Advice for the non-stationary sleeper?

[snoopj123]

All right folks, looking for some quick advice, especially from those that would be considered "active" sleepers.  I've been told that I tend to move a lot when I sleep (lots of shifting, moving from shoulder to shoulder [as a side sleeper]).  I'm noticing a correlation between my AHI number (nearly all related to Clear Airway events) and when I'm moving/shifting.  Granted, I don't have the EKG machinery that my sleep study had, but my Fitbit that I wear tends to correlate when it believes I'm in very light to near waking up stages and when CA events happen.

Short of learning to sleep still (which is going to be a work in progress, I have 40 years of sleep habits to unlearn), I'm just wondering if anything is going to help during those times.  Outside of those times, I have pretty good results.  Any good tips for someone that might be a little more active during sleep?

I should state that my AHI runs between 6-9, so I'm not having any major complications other than needing to get the CA events down (as the CA numbers account for 80-90% of my total AHI number).

--j

[sheepless]

for your FWIW file:

if I don't make a conscious effort to breath through the exertion of a turn in sleep position I'll hold my breath and often score a flagged ca.

I used to talk about my sleep experience as being on a rotisserie. some people sleep through the night without much change in position. I think of them as good sleepers, able to sleep deeply. the flip side of that theory is that those of us with apnea struggle physically which also tends to produce anxiety. these may inhibit our reaching the depths and duration of sleep that 'normal' folks get. I hope that as our treatment becomes more effective, we'll sleep more deeply, with fewer arousals, and not rotate as much.

[snoopj123]

FWIW, on those times when I know I haven't awoken much, I can get my AHI down into the 1-2 range. Somehow, while traveling a few weeks back [which I'm one of those that struggles to sleep while traveling, especially the first night I'm anywhere], and using my "backup" FFM, I scored a 1.6 AHI. So, I know I'm capable of the better numbers, I just have some sleep habits working against me.

The best news of all is that I can sleep with the two different FFMs, which I know is a struggle for a lot of first-timers. It only took about 30 days to finally acclimate to them. I'm just hoping to start seeing better numbers and right now, movement while sleeping seems to be doing me in.

Of course, going from 6 to 1.6 seems pretty small considering my initial sleep study flagged me with an AHI of 101.7.

[Tinman53]

I wear an Apple Watch to bed to use a sleep program (waiting on my new machine with data tracking). The Apple Watch encourages you to stand up move around every hour. While sleeping I have the watch on "do not disturb " so the reminder doesn't come through. But, when I get up in the morning the watch indicates that I have stood up and moved around for usually about 5-6 hours while I am in bed.

My wife says I toss and turn a lot. Now I believe her!

[car54]

Do you have any aches and pains that cause you to rotate positions? If yes, maybe you can take something for it.

car54

[snoopj123]

That could be. I do have to one shoulder that can flare up regularly due to old injury that never healed correctly (probably blew the rotator cuff with high school sports). My wife has been telling me that maybe I need to try a time-released NSAID at night to see if it’ll last longer.

[CPOP]

I use a U-shaped travel pillow the wrong way, so that the opening is in the back. I tried it at first to help keep my mouth closed, but then I found that it protects the mask and my face from getting squished as I turn.

[snoopj123]

I switched to a CPAP pillow with cutouts for a FFM.  That helped me out immensely in the beginning.  That being said, last night was brutal.  AHI running 29.2 and I didn't sleep that well due to allergy problems.  My eyes were irritated and the FFM, even in it's normal spot, felt off.  Result, a toss and turn kind of night with brutal results in the morning.  Everyone's allowed one of those once in a while, right?  

[Mogy]

Right!
I found that the softest mattress that you can find/afford cut down the amount I moved around at night.
I usually move around a fair amount as well. In the year that I used my machine I only got 1 night that I slept all night. I  was at my sister's and she has the most amazingly soft bed(bad back). She wasn't  using it so I gave it a try. I was very surprised when I woke up after 7 hours.
I went out and bought one of those 3in gel mattress toppers which helped a lot, but it wasn't near as soft as that mattress.

[Dave77]

I also toss and turn.  Sometimes I have CAs all over the place.  I can keep my AHI down to 2-3 if I am not restless.  Still trying to figure out why some nights I am restless and some not.
The summers seem to be the worst.