Can Sleeping On Your Side Prevent Sleep Apnea

Avoid sleeping on your back.

Can sleeping on your side prevent sleep apnea.

Most people breathe better when sleeping on their side. There may also be potential changes in cpap therapy pressure requirements if you go from side sleeping to sleeping on your back. For extreme cases of sleep apnea a more upright seated posture using a prop cushion has shown to also remove this issue. Sleeping on the side is a very good alternative for cpap treatment or for dental appliances.

For some adults sleeping on the side can help breathing return to normal. Side sleeping has long been known as the best sleeping position for breathing and to protect the airway from collapse. These types of beds are pricey but even if you could easily afford one you d still end up being locked in one position since sleeping on your side while upright would be unbearably uncomfortable. However a 2002 study found that.

Many patients with sleep apnea wrote to me that they don t use anymore a dental device or a cpap machine when they successfully tried positional therapy. Dangers of sleep apnea. However some of the patients didn t feel any change and they still have sleep apnea symptoms with positional therapy. Avoid heavy meals and caffeine at least two hours before bedtime.

The findings have shown that by changing the posture to lying on your side with the correct level of pillow that sleep apnea can be completely eliminated. The tongue falls back and blocks the airway so sleeping on your side may improve sleep apnea and symptoms fotinakes adds that sleeping on your side or in a prone on your stomach position. If it s too low your cpap therapy won t be able to control your sleep apnea adequately. Sew a tennis ball into the back of a pajama top so you will turn on your side to sleep.

According to one study around 68 percent of people with sleep apnea breathe much better when not on their back. If you are fatigued and distracted during the day no matter how much time you spent in bed you may have sleep apnea. Typically sleeping on your back makes sleep apnea worse and sleeping on your side makes it better schulman says. Have shown sleeping on your back called the supine position can worsen symptoms.

If the pressure is too high you could experience air swallowing or a mask leak. Thus sleeping upright is not a practical solution for sleep apnea. The reason is simple.