mouth breather, full facemask, back sleeping OK?

[nosleeptilbklyn]

As a mouth breather, should I avoid sleeping on my back with a full face mask? 

(just got the Airtouch F20, leaks are way down, AHI is slightly up on the 1st night of use)


Thanks in advance!

[Gary1of2]

You can sleep on back with full mask. You might experience more obstructive air ways because you throat might have a tendency to collapse a bit ir you chin might go down to you chest. Resulting in obstructive air way.

[Melman]

I need to use something to keep my chin from tucking when I sleep on my back. A soft cervical collar helps. You can get them at most pharmacies. I like the OTC collar (about $10 from Amazon) because it comes in 3 different heights, has a good selection of neck sizes, and a good sizing guide. I also use a buckwheat chaff pillow which I can configure with a hollow for my head and a ridge of support under the back of my neck. I use the CPAPfit pillow available from amazon for $49.  It may sound uncomfortable but it's not.

[Crimson Nape]

Back sleeping isn't recommended with any mask type.   It will increase the possibility of producing OA's.   I use both Nasal Pillows and FFM's.  I've found that using a buckwheat/foam pillow allows me to  "carve out" a spot on the pillow so it will avoid mask interference and allow side sleeping.

[Melman]

Back sleeping isn't recommended with any mask type.   It will increase the possibility of producing OA's.   I use both Nasal Pillows and FFM's.  I've found that using a buckwheat/foam pillow allows me to  "carve out" a spot on the pillow so it will avoid mask interference and allow side sleeping.

Let me clarify by seconding what Crimson said. I may have given the wrong impression that I was encouraging back sleeping. I sleep on my side as much as possible. Because of a temporary medical condition I have had to sleep on my back for several weeks and the cervical collar and buckwheat chaff pillow have worked well. I also use them when I sleep on my side. The collar also keeps my jaw from dropping to the point that I break the lower seal of the mask.

[OpalRose]

Guess I'll jump in here too.  It's true we don't recommend back sleeping, but sometimes it can't be helped.

I've always been a side sleeper, but until recently (about 6 months now), osteoporosis in my hips sometimes wakes me up, and I end up falling asleep on my back.

My Apap is tuned in pretty well and it seems to do a fine job when I'm on my back. I also use a soft cervical collar, whether sleeping on side or back.

[nosleeptilbklyn]

Thanks everyone, I will continue to sleep on my side.

With the Airfit P10s, I would feel my soft palette "collapse" while I was falling asleep, so I got used to turning on my side. I will continue to do that going forward!

[Marillion]

Speaking for me. I used to snore terribly when I slept on my back. No longer since I have been using my machine. I find sleeping on my back the most comfortable position and results in the least amount of leakage as well as air blowing on my arm to wake me up.

Once you have your settings dialed in, it really shouldn't make too much of a difference what position you sleep in as long as you use a good supportive pillow and not an overly soft thick one that you would sink into and tuck your chin. My AHI numbers may vary by .2 or so worse than sleeping on my side all night but I found I got a better sleep if I stayed on my back with a .4 AHI as compared to possibly a .2 if I stayed on my side.

Having said all that though, everyone is different and what works for me may not work for you and vice versa. The whole point of my post was to explain that once you have your settings set up right, you should not be afraid of trying to sleep on your back if that is where you are more comfortable.