wedge pillows and apnea

I always thought that sleeping on your back was discouraged for apnea. However, my dme said that with a cpap machine, it was fine. so I started sleeping on my back. I recently got a wedge pillow to relieve my lower back strain. Man, it works great! My ahi score remained the same until the last few nights; it's still around 2 however. I'm probably just going through a phase unrelated to the pillow. My issue isn't oa, it's hypopneas. I raised my basic level to 9.5. several months ago to address this. My average pressure is usually 10--so a small range. I don't really want to set my minimum at 10, which is also my average maximum.

I'm really asking if people have insight as to sleeping on a wedge pillow--does it worsen hypopneas? the last three nights have me wondering. I could go back to stomach sleeping but this new arrangement works much better and I have fewer leaks. any other stomach sleepers out there or have you all sworn it off?

If you sleep comfortable on your back with the wedge and your AHI is 2...you should continue what you are doing.

Actually my consistent average ahi is around 1.5--the 2 is sort of high. But now I sound like I'm bragging! I want it down around 1 consistently but it probably ain't gonna happen.

If one is on CPAP and the machine is covering their events, I'm all for whatever position is most comfortable for sleep. Was there a reason you stopped stomach sleeping? Seems to me there would be a trade-off in relation to OSA between the possible advantage of being elevated and the possible disadvantage of back sleeping. Since your numbers look good, I'd say the world is your oyster. (Where in the dickens did that saying originate? Off to google.)

hegel wrote:I raised my basic level to 9.5.

Is it correct that your CPAP minimum pressure setting is 9.5? What is the maximum setting?

Which wedge pillow are you using? Please post the URL.

I use the cheapest $30.00 model sold at B, B and Beyond. The counter person said that it's better liked than the $100.00 alternative. I believe her.

My minimum setting may be 9; I set it months ago and can't remember. I just assumed that I didn't have a maximum; certainly not lower than 15; why? I probably saw what it was when I changed my minimum and was fine with it; but maybe I didn't see it?! I've been up to 11 or a tad higher...my DME may have set a maximum but why set one so low? Now I need to look and see. Anyone want to tell me how to access my settings again? I can never remember. "Hold two dials down at once for thirty seconds..." why not just have a friggin button to press?

Again, the hypopneas are my bugaboo--I want to get them down!

As to why did I change from sleeping on my stomach to back? another one of my hair brained theories about the vagal nerve, gerd (which I don't have) and atrial fibrillation which is probably baseless. But now I'm sleeping better on my back than on my stomach.

Never mind about the settings I figured it out. My maximum is/was 20. I upped my minimum to 9.5; I'll see how that goes.

I've been coming here for years but after being away for a month logging in over the last two days has proved to be a nightmare; I'm outta here. Thanks for all your help, it's just not worth spending ten minutes every time changing my password and logging in.

hegel wrote:it's just not worth spending ten minutes every time changing my password and logging in.

Sorry you've forgotten how to log in properly, or even, click that little "keep me logged in" checkbox.

I did. It doesn't.

I was away for several months.

hegel wrote:I did. It doesn't.
I was away for several months.

doesn't matter. passwords don't get locked out for disuse.

I was away for several *years* and didn't have a problem.

the point is, look elsewhere for your issues.