2) BreathRite strips.

However, the problem (low O2 sat) did return. I got back on the hose,
after a couple night-time A-fib events, and the associated electrical shock
treatments...

Nitro Dan · Post by **Nitro Dan** » Sun May 06, 2007 12:48 pm

[quote="oldgearhead"]I was able to delay CPAP for three years by:
1) Training myself to sleep om my side.
2) BreathRite strips.

However, the problem (low O2 sat) did return. I got back on the hose,
after a couple night-time A-fib events, and the associated electrical shock
treatments...

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): hose, CPAP

How do BreathRite strips open a throat obstruction? Was your problem with your sinuses?

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sun May 06, 2007 2:03 pm

The less effort you have to put into breathing the less likely the airway blocks.

In engine terms, trying to suck water through a soft hose tends to cause it to go flat and close off. That same hose if it was onder pressure would swell up open.

On your car, if the lower radiator hose gets weak, the suction can close it off and the engine will over heat, the solve this in a car by putting a wire coil spring inside the hose (stent) to hold it open. in XPAP we use air pressure.

The breathrite strip allows you to breath easier, that causes less chance of your airway closing. Jim

Nitro Dan · Post by **Nitro Dan** » Sun May 06, 2007 4:23 pm

[quote="Goofproof"]The less effort you have to put into breathing the less likely the airway blocks.

In engine terms, trying to suck water through a soft hose tends to cause it to go flat and close off. That same hose if it was onder pressure would swell up open.

On your car, if the lower radiator hose gets weak, the suction can close it off and the engine will over heat, the solve this in a car by putting a wire coil spring inside the hose (stent) to hold it open. in XPAP we use air pressure.

The breathrite strip allows you to breath easier, that causes less chance of your airway closing. Jim

bluegrassfan · Post by **bluegrassfan** » Sun May 06, 2007 6:45 pm

yeah, I'm using those breatherite strips also...they are a big help. I probably need to try a mask that handles mouth breathing. With a FF mask when you open your mouth, can you tell it as much as with a nasal mask? In other words, will it wake you up?

littlemo · Post by **littlemo** » Sun May 06, 2007 7:20 pm

as a tech in the field, I can share with you that you do not need to sleep on your back for the WHOLE study. The sleep soft ware that we use is able to break the index down into the various position's .
However, positional elements need to be investigated, thus sleep labs should ask if you can try on your back for a little while, it gives us a complete view of what is going on, and you very often need a higher pressure on your back.
Many people with OSA have a problem in this position, because mother nature is a wonderful thing and she makes you sleep on your side were it is easier to breath so it is very common that people will report not being able to sleep supine. what we often see in the sleep study, is a person briefly turning but symptoms become worsened, so they go bacl on their side. all this without them even knowing!
However as you get treated with CPAP, it will become more likely that you will start to sleep on your back I hope this is helpful.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sun May 06, 2007 7:37 pm

[quote="Nitro Dan Where did you learn so much about radiator hoses? I'm just amazed at your knowledge. [/quote]

Heavy Mechanic since 1965, last 25 years, V-16's. I've been pretty deep in the grease. Jim

Nitro Dan · Post by **Nitro Dan** » Sun May 06, 2007 7:55 pm

Goofproof wrote:[quote="Nitro Dan Where did you learn so much about radiator hoses? I'm just amazed at your knowledge.

Heavy Mechanic since 1965, last 25 years, V-16's. I've been pretty deep in the grease. Jim[/quote]

Well, that would explain it!

WearyOne · Post by **WearyOne** » Sun May 06, 2007 8:05 pm

Question to ponder: How does one know one is not sleeping on ones back when one is asleep?

When I had my sleep study done, I "knew" it wasn't going to give them enough "back" time because I "knew" I didn't sleep on my back. At home, I went to sleep on my side, and every time I woke up during the night, I'd be on my side (and I woke up a lot!). Well, low and behold, when I got the graphs back from my sleep study, it showed I had slept on my back for about three hours of approximately 5 hours I slept! I couldn't believe it.

Guess one never really knows unless they have a sleep study...

Pam

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sun May 06, 2007 8:42 pm

WearyOne wrote:Question to ponder: How does one know one is not sleeping on ones back when one is asleep?

When I had my sleep study done, I "knew" it wasn't going to give them enough "back" time because I "knew" I didn't sleep on my back. At home, I went to sleep on my side, and every time I woke up during the night, I'd be on my side (and I woke up a lot!). Well, low and behold, when I got the graphs back from my sleep study, it showed I had slept on my back for about three hours of approximately 5 hours I slept! I couldn't believe it.

Guess one never really knows unless they have a sleep study...

Pam

That is where they came up with idea to sew a few tennis balls in the back of a "T" Shirt, it kept you from sleeping on your back and was SUPPOSED to lessen your Apnea. Jim

snoregirl · Post by **snoregirl** » Sun May 06, 2007 8:50 pm

There is a problem with that method. If you sew in tennis balls and they wake you up every time you roll on them, that may well equal the problem I have with snoring myself awake.

Apnea or not, the waking yourself up is every bit as damaging to your quality sleep. I can personally atest to that.

Also, I never understood how with the tennis balls you were supposed to roll over and sleep on the opposite side. Most of us don't spend the entire night in one position or we would be stiff as a board.

bluegrassfan · Post by **bluegrassfan** » Mon May 07, 2007 5:43 am

LittleMo, Goofproof, Nitro D tks for the info. I've been reading a lot of posts about masks, and looking at that Rooster mask, the Hybrid Universal FF mask, and seriously thinking about ordering it today...even if I have nasal probs, I could still get air thru the mouth. Tks...bob

RosemaryB · Post by **RosemaryB** » Mon May 07, 2007 7:24 am

Goofproof wrote: That is where they came up with idea to sew a few tennis balls in the back of a "T" Shirt, it kept you from sleeping on your back and was SUPPOSED to lessen your Apnea. Jim

I use tennis balls as a way to get the kinks out of my back, as a cheap form of massage. This wouldn't wake me, but my back might feel more relaxed in the morning

Rose