Can Sleeping On The Side Help Sleep Apnea?

If my husband sleeps on his side, then does his sleep apnea no longer exist and he does not need the mask as well?

My husband is rebellious about wearing his mask. He does not relate his depression and lack of memory and etc. to his sleep apnea.

What is the best approach?

Answer

Sleeping on the side is a very good alternative for CPAP treatment, or for dental appliances.

Many patients with sleep apnea wrote to me that they don't use anymore a dental device or a CPAP machine when they successfully tried positional therapy.

However, some of the patients didn't feel any change and they still have sleep apnea symptoms with positional therapy.

I wanted to know why sleeping on the side didn't work for them, so I asked some questions about their physical conditions.

As I expected, almost all the patients had severe sleep apnea and obesity problems. It's very probable they have too much fat around their airways, so it's pointless to sleep on the side because the air can't find enough space to pass through.

Their chance to successfully treat sleep apnea is to use CPAP. From the first night of using the CPAP machine, they should feel rested and energetic. They now have the power to improve their quality of life through exercises, and weight loss.

All they need now is the will to change because everybody knows how difficult is to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Only after they lose at least 20% of their overweight, they should try positional therapy. I'm confident that this time it will work.

Before going further with your husband situation, please take a look at this video, where a patient speaks about sleep apnea and sleeping on the side:

From what you told me, I understand that your husband can't tolerate his CPAP treatment. This is a very common situation. Many patients with sleep apnea has the same problem.

I presume your husband has already taken the sleep test from a sleep center and he knows what type of sleep apnea he has. So if he has mild or moderate obstructive sleep apnea, he definitely should try positional therapy.

If your husband tends to stop snoring or breathe easier when sleeping on his side, positional therapy may work for him. The best way to find out is to try the therapy. It's very cheap compared with other treatments of sleep apnea, less than $40, and the product is backed by a guarantee.

This video shows how positional therapy works:

I recommend bumber belt instead of an Anti Snore Shirt, where the belt can be adjusted to the right size for your husband's waist.

I hope it helps.

Some more interesting pages for you to check out:

• Sleep Apnea Disability Claim
  
  
• Brain fog and sleep apnea
  

I hope it helps. Don't be afraid to comment back.

Remy Thierry
Founder of Sleep Apnea Guide

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