"please keep me updated about oximeters "
Sleep Apnea Forum Bringing Power to the Patient
New? Free Sign Up
Then check our Welcome Center to a Community Caring about Sleep Apnea diagnosis and Sleep Apnea treatment:
CPAP machines, Sleep Apnea surgery and dental appliances.
CPAP Supplies
Latest Activity
Sleeping at Slight Incline
Anyone try sleeping at a slight incline, either with a mechanized-adjustable bed, or by piling pillows up to prop yourself up a bit, and if so does this have any impact on number of apnea-hypopnea events-AHI?
Sort of seems logical that this would help in some obstructive sleep apnea cases, no?
Sort of seems logical that this would help in some obstructive sleep apnea cases, no?
Views: 34113
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Ashutosh on
-
Sleeping on inclined surface or bed could develop further complications with the back.If there is no back pain then it is likely to be developed.Problems with neck would be added to this for sure if the habit has come up.On the contrary, sleeping by side would be more comfortable.
-
Permalink Reply by Mike on
-
I doubt sleeping on a slight incline would necessarily cause back and neck problems. If anyone's actually done it and has had these problems develop, that's one thing, but until then, i'm keeping an open mind about it, and its potential to perhaps improve the quality of our breathing on CPAP or without CPAP.
-
Permalink Reply by White Beard on
-
I have slept in a recliner for years at least 8 or 9 years and then about 2 or 3 years ago I got an adjustable bed and I sleep in a sitting reclining position,( fowlers) I have had all six sleep studies done in an adjustable bed in a fowlers position except for one, my last one was done in a recliner, because they didn't have an adjustable bed in the room they done the ASV titrations in so they brought in a recliner for me to sleep in! I can not lay flat on my back so because of all my bad disc in my back, so I sleep in a sitting reclining position, I was diagnosed with severe Complex sleep apnea with severe Oxygen desaturations and as I said all my test were done with me in a sitting reclining position, at about a 40 to 45 degrees angle sometimes a little more and with the foot of the bed being raise at a 20 to 25 degree angle. This puts me at about the same angle as when I am standing up, as I cannot stand straight and I am bent over some what!
-
-
Mike,
Most of the research that I have done recommends sleeping on your side. The same is true with acid indigestion, which specifically recommends sleeping on your left side. It seems as though this lowers the stomach in relation to the upper body. Most of the recommended lifestyle changes indicate that elevating the head of the bed may help. Be careful of how you accomplish this. I have been a plant manager in the bedding industry for the past 20 years and all of the web sites telling you to put blocks or bricks or telephone books under the headboard have not read their mattress warranty card. Raising the headboard in this manner lifts the center support of the metal base frame off of the floor, so your box spring loses this support mechanism. The smallest problem that this will create is to have your mattress sag in the middle. The worst case scenario will be that the box spring breaks in the middle and by lifting the head of your bed in this manner, you have just voided your mattress warranty.
The best solution that I have located can be found at www.mediwedge.com. This is a foam wedge that fits between the mattress and the box spring and supports the whole mattress.
Good luck with your sleep apnea.
Ed
-
Permalink Reply by tushygalore on
-
I find that when I prop up I "choke" when I exhale, just as I did on inhaling before I got my machine. So for me I'm finding that using a thin memory foam pillow and often a U-shaped traveler's neck pillow as well makes for much better sleep with less disturbances.
-
Permalink Reply by Oswald Abraham on
-
How I control my snoring with an anti snoring pillow.
By Oswald Abraham
I am a victim of snoring and sleep apnoea; I have had this condition for a few years now. Ignorance was a factor for not realizing the seriousness of the condition. Way back in 2006 I had two, what I would categorize as quite a severe apneas. This was enough to wake me up gasping and choking, this experience lasted for a few minutes, again I did not take it too seriously until I had a third attack which lasted almost two hours before it settled down.
I soon learnt that the apneas are serious enough to disrupt life completely by way of fatigue during the day, drowsiness, falling asleep while driving etc. There are much more serious conditions that apneas can lead to such as heart attacks, high blood pressure, and hypertension. We sometimes hear of people who die in their sleep. Is it possible it happened because for a severe apnea?
I had a polysomnogram done it was serious enough for my doctor to recommend a CPAP machine. I tried a CPAP for twenty four hours, and hated it, it was too intrusive and I am claustrophobic. I can understand a CPAP has a very specific job to do, which is basically to pump a continuous supply of air and force the air passage clear for breathing normally.
For me the discomfort, the restrictions, the claustrophobic feeling, the dependence was major factors that prevented me from making it a part of my nightly regime. I swapped for an anti snoring pillow; to be precise it is an inclined, lateral positional pillow. This pillow has allowed me to sleep quite comfortably now for about two years; so far I have avoided any mild or serious attacks of apnea like the ones I mentioned above. The pillow allows for sleeping on the left or right lateral position with comfort. Turning from left to right or vice versa is easy. Importantly I have total independence and freedom during sleep.
I also discovered sleeping in an inclined position helps with mild respiratory conditions; I have often heard it helps with cardiovascular problems by reducing the pressure on organs.
This inclined positions coupled with a lateral position helps to prevent or reduce snoring.
The inclined position helps me to breathe easier, and the lateral position reduces or prevents blockage, thus controlling snoring and preventing sleep apnea.
I hope this encourages you to research such products in the market.
Article by Oswald Abraham: http://www.u-sleepwell.com
-
-
I didn't have neck problems until I raised the bed to help with the reflux. Now that I have lost lots of weight the reflux has disappeared so made the bed level again and my neck problem is slowly getting better.
I figured it was the tight headgear straps that caused the neck problem. The raised bed seems to make more sense to me when I think about it.
-
Permalink Reply by Christopher Gilliard on
-
I've found over time that to sleep comfortably without coughing/choking, I need to be sleeping at a ~30deg angle. I have a mechanism that raises/lowers the mattress that makes finding the best angle pretty easy. Without it, I find myself leaning up pillows to achieve it, I can't sleep lying flat. Buying some memoryfoam pillows and a memoryfoam mattress recently seems to have helped a lot with sleep comfort, but I still need that angle. The new pillows have done wonders with resolving the stiff neck and shoulders I was always waking with. I've got in to the habit of sleeping on my side with my arm raised between the mattress and pillow.
Joe Jones said:I didn't have neck problems until I raised the bed to help with the reflux. Now that I have lost lots of weight the reflux has disappeared so made the bed level again and my neck problem is slowly getting better.
I figured it was the tight headgear straps that caused the neck problem. The raised bed seems to make more sense to me when I think about it.
-
-
Hi,
I am the inventor of the U Sleepwell sleep positioning system. It is an Inclined lateral sleep positioning system. I have been using this system for the last 4 years with very good success. take e a loom at my website www.u-sleepwell.com, watch the video on my 'About us' page.
Regards
Oswald
-
-
I placed the pillow down to my shoulder blades for a few nights until I noticed low back twinges. Now I just adjust a cervical pillow to prop my neck in slight hyperextension. It seems that if I don't drop my jaw down, my AHI is lower. Since I started this a few months ago, I have had 14 zero AHI readings (pre-treatment AHI was 49 with desats to the 60s). My husband has benefited from this wedge positioning, even sleeping on a slight wedge pillow. However, he side sleeps and changes position frequently, so the wedge does not bother his low back.
© 2025 Created by The SleepGuide Crew.
Powered by
