Side vs Back sleeping

[kiwii]

I asked my daughter too, and we both have an arm out (under the end of the pillow) with head supported on arm/pillow and face downwards at an oblique angle.

[paulag1955]

Hm. I did manage some time on my stomach last night, but it makes my nose soooooooo sore.

[Mosquitobait]

If you are getting a higher AHI when sleeping on your back than on your side, do you have an apap or cpap setting? If an apap, look at your Sleepyhead results. You may need to raise your upper range. If you have a cpap instead of an apap, you should consult with your doc, but generally, you'd raise it a bit. The goal is an AHI below 3.

I'm back to sleeping on my back again after the bursitis problem I've had now for about 5 weeks. I had to raise my pressure about .6 because my Sleepyhead data showed that I kept hitting my ceiling. Everything is fine now and, other than nights when I have particular problems with restless legs, I'm sleeping longer now that I'm on my back than when I was always on my side. This is great because I guarantee, you don't do well long term only sleeping 6 hours.

[paulag1955]

Oddly enough, I find that taking ibruprofen at bedtime helps my restless legs. BUT if I exercise enough during the day, it usually doesn't bother me.

[Mosquitobait]

Oddly enough, I find that taking ibruprofen at bedtime helps my restless legs. BUT if I exercise enough during the day, it usually doesn't bother me.

I've been living on Ibuprofen for 5 weeks now and that doesn't help, but thanks for the recommendation.  The only thing that seems to help me is to just cover my torso, wear socks and leave my legs uncovered. My legs get too warm and then the RLS starts.  Now, you would think this is easy to do, but it's not.  Not having ones legs covered, even a breeze sets it off.  Poor kitties learned long ago not to sleep against my legs or they might get bopped right off the bed while I was asleep.  I've been looking for just the right gel pack sortof thing to wrap around my legs but most are just too clammy to use. 

Oddly enough, a med that I have to take periodically to prevent blindness does eliminate the RLS, but in return, it causes really horrible pins/needles in my feet after awhile.  So, I get about a 1 month period of pretty good sleep.

[Doza]

It certainly does make a difference, according to my diagnostic study..  
My diagnostic figures...
Average supine AHI  89.5
Average lateral AHI  18.43

However I snored as badly on my tummy/side as I did on my back.
And the table of results surprised me as much as the fact I had SA at all did..
During REM, apparently there were no supine events all, but 34.88 lateral events in that sample.
During NREM, both positions were represented, but the supine had the really big numbers.

I prefer side and tummy sleeping to back. But that might also have something to do with a lifetime of trying to breathe easier in my sleep, too.  Who knows?
On PAP, I manage quite well on my tummy/side by just having the temple area on the pillow, with the rest of my face in thin air (LOL). There seems to be enough space for the mask to vent well enough.

[Apnea Infant]

I used to sleep exclusively on my back before CPAP therapy.

Now as am told that side sleeping produces less obstructions I go to sleep on my side. I do find myself awakening on my back at times but do not know when that might have happened. I feel more rested if I spread my backbone flat. However as my numbers are good, I am not too fussed about side or back.