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Huge difference due to sleeping position - Is sleeping face down enough?
#1
Huge difference due to sleeping position - Is sleeping face down enough?
Hi all,

I found some pretty interesting data in my own sleep and I thought I would share. For reference, I was diagnosed last week with AHI = 24.5 and I am a skinny 31 yr old male.

Here's me taking a nap on my back. The machine pressure went up to 14, and I had a huge number of events.
[Image: heKK7nm.png]

Here's me taking a nap on my stomach. The machine pressure was at 4 and I had no events.
[Image: v4pY6U8.png]

Honestly, I am flabbergasted at how large the difference is. Looking back at my sleep study, I think it probably showed a much bleaker picture of my SA because I was forced to sleep on my back the whole night.

What do you guys think... Can I avoid CPAP by just sleeping on my stomach? How can I tell how well I am sleeping without the CPAP data? Ideally I would get another sleep study where I sleep on my stomach, but my budget won't allow it!

From my n=1 experiment, I think it's worth doing a sleeping position self-test Smile
Thanks!


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#2
RE: Huge difference due to sleeping position - Is sleeping face down enough?
it's best if you keep it all in one thread, it makes it easier to follow. is it a bipap as in your details, or cpap?
mask fit http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...ask_Primer
For auto-cpap, from machine data or software. You can set the min pressure 1 or 2cm below 95%. Or clinicians commonly use the maximum or 95% pressure for fixed pressure CPAP, this can also be used for min pressure.
https://aasm.org/resources/practiceparam...rating.pdf
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#3
RE: Huge difference due to sleeping position - Is sleeping face down enough?
(04-22-2017, 07:10 AM)ajack Wrote: it's best if you keep it all in one thread, it makes it easier to follow. is it a bipap as in your details, or cpap?

I have a BiPaP machine, but I'm supposed to be using cpap, just been playing around trying to find the ideal settings for me.
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#4
RE: Huge difference due to sleeping position - Is sleeping face down enough?
#1 "Honestly, I am flabbergasted at how large the difference is. Looking back at my sleep study, I think it probably showed a much bleaker picture of my SA because I was forced to sleep on my back the whole night".

There has been a discussion on this subject elsewhere, and as I pointed out to the people conducting my sleep study, sleeping with a box strapped to your chest more or less forcing you to sleep on your back is hardly going to give a good representation of a normal nights sleep.

I would suggest that that in my case, the "Serious" SA diagnosis was flawed due to the enforced sleeping position.

Some interesting info. here on sleeping position. http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...ight=phill
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#5
RE: Huge difference due to sleeping position - Is sleeping face down enough?
You may have a strong positional apnea problem. Sometimes that can be mitigated by using ergonomic pillow or soft cervical collar to prevent the chin from tucking towards your chest, or just stay off your back. It is unusual to be effectively treated with such a wide range of pressure, you appear to be using 4-14 in CPAP mode. If you plan to sleep on your back much, a higher minimum pressure would certainly help.

Another possibility for you is to use BAuto mode on your machine, and build in a little bit of pressure support. Resmed Airsense 10 CPAP use EPR for up to 3 cm of pressure support. So if you wanted to go to BAuto mode with EPAPmin 6.0, IPAP max 14 and PS min 2 PSmax 3, it would not be unlike an auto machine with EPR.
Sleeprider
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#6
RE: Huge difference due to sleeping position - Is sleeping face down enough?
This is quite interesting. I am a back sleeper, and while the sleeping position was important before I used the CPAP, several comparisons in Sleepyhead show absolutely no difference in AHI when sleeping on the side or the back with my machine (and that's over many nights)
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#7
RE: Huge difference due to sleeping position - Is sleeping face down enough?
As posted by Beej:

Also, I have noted for myself, and on a few other posts of others, evidence that for some of us, side sleeping may reduce obstructive events. My numbers are better on my side. One person's sleep study showed back sleeping events were 7 times higher than when side sleeping.
If you have obstructive events and is able to do so, sleeping on the side may help mitigate the problem, so its worth testing out for yourself.
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#8
RE: Huge difference due to sleeping position - Is sleeping face down enough?
(04-22-2017, 08:15 AM)Phill Wrote: #1    "Honestly, I am flabbergasted at how large the difference is. Looking back at my sleep study, I think it probably showed a much bleaker picture of my SA because I was forced to sleep on my back the whole night".

There has been a discussion on this subject elsewhere, and as I pointed out to the people conducting my sleep study, sleeping with a box strapped to your chest more or less forcing you to sleep on your back is hardly going to give a good representation of a normal nights sleep.

I would suggest that that in my case, the "Serious" SA diagnosis was flawed due to the enforced sleeping position.

Some interesting info. here on sleeping position. http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...ight=phill

Exactly. Glad I'm not the only one who thinks this way. Still, it's extremely helpful for me to know I should NOT sleep on my back. Now I understand why some nights my sleep was awesome, and other nights (including during my PSG) were horrible.

I gotta say: doctors are very helpful, but as patients we can't expect them to know everything. Take control of your own treatment!
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#9
RE: Huge difference due to sleeping position - Is sleeping face down enough?
(04-22-2017, 08:36 AM)Sleeprider Wrote: You may have a strong positional apnea problem.  Sometimes that can be mitigated by using ergonomic pillow or soft cervical collar to prevent the chin from tucking towards your chest, or just stay off your back.  It is unusual to be effectively treated with such a wide range of pressure, you appear to be using 4-14 in CPAP mode.  If you plan to sleep on your back much, a higher minimum pressure would certainly help.  

Another possibility for you is to use BAuto mode on your machine, and build in a little bit of pressure support.  Resmed Airsense 10 CPAP use EPR for up to 3 cm of pressure support.  So if you wanted to go to BAuto mode with EPAPmin 6.0, IPAP max 14 and PS min 2 PSmax 3, it would not be unlike an auto machine with EPR.

Right now I know for sure to stay off my back, and that sleeping on my stomach works well. I will run a few tests of sleeping on my side to see.

I set those pressures myself in playing with the machine. Since I'm just starting out, I am setting a large pressure range to figure out what pressure is ideal for me in the long run. I am slowly converging on a pressure range... probably 4 - 10 or so.

(04-22-2017, 08:58 AM)Solipsiste Wrote: This is quite interesting. I am a back sleeper, and while the sleeping position was important before I used the CPAP, several comparisons in Sleepyhead show absolutely no difference in AHI when sleeping on the side or the back with my machine (and that's over many nights)

Actually, my sleep study found MORE events when sleeping on my side, which is unexpected, but then again I only slept on my side for 10 minutes during the PSG.

Good thing I can study my own sleep at home.
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