What is position therapy?
For some patients with sleep apnea, avoiding back-sleeping (the “supine” position) can be helpful to improve breathing. Avoiding sleeping on one’s back is called “position therapy”. Examples are at the bottom of the page, and include chest-worn belts that have bumpers at the back, wedge pillows to avoid turning on the back, and a neck collar that vibrates if you happen to roll onto your back. Please note, we do not endorse any particular option. We recommend discussing options with your treating physician.
Sometimes, patients use position therapy in addition to another treatment, such as CPAP, dental appliance, or provent nasal valves . For other patients, using position therapy to sleep on their side instead of their back is sufficient as the sole therapy.
How do you know what kind of patient you are? Your doctor may learn, through a sleep study or “polysomnogram” how your sleep apnea changes during back-sleeping versus side-sleeping.
Sometimes, patients use position therapy in addition to another treatment, such as CPAP, dental appliance, or provent nasal valves . For other patients, using position therapy to sleep on their side instead of their back is sufficient as the sole therapy.
How do you know what kind of patient you are? Your doctor may learn, through a sleep study or “polysomnogram” how your sleep apnea changes during back-sleeping versus side-sleeping.
