Prone (belly) sleeping as apnea treatment?

[Inspire]

Hi guys!

I have been using CPAP for a year now, but my pressure levels keep getting higher, and I'm starting to get frustrated with it...It would be so nice to sleep without the ridiculous jerry-rigged set up I have! My husband and I were brainstorming, and I mentioned that my fatigue started at the same time that I could no longer sleep on my belly, which was always my preferred sleeping position. I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which means that my joints are unstable, so I can't sleep normally - with my head turned to the side - on my belly without dislocating something, or causing pain. The same goes for side-sleeping: my shoulders and hips sublux/dislocate whenever I accidentally end up on my side.

In any case, I was searching for ways in which I might comfortably sleep on my belly, by using a mattress - or some other contraption - with a hole for my face, and discovered that some doctors have actually studied this, and are suggesting sleeping on the belly (face down) as a treatment for sleep apnea! Has anyone tried this? How have you set it up? I'm so curious if anyone has had success with this! I certainly can tell that my airway doesn't collapse nearly as much (if at all?) when facing down.

If there's been another thread about this, please let me know. I couldn't find one... :-)

[Sleeprider]

Okay, don't hate me, but is something like this what you have in mind? If so, YES! Go for it. These have gender specific comfort channels for women on one side, and are flat on the other. It is a face-down sleeping pillow and costs about $48. Search for the face down pillow at Comforthouse. Whatever you need is the right solution for you. Put a king pillowcase on something like this and you can sleep in almost any position, including face-down with plenty of room for your mask.

[Sleep2Snore]

I can't sleep face down at all, I tried it and almost was not here to tell the tale (hurray I hear you cry) but if the above helps go for it.
I remember seeing something about a trial on sleeping face down, but I think they used something like the above, but found they needed less pressure, however, some turned over in their sleep, so it was pointless.  If you can sleep face down give it a go.