How many pillows do you use?

I have been sleeping on two firm pillows. This site says one relatively flat keeps the airway most open: http://sleepbetter.org/ask-dr-lisa-how- ... uld-i-use/

How many pillows do you use?

I am a 100% side sleeper and use three (lower soft, upper two firm) and prop my head at about 100 degree angle to my shoulders. That's for a nasal pillow with good side to side stability (P10). Would appear to help with sinus drainage as I sleep.

When I was trying a FFM I used the cut out special pillows on top of one other softer pillow at about 90 degrees. Congestion did not matter as much and side to side stability was much harder (F10).

I use one pillow, but it's an extra firm pillow for side sleepers. Anything else, and my neck hurts terribly in the morning. I find that keeps the angle of my spine from skull to pelvis fairly straight. I punch and squish and mold the pillow so there's a divot at the middle edge for my head, with my face hanging off the edge (did this before cpap, to breathe fresh air, and still works well with mask), with the pillow kind of bunched to support my neck. Much like molded memory foam pillows are shaped, though I don't like how hot those make me. So I just use a regular pillow and abuse it until it will bend to my will.

Oddly enough the P10 frame seems to stabilize better if it is partly on the pillow so I sleep just back from the very edge of the pillow. By sliding my head back and forth I can align the pillow support "bar" to the prefect angle (almost zero leaks so no hiss) very quickly as I fall asleep.

When I started out, I purchased several different variations of special CPAP pillows. None of them worked for me and my FFM while side sleeping.

One early Saturday morning, I decided to go shopping at the local bedding store. I put on my FFM and tried out darn near every model pillow that they sold. I kept the salesperson very occupied for a few hours.



I finally settled on a tempurpedic "symphony" model pillow. It works awesome for me and my side sleeping with the FFM.

your results with it may vary greatly

Dave

Additional info: I am a side sleeper with FFM.

Wondering if i am restricting my airway sleeping on 2 firm pillows.

Does your mask leak? Are your AHIs Ok? Leakage always seems to be the biggest issue with pillows/head position.

I use one pillow, it's tempur-pedic and one edge is thicker than the other for side/back sleeping. I can usually get settled in the foam without moving my mask.

I use one very soft oversized down pillow. In the morning it is usually quite compressed, but no pains in the neck or back - so I keep using it.

I also use a tempurpedic pillow with a FF mask. I sleep toward one edge, but without hanging my face or mask over the edge. It works well, and allows me to push into it when I notice a leak, and that usually will stop the leak. Leaks rarely wake me up, and I think maybe I'm sealing them without waking up enough to remember doing it. Very few large leaks show up these days. YMMV

englandsf wrote:Does your mask leak? Are your AHIs Ok? Leakage always seems to be the biggest issue with pillows/head position.

My leaks are 1.20 median and 1.20-2.40 95% almost all the time. AHI used to be great at 1+, but the due to aerophagia, I had to lower the pressure and now its < 3.8.

Its pretty good. I am trying to "squeeze more performance" out of my therapy. And possibly fix the aerophagia so I can go back to higher pressure with super low AHI.

My current pillow was a cheapie from Big Lots. Really soft, and not too thick.
I bought a spare as well, because I don't expect it to last forever.

one buckwheat hull pillow

One abused, firm pillow that I scrunch up so that I can sleep with my head turned one side or the other with support up to about the corner of my mouth, with the rest including the FFM hanging off the edge. When facing left, my left hand actually holds the mask at the hose junction with my right arm under the pillow and above my head. When facing right, my left had stops at the pillow and my right hand is near but not really touching the mask. I face left most of the time.

I sleep on my stomach 90% of the time and barely move. If I shift to my side, it is always to my right side towards the wall, never the left side (floor ie drop side). I use a very firm twin mattress bed in my office. Quiet, dark and coolest room in the house (AZ). Cats, Dog, TV and other distractions are on the other side of the door. If have my mask on, I can't have my glasses on, so I sleep.

I know the position of my hands and arms because every time I tell someone that I sleep on my stomach using a FFM they all say the same thing... How.

If I'm facing to my right I have 4; to my left I use 2. I'm a stomach/side sleeper with a primary head pillow that ends up looking like a; long tent; inverted V; kinda folded lengthwise. It starts as a rectangular pillow; usually firm, overfilled and tall. My shoulder and upper arm go underneath the pillow with my face hanging off the edge so I have room for my FFM. I have my second pillow under half my chest, lengthwise again, propping me up about a quarter of the way to being on my side. The third pillow, when I face to my right, supports my left arm and hand so it doesn't straighten out and hurt my shoulder, and the fourth goes under my knee sometimes. Facing left it just my head pillow and chest pillow.

It's weird, I know, but I'm single and sleep how I want.