Side sleeping, wedge pillows and leg pains

I am forcing myself to side sleep in order to reduce my apap pressure. I have been sleeping on a MedSlant wedge pillow which extends to the hips. Now that I switched to side sleeping I have leg pains in the bed particularly around my knees. It seems there is lateral stress on my legs caused by the bend in my body from sleeping on the wedge.

I switched back to a standard-length wedge pillow which only extends to the abdomen area. The pain was still on the legs and again it seems to come from lateral stress on my legs caused by the bend in my body from sleeping on the wedge.

Anyone else notice this?

I am not sure if you have same problem as I used to, but I sleep on the side and in order to avoid pain and discomfort, just keep a small pillow between my legs while sleeping on the side.

I have used a wedge pillow at times...usually slide it down to the hips and then pile a few pillows above the head of the wedge to make sure I don't have my spine in a curve...might need a pillow waist high to keep the spine straight. I sometimes put a pillow between my knees to keep the hips in line...being in a fetal position...you might try that.

I haven't found the wedge pillow to offer much help either for taking in stomach air or for the AHI. The only thing I have found that for sure keeps me off my back is to stick a soccer ball under a t-shirt between my shoulder blades. I then put a belt around my waist to make sure the ball doesn't move during the night. It's impossible to get on your back this way. My pressure needs are half on my side what they are on my back. I would need to run my pressure to over 16 on my back to get AI as low as I do on my side at a pressure of 8.

My hubby purchased a slant pillow for me to help with reflux. I thought that was why I wasn't sleeping good at night prior to getting diagnosed with OSA.

I used it a few nights and a couple of nights it seemed to help and I wasn't as tired the next day. Some of the nights I felt short of breath and figured it was my stomach being forced upward (yea, I know I need to lose some weight) and my asthma acting up. It was also uncomfortable sleeping with an additional pillow under my head and yet, I felt that I needed an extra pillow for neck support.

I decided to try sleeping on my side to help with comfort level and found that my legs and lower back hurt after sleeping on my side with the slant pillow (I think it is 10 inches high on the end).

I ended up putting the thing on the dresser and it has set there for the last few months after I found out I have OSA.

The only problem now is trying to control the GERD and acid reflux which has been acting up the last couple of days although I am taking 2 Prilosec a day and a Reglan at night. I was taking the Reglan in the morning and could take it as much as 4 times a day but it was causing fatigue that I am trying to get away from!!

I've looked at the MedSlant wedge pillow (32" long, 7 inches high) and the DMI long back wedge (36" long, 24" wide and 7 inches high, with a contour) but they are all a llttle to short. I need to sleep on a slant to keep my sinuses from congesting and short wedges give me a back ache. So, I'm planning on going to a regional foam store and having a taller, wider pillow made, though I'll have to sew up a custom pillow case for it.

I am a side sleeper. I have two cylinder shape foam pillows that I use. I put one between my knees and one between my ankles. I started doing that when I had back problems/surgery. It was very inexpensive. I went to Hobby Lobby (or you could go to any fabric or hobby store) and bought the cervical rolls (not the thin ones, but thick and round). I then sewed a cover for them. They keep your back and hips in alignment. They are my trusty friends and I can't sleep without them.

I tried using my mother's medical wedge pillow and I was miserable. I slid down. It caused back pain, especially when side sleeping. Ended up rolling up a comforter and placing it across the head of the bed between the mattress and box springs. The incline was just enough to help with my reflux and breathing without causing me to slide down. And it still felt natural instead of like being a jack knifed big rig. (What a visual!)

Why not get rid of the wedge and just raise the head of your bed with a couple of bricks?

I have a king size bed and worry that there won't be enough support if I raise the head of it as it has middle supports as well.

I tried the wedge pillow and it did cause some pain in my back. I felt like I was bending in a wrong way. This was before cpap, and I don't remember if it caused leg pain, too, but that's possible.

I elevated the top of the bed frame and that causes no pain. It feels flat while you are lying down, except that you may slide down during the night. Once you get used to it, not too bad. I got bed lifters from Bed, Bath, and Beyond for under $15.

If you put a matress topper on the mattress, you sink into it and it reduces the tendency to slide down so much. It's about $50 at BB&B. I got it to reduce hip and arm pain that I was having. I'm not well padded in some areas, and so the mattress was too hard. The mattress topper made a difference, a big difference in this type of pain.

rooster wrote:I am forcing myself to side sleep in order to reduce my apap pressure. I have been sleeping on a MedSlant wedge pillow which extends to the hips. Now that I switched to side sleeping I have leg pains in the bed particularly around my knees. It seems there is lateral stress on my legs caused by the bend in my body from sleeping on the wedge.

I switched back to a standard-length wedge pillow which only extends to the abdomen area. The pain was still on the legs and again it seems to come from lateral stress on my legs caused by the bend in my body from sleeping on the wedge.

Anyone else notice this?

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ROOSTER, try putting a regular sized goose down pillow inbetween your legs and a throw pillow under your arm, trust me once you get used to it, you will always use those 2 extra pillows, let us know... Shirley
CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): APAP

instead of like being a jack knifed big rig

LMAO

OK, I just finished posting and thought about my sleeping situation and I went into laughter meltdown. My bed is on a slant, I have a mattress topper, I wear a backpack stuffed with a pillow every night, I wear a mask hooked up to a machine with a hose, I glue my mouth shut with poligrip, I wear a self-adhesive bandage over my mouth and cheeks (to prevent cheek puffing), I wear a pantyhose strap across the mask.

If anyone told me they did this (BC before cpap) I would have not believed it. Thinking of the whole thing at once, I just started laughing. (Luckily this was before I poligripped my mouth).

Rooster, I too use the medslant and though I have had lots of back and hip issues in the past (pre-cpap) it does not seem to be bothering me now.

During my last pregnancy, I also used a wedge for heartburn (a short cheap one that barely made it to my waist--I'm very tall) and I did have some pain at the top of my legs near my hips, but I had that day and night and the doctor said it was likely caused by the baby resting on some nerve or other.


My suggestion would be to try to keep your spine in alignment. Also, this is important--do you swing one leg over the top of the other and twist your body when you sleep? Upper leg bent and knee touching bed, lower leg could be straight or bent. That could certainly cause the problem you mention. I tend to want to do this. I have had so many sleep issues for so long I have develped some bad postures that I have had to try to eliminate. In all my tossing and turning I found some weird postures comforting.

My suggestion would be to try one of the hourglass shaped pillows intended for this trouble no matter if you are on a wedge or not. They help to keep your leg in the proper position and a good spacing for the hips as others have mentioned. I bought mine from an online medical supply house (don't use it much anymore now that back probs are gone) but I have seen them in Target in the aisle where they keep the hairdryers and electric toothbrushes.

Two other things you should think about. Make sure you are up on the wedge so that it is tapering near your hips. Your hips should be on the wedge. I think you have that one under control.

If your spine isn't aligned above your hips, just below your waist, the sag in your spine could also cause the trouble. When I was having some back/hip problems the physical therapist had me sleep for a while on a lumbar roll meant for bed. It is kinda like wearing a donut around your waist. Perhaps the wedge isn't as supportive to this area as your bed was?

And Rose, I have to sympathize and laugh with you. Just last night I was lamenting that I just want to curl up and enjoy the cool fall weather and go into blissful slumber without all the crap strapped to me or around me. Alas, I had to buck up and do it, but you have to laugh or you will cry!

Here is something to make you laugh, a couple of months ago I ordered something from cpap.com and when it came the UPS man was laughing. When I gave him a querilous look he said, when I first looked at this I thought it said CRAP.com and I was wondering what kind of crap you had ordered! Still makes me giggle.

So, Rooster, I know your frustration! I don't know what to tell you. If it persists you might want to get referred to a physical therapist to see what exercises, positional help you could use/do to strengthen and/or relax those painful muscles.

Jen

sleepycarol wrote:The only problem now is trying to control the GERD and acid reflux which has been acting up the last couple of days although I am taking 2 Prilosec a day and a Reglan at night. I was taking the Reglan in the morning and could take it as much as 4 times a day but it was causing fatigue that I am trying to get away from!!

I dont know if you are lactose intolerant or not, but something that helped my GERD was yogurt, get the Light and Fit (or fat free and sugar free) variety, in addition to being a tasty breakfast and lunch (and are usually about 90 calories or so per, so you start the day off low in cal counts) they help with digestion.

Of course, if your lactose intolerant, all bets are off, although there is soy yogurt, and it might do as well, I have no experience with it.