racprops retirement!!!

[Bwood]

I do not have an answer for you at this time since I have not asked him. I know he has to bring the breathing apparatus with him when he comes for an overnight visit or longer.

[racprops]

Thanks, I was just curious.

Rich
_________________
I never have enough time to do all I want to do!

[joberg]

Well there have been some improvements, so all is not all negative.
Yes, the breathing and apnea are a concern, but as you have mentioned, it'll get better at a certain point.

Keep us posted and good luck with the work, it's good to put your mind/worries somewhere else.

[racprops]

I also figured out that I also have positional apneas.

It seemed that on top of having Apneas, then Complex sleep apneas needing a ASV machine I now find that I also have POSITIONAL APNEAS.

That is: my number of apneas and kind of apneas are caused or changed by what position I am sleeping in.

During this time I was sleeping in a recliner (still recovering from a quad bypass) and every so often I would get a low AHI reading.. on one night I got a 4 and 1/2 hour sleep run with a reading of ZERO AHI.

At this point I stopped changing the settings on my machine having found settings that worked.

BUT I could not repeat this "Happening", the good night in the recliner, I just could not do it twice...


For weeks I have tried to figure what reclined (leaned back) position was working every so often in my recliner.

I was sure all I need was to find the right reclined position that worked and I would have it done...

I could not find it.

I tried a wedge in bed and failed to get better numbers...I tried it in bed flat on my back again worst higher AHI numbers.

Then I found that I could now sleep on my left side and get low numbers, in fact ZEROs and I could do it every time.

But why?? And what was happening with those good nights in the recliner?

Well I have found my smoking gun.

It is NOT that I need to sleep at 90 degrees off my back, it is that I just need to be not totally flat on my back.

And this maybe how I had good nights in my recliner, I could turn a little to the left (or perhaps right, will check…) and lower my AHI.

SO I tried putting a thin pillow under my right side in the recliner… and turned to the left a little bit and I got less than 5 AHI. I again woke with pain..but it was a low AHI.

Again I tried it in bed. Propped my right side up with pillows and again I got low AHIs. In fact crude as my set up was I still stayed below 10 AHIs overall.

Well I was right…I only need to keep myself from lying FLAT on my back, my last test I slept on my left side with pillows set to catch me if I roll over and stop me and keep me slightly raised so I do not get flat on my back.

I woke up lying against the pillows and with low AHI numbers so now as I can shift position in bed in my sleep I have less body pain.

I am a much happier camper/sleeper now.

It was hard hunt with the chair confusing things as I seemed to be sleeping flat and only tilting myself back…I can in hine sight see I may have been twisting just enough to change my apneas.

It took a lot of work and my talking with a bunch of people, and a lot of trial and error experiment effort before I figured it out.

Now mind you all this was done WITH the ASV breathing machine, without it I will be a lot worst off.

Now the last battle is body pain. My in-session still hurts and more so when I sleep on my side along with a bunch of other pain from now sleeping in a bed again...

I figure I will get used to it soon.

Rich
_________________
I never have enough time to do all I want to do!

[joberg]

Thanks for the update Rich, glad you've resolved, somewhat, that positioning problem. It's funny, because one article I read not even a week ago was mentioning how certain tribes in the Amazon jungle sleeps into a hammock made to re-create the position of the baby in the womb.

Not only it makes for a good sleep, but you'll never be completely flat (back position is the one that you should avoid at all cost...as you know), but also, your sides are completely enclosed as not to roll during your sleep.

And finally, your legs are elevated which is better for the overall blood circulation in your body...
Maybe an idea to pursue?

Keep us posted, always glad to see positive improvements