Supine Sleep Question

I asked the technician if getting a CPAP pillow might be a good idea as I noticed during the sleep study I still had apnea episodes if I slept on my side. She told me that for now she wants me to sleep on my back until I see the doctor - which is fine, but sometimes gets pretty uncomfortable at my neck. (I do sleep with a cervical support pillow.)

But my question is for the risk of pneumonia - isn't sleeping in one position preventing the lungs to drain and stay healthy?

If so - anyone have any suggestions on sleeping all night for a few months in the supine position without getting sick?

Thanks!

Did she give a reason for wanting you to sleep on your back? For most of us, our apneas are worse when we sleep on our backs and we are encouraged to sleep on our sides.

It is common for sleep techs to suggest supine sleeping for the sleep studies (to get a worst case scenario) but once we are home, there aren't any limitations to sleeping. You should be able to sleep in any position you wish. Perhaps the sleep study tech was just referring to the sleep study.

I sleep in one position all night, every night. Unless you are very weak, don't move around in the daytime, and have a compromised system, you are not going to develop pnuemonia.

But I, too, am wondering if you misinterpreted what she said because most people have MORE apnea on their backs and it's also worse for reflux and your back.

Did she give any explanation for suggesting you sleep on your back?

Not everybody has more events while on their back, my sleep study showed more events on my R side, and the report recommended not sleeping on that side, so, check your sleep study report and don't assume that you are " normal" and should avoid supine sleeping. FWIW I find my auto takes care of my positional problems and I sleep on my sides, as I've always done. Pugsy is right, you should be able to sleep in your favorite position and be comfy, just need to get the XPAP dialed in

Sleeping on my back gives me the lowest average AHI. Its harder to breath, sleeping on either side and the pressures go up quite a bit!

I see the doc on the 18th - so I have almost two weeks before I can talk to anyone. During my sleep study even with the mask I was having events on my left side - so the tech told me to sleep on my back.

Last night I slept on my right side only when I needed to give my neck a break. I had a MUCH better night sleep. I tried to stay away from my left side.

quietmorning wrote:I see the doc on the 18th - so I have almost two weeks before I can talk to anyone. During my sleep study even with the mask I was having events on my left side - so the tech told me to sleep on my back.

I think one would have to see the complete sleep study report (position, stages, and pressure being used) to make the unusual statement, "sleep on your back."

If more events were happening when you were on your left side, but you were in REM during that "left side" period of time, it could have been that REM (not the "left side" position you were in) was the culprit.

Likewise, if you had fewer events while on your back, but were not in REM (or hit REM only briefly) that might not be a true picture of how many events you'd have had if on your back AND in REM.

quietmorning wrote:Last night I slept on my right side only when I needed to give my neck a break. I had a MUCH better night sleep. I tried to stay away from my left side.

Smart "move" on your part, imho...to sleep on your side. Whichever side.

Do you know what range of pressure they set for your autopap?

The roses in your avatar picture are beautiful, Bethanna. Did you grow them yourself?

I think it's ridiculous to tell a patient how to sleep. If you are really sleeping, you can't control it. I don't know how many times I turn over unless I video my sleep.
I think I would rather have the apneas than the anxiety of worrying about sleeping wrong. Blame the patient.

Lizistired wrote:I think it's ridiculous to tell a patient how to sleep. If you are really sleeping, you can't control it. I don't know how many times I turn over unless I video my sleep.
I think I would rather have the apneas than the anxiety of worrying about sleeping wrong. Blame the patient.

My experience is exactly the opposite. Oh would that someone in the sleep clinic had told me to avoid backsleeping! It would have saved me a good bit of misery and time to learn this on my own.

rested gal wrote:

quietmorning wrote:I see the doc on the 18th - so I have almost two weeks before I can talk to anyone. During my sleep study even with the mask I was having events on my left side - so the tech told me to sleep on my back.

I think one would have to see the complete sleep study report (position, stages, and pressure being used) to make the unusual statement, "sleep on your back."

If more events were happening when you were on your left side, but you were in REM during that "left side" period of time, it could have been that REM (not the "left side" position you were in) was the culprit.

Likewise, if you had fewer events while on your back, but were not in REM (or hit REM only briefly) that might not be a true picture of how many events you'd have had if on your back AND in REM.

quietmorning wrote:Last night I slept on my right side only when I needed to give my neck a break. I had a MUCH better night sleep. I tried to stay away from my left side.

Smart "move" on your part, imho...to sleep on your side. Whichever side.

Do you know what range of pressure they set for your autopap?

The roses in your avatar picture are beautiful, Bethanna. Did you grow them yourself?

Rested gal,

I am at 4 for ramp and 6 for the rest of the night. The tech said I was lucky that it doesn't take much to keep my airway open - I'm such a newbie. . .I guess so. . .lol.

The (the icon) roses are not my roses - but I grow roses very much like these (birthday prezzy from my hubby). I'm hoping to plant a rose garden in the next year or two when I finally have the energy to do so.

Odd, I heard that due to internal anatomy; we get less aerophagia while sleeping on the left side.
I would call and make sure they meant the instruction to sleep on the back was intended as on-going.
Only sleeping on the back sounds very uncomfortable.
I cannot imagine they would not accept your phone question--
You should not have to wait weeks for an answer.

I have apneas when Im masked up on pressure 10 and sleeping on my back.

But when I did my sleep study, I intentionally slept on my back so they could get an idea of what was
happening.

I actually have some ropes rigged into my bed and clips into my beltloops to preevent rolling over onto my
back......which my wife finds amusing.

Some nights, i STILL end up on my back. Its very frustrating.

But to answer your question, the technician might have been looking for your "worst case scenario"
by this advice.

It certainly isnt good long term advice.