CPAP and Stomach Sleepers!
Question:
I use the nasal pillows and the mirage mask and I can sleep on my stomach just fine. Position your head towards the head of the pillow as suggested by someone here is helpful. I do not sleep on my back at all. The only problem I can see if you sleep with your head straight into the pillow and not on either side of your face. Good luck. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Dido wrote: > Does anyone out there like to sleep on their stomach and uses CPAP at the > same time? I used to use CPAP but found that I had to sleep on my back. I > hated it! Are there any new CPAP devices that allow sleeping on your > stomach. Please let me know. I will be going back on CPAP within the next > few weeks. > Thanks > Dido > l…@bev.net
Response:
I fully agree with all of your comments, and the previous ones before! Now, If I can just get the sleep tech to agree to sleep in whatever position I want!! I would really think that the higher pressure used to prevent the apnea’s on my back might cause central if I was on my side or stomach, sounds logical to me-I’m going to ask my Dr. when I go to my appointment, see what he says. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Subject: Re: CPAP and Stomach Sleepers! >From: chief…@unix.nospam.asb.com (Jim Strand) >Date: 4/6/99 7:23 AM Pacific Daylight Time >Message-id: <370a16a0.2123…@news2.new-york.net> >On Tue, 06 Apr 1999 14:22:48 GMT, >alannorths…@blahblahblahmindspring.com wrote: >They didn’t insist I sleep in any particular position, and any >>test where they would insist on that is really suspect! How >>could they try to manage that, when they want a test of how YOU >>sleep?????? >>>Having said that, at the end of my second test, after letting me >>do what I wanted, and having determined that a pressure of 8 >>prevented apneas, they DID ask me to try sleeping on my back. >>They quickly saw why I don’t — even a pressure of 21 wouldn’t >>keep my throat open when I’m on my back! >>>You are 100% on target with this. During my last sleep study the >wanted me to sleep on my back. Being a side sleeper I couldn’t even >fall asleep on my back. After laying there a good half hour I decided >phooey and rolled to my side where apparently I drifted quickly off to >sleep. >>Fully agree that the best results would be from testing in the >patients normal sleep positions. For if the higher pressures used for >the back sleep position were set on the CPAP would that not have the >potential to induce central events when sleeping in their normal >position? >*************************************** >delete "nospam" for e-mail re
Response:
David Chamberlain wondered: > Sleeping on my stomach makes my back feel great, but > what do you do with your arms? It seems I always instinctivly > use them to prop up my head, then they fall asleep, etc, etc.
David, that’s probably the one piece I forgot to mention. If my I face to my left, my left arm goes under my chest (putting my palm flat against my chest near my heart. Then my right arm I put down toward my leg. This seems to help stablize me, and keep me from rolling onto my mask. Of course if my face points the other direction, switch the arms accordingly. One other significant benefit is that it keeps my arms out of the way of the hose and mask. Sometimes I move around while asleep, but mostly they seem to stay put. Hope that helps. Regards, =jbf= John B. Fisher
Response:
Can’t answer for using CPAP while lying face down since I don’t have one (yet)….but I’m so glad to read of real experiences of CPAP users being able to do it. I just can’t imagine NOT sleeping on my stomach and had thought CPAP would make that impossible…funny how these little things make ya concerned ! My arm goes dead *every* night ! I don’t care, it;s worth it to be comfortable. I remember touching my "dead" hand with my "feeling" hand once and got the fright of my life…couldn’t figure out who the hell was in bed with me ! HAnd was so dead I had no sensation that I was in contact with my own other hand ! John…nice detail on the technique to help us stomach sleepers…forgive me for seeing the funny side though….I just a got a mental flash of people like us printing the instructions, going of to bed and reading off all the positions and moves etc….then realizing they had to get up to switch off the light ….DOH ! !. Sorry….it’s just me ! :-) Trevor
Response:
>Does anyone out there like to sleep on their stomach and uses CPAP at the >same time?
Yep! I even do so using the Resperonics Golden Seal Mask. Much like others have said, I move one leg up with the knee bent to help my back… my cheek on the edge of my pillow leaves the mask/hosing with some lee-way between me and the mattress. This has worked fine for me; but, I should mention that this took some getting accustomed to. Initially I was only able to rest on my back with the hose over me. I am now able to sleep in most any position but if I roll over so I am almost face down, the mask does poke me 
Hope this has helped somewhat ~~ pattie
Response:
TPoun wrote: > …nice detail on the technique to help us stomach sleepers… > forgive me for seeing the funny side though….I just a got a > mental flash of people like us printing the instructions, going > off to bed and reading off all the positions and moves etc…. > then realizing they had to get up to switch off the light > ….DOH !!! …Sorry….it’s just me ! :-)
ROTFL! Trevor, that would be me you are describing! ;^) That and the image of superman flying also comes to mind! Which brings up a whole different point of view to my many conversations with my wife about going to sleep! ;^) Take care and sleep well. Regards, =jbf= John B. Fisher
Response:
Since all of you are stomach sleepers, how in the heck did you handle the sleep study….they made me sleep on my back, and i couldn’t sleep cause I’m used to my tummy. Did you have trouble sleeping during your test? I really don’t look forward to another study because of it, I got kind of panicky because I couldn’t sleep for quite a while during mine. >From: tp…@aol.com (TPoun) >Date: 3/31/99 7:43 PM Pacific Standard Time >Message-id: <19990331224351.26021.00000…@ng96.aol.com>
In part: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I just can’t imagine NOT sleeping on my stomach……….
Response:
BRo3660965 wondered: > Since all of you are stomach sleepers, how in the heck did > you handle the sleep study….they made me sleep on my back, > and i couldn’t sleep cause I’m used to my tummy. Did you > have trouble sleeping during your test? I really don’t look > forward to another study because of it, I got kind of panicky > because I couldn’t sleep for quite a while during mine.
Discuss it with your sleep technician. You might have to start out on your back, but explain that you like to sleep on your stomach. You might be able to manage it after you’ve gotten some sleep on your back. Sleeping on your stomach during the sleep study will be much harder to manage due to the wires. But you might be able to sleep on your side as a compromise… That’s what I did. Regards, =jbf= John B. Fisher
Response:
>Since all of you are stomach sleepers, how in the heck did you handle the >sleep >study….they made me sleep on my back, and i couldn’t sleep cause I’m used >to >my tummy. Did you have trouble sleeping during your test? I really >don’t >look forward to another study because of it, I got kind of panicky because I >couldn’t sleep for quite a while during mine.
quite honestly, by the time I reached the willingness to admit I had the apnea and needed the study I was falling asleep everywhere. You know when they hook up all those electrodes, the nasal thermometer, the mic, the camera? He had to keep waking me up to proceed with the attachments. I did sleep on my back for the most part; but, I was so whacked from the apnea, I slept only for a few moments at a time anyway. This may not of been any help…I found that the tech needed only a few hours to really get a reading ~~ pattie
Response:
Has anyone tried the Monahagn Mini Mask? Sometimes that works for stomach sleepers. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –
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hlh_NOS…@excite.com wrote: > I have some trouble imagining a mask that would would > work for a stomach-sleeper, unless said sleeper turns the face to one > side all night.
I’ve read that the body is set to toss from side to side (without waking up) by having the lower nostril fill partially with mucus over a 2-3 hour period, thus triggering the sleeper to turn onto the other side. I know that I usually fall asleep on my stomach or side, with my head turned to one side, and may awaken on that side, the other side, or on my back. –Lee Gold
Response:
This is no problem with nasal pillows. Also easy with Mirage. regards, eric pearson er…@nospammindspring.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -On Wed, 31 Mar 1999 11:56:52 -0500, "Dido" <l…@bev.net> wrote: >Does anyone out there like to sleep on their stomach and uses CPAP at the >same time? I used to use CPAP but found that I had to sleep on my back. I >hated it! Are there any new CPAP devices that allow sleeping on your >stomach. Please let me know. I will be going back on CPAP within the next >few weeks. >Thanks >Dido >l…@bev.net
Response:
Dido wondered: > Does anyone out there like to sleep on their stomach and > uses CPAP at the same time?
Yes! I thought I would never be able to do so again. However, I recently discovered a way that allows me to sleep on my stomach. Generally I am happier in that position. But there’s a small secret. First rotate your pillow so the longest part is parallel with the longest part of the bed. This is 90 degrees off how it normally is positioned. Then lay down on your stomach, position your head to the side of the pillow, so the mask is off the pillow. Then raise up your knee some to keep from moving around excessively. It also helps keep you from rolling onto the mask. This way if you need to you can flip over to the other side of the pillow and face your head in the opposite direction. You’ll also move your knees reverse of how they were. It works like a champ! > I used to use CPAP but found that I had to sleep on > my back. I hated it!
See above. Works GREAT. > Are there any new CPAP devices that allow sleeping > on your stomach.
I use nasal pillows, but think it would work for just about any nasal mask. Full face masks might not work. > Please let me know. I will be going back on CPAP within > the next few weeks.
Please, please do! Anytime you spend off CPAP is time during which your body is being harmed. Hypertension, gastric reflux, heart attacks and stronkes are just a few of the end results of not adequately treating obstructive sleep apnea. Dido, let me know if this works for you. It makes a difference for me. Regards, =jbf= John B. Fisher
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -"John B. Fisher" wrote: > Dido wondered: > > Does anyone out there like to sleep on their stomach and > > uses CPAP at the same time? > Yes! I thought I would never be able to do so again. However, I recently > discovered a way that allows me to sleep on my stomach. Generally I am > happier in that position. But there’s a small secret. First rotate your > pillow so the longest part is parallel with the longest part of the bed. > This is 90 degrees off how it normally is positioned. Then lay down on your > stomach, position your head to the side of the pillow, so the mask is off > the pillow. Then raise up your knee some to keep from moving around > excessively. It also helps keep you from rolling onto the mask. This way > if you need to you can flip over to the other side of the pillow and face > your head in the opposite direction. You’ll also move your knees reverse of > how they were. It works like a champ!
Sleeping on my stomach makes my back feel great, but what do you do with your arms? It seems I always instinctivly use them to prop up my head, then they fall asleep, etc, etc. — David Chamberlain +————————————————————————-+ | Sadness shared is sadness halved; happiness shared is happiness doubled | +————————————————————————-+
Response:
Does anyone out there like to sleep on their stomach and uses CPAP at the same time? I used to use CPAP but found that I had to sleep on my back. I hated it! Are there any new CPAP devices that allow sleeping on your stomach. Please let me know. I will be going back on CPAP within the next few weeks. Thanks Dido l…@bev.net
Response:
I don’t sleep completely flat, but pretty close. I have to pull one leg up because if I don’t then my back hurts. That’s how I go to sleep, but sometimes I wake up on my back, but not much. I have a Mirage Mask, and it seems to stay put pretty good. Hope this helps!>Subject: CPAP and Stomach Sleepers! Did you have a sleep test in a lab? They make you sleep on your back….grrrr. I couldn’t sleep for *Hours*, and they finally let me get comfy and I drifted right off. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->From: "Dido" <l…@bev.net> >Date: 3/31/99 8:56 AM Pacific Standard Time >Message-id: <7dtkco$…@world1.bellatlantic.net> >Does anyone out there like to sleep on their stomach and uses CPAP at the >same time? I used to use CPAP but found that I had to sleep on my back. I >hated it! Are there any new CPAP devices that allow sleeping on your >stomach. Please let me know. I will be going back on CPAP within the next >few weeks. >Thanks >Dido >l…@bev.net
Response:
BRo3660965 wrote: > sometimes I wake up on my back, but not much.
Ditto > I have a Mirage Mask, and it seems to stay put pretty good.
Ditto. > Did you have a sleep test in a lab? They make you sleep on your back….
I’ve had three sleep tests: the first two in a lab within the same week (they forgot to titrate the CPAP the first time) where they didn’t tell me what position to take, but they also didn’t have air conditioning and I was having hot flashes, and they asked me not to sleep naked without sheets or blankets because they had a camera trained on me to monitor my changes in position. (This was at Century City hospital in West LA.) The third sleep test was in my own home, and again nobody told me what position to use. They did notice that I put the hooks of the Mirage mask in the next to bottom hole and were surprised that I got good closure but agreed that I did and didn’t tell me to change it. (I can’t use the new Mirage masks with only one place to put the straps because it puts tension on the wrong part of my face.) –Lee Gold
Response:
Dido wrote: > Does anyone out there like to sleep on their stomach and uses CPAP at the > same time?
Yes. It may help that I have feather pillows which are compressible wherever you push them as opposed to the artificial ones. Sometimes I lie with my head on one side of the pillow, sometimes between two pillows, one on each cheek. –Lee Gold
