Re: Sleeping Suggestions Needed

[Guest guest]

I tend to sleep on my back these days with a pillow inder my knees

and one under my ankles as well as one under my right arm/shoulder to

prevent it from falling out and a boomerang (triangle) pillow under

my head and neck (sometimes 2) this has been the best way for me

becasue I cannot sleep on my right side anymore due to the shoulder

and the RSD in it etc and sleeping on my left side now I tend to get

a sore shoulder and hip, sleeping on my tummy makes my lower back

hurt so on my back is it for me these days. I also keep a couple of

spare pillows next to me so that I can pad out andy other bits needed.

Good Luck

Sharon

> Hey all,

>

> I have been having problems getting comfortable to be able to fall

> asleep. I end up tossing and turning a lot, really annoying my

> doggies. Earlier this morning, i woke with major pain in my left

> hip and could not get comfortable to fall back to sleep. I end up

> waking every couple of hours from pain or dislocations. I just

> recently put a feather bed topper on my bed, it has helped some,

but

> not enough. i normally end up sleeping in the fetal position with

a

> pillow between my knees. but that has been hurting to sleep in

> lately. i am trying to find a new position and have been trying to

> figure out where to put pillows to make the joints more stable.

>

> I was wondering what other people do to be able to sleep. does

> anyone put pillows anywhere special that seems to help your knees

> and/or hips?

>

> thanks for any input you can provide.

>

> have a good monday!

>

> hugs

> jen

>

> EDS III

> Phoenix, AZ

[Guest guest]

EDSers often discuss how best to get to sleep, including positions

that won't hurt too much. So here's my two cents, from such a discussion:

I used to sleep on my back. Then, about twenty years ago now, it

became obvious that my sleep apnea was too bad to continue. I trained

myself to sleep on my side, which was a struggle - I was used to apnea

on my back but even a suggestion of it starting while I was on my side

drove me absolutely squirrelly. It was like voluntarily letting

oneself drown to try to go to sleep in the new position. One of the

harder things I've ever had to do, weirdly, and I've had to do some

weird things, like a gastroscopy without anesthesia to kill the gag

reflex (it was the first appointment in the morning and the

anesthetologist hadn't arrived yet and I didn't want to come back)..

So why didn't my doctors just treat the apnea then? Because it wasn't

believed that thin people could have apnea. They saw I did from a

proper overnight sleep session in the lab, but they just weren't

willing to believe it, or take it seriously. The medical cant at the

time was that I must really be ok because I was thin, given that extra

weight was " the " cause of apnea.

Some years later it was clear that my apnea had progressed, and

sleeping on the side wasn't enough.. So I switched to sleeping on my

front, sort of, which was a further help with the apnea, and this

position had most of the physical comfort for shoulders, etc, of

sleeping on one's back. " Sort of " means I tuck a folded or balled up

pillow under one shoulder (it varies as to which) so I can breathe

easier. Now, you can get a hell of a crick in your neck if you don't

do only this because there's no support under your neck and it can get

bent up pretty badly. To deal with that problem, I have a small

U-shaped neck pillow filled with buckwheat husks and I tuck a small

corner of that underneath the small of my neck to support it. I used

to use a small scrunched up part of a towel for that purpose. It'll

take a little experience to figure out just how much support is

needed, and how much bulk under your neck is too much.

This new position, sleeping on my front, does help. I have less

problem with apnea, and fewer shoulder problems than sleeping on my

side. But your mattress should be sealed or very new and all bed

clothes quite clean if you have any suggestion of athsma - and I think

most EDSers have more than just a suggestion. Sticking one's nose into

a bed that's redolent of mite droppings isn't recommended for

athsmatics, and it's very possible to have asthma attacks at night

without remembering them (if you have EDS plenty of sore muscles will

remember for you, though). And same for pillows - new pillows every

six months and you can clean 'em too, in between.

Come to think of it, I actually start out on my back, then when I nod

off and the first episode of apnea hits, waking me, I flip over to the

front for the night. That way I have more time asleep before being in

too much pain to stay in that position (i.e. before waking up and

switching the shoulder the pillow is under.)

Happy dreams.

[Guest guest]

EDSers often discuss how best to get to sleep, including positions

that won't hurt too much. So here's my two cents, from such a discussion:

I used to sleep on my back. Then, about twenty years ago now, it

became obvious that my sleep apnea was too bad to continue. I trained

myself to sleep on my side, which was a struggle - I was used to apnea

on my back but even a suggestion of it starting while I was on my side

drove me absolutely squirrelly. It was like voluntarily letting

oneself drown to try to go to sleep in the new position. One of the

harder things I've ever had to do, weirdly, and I've had to do some

weird things, like a gastroscopy without anesthesia to kill the gag

reflex (it was the first appointment in the morning and the

anesthetologist hadn't arrived yet and I didn't want to come back)..

So why didn't my doctors just treat the apnea then? Because it wasn't

believed that thin people could have apnea. They saw I did from a

proper overnight sleep session in the lab, but they just weren't

willing to believe it, or take it seriously. The medical cant at the

time was that I must really be ok because I was thin, given that extra

weight was " the " cause of apnea.

Some years later it was clear that my apnea had progressed, and

sleeping on the side wasn't enough.. So I switched to sleeping on my

front, sort of, which was a further help with the apnea, and this

position had most of the physical comfort for shoulders, etc, of

sleeping on one's back. " Sort of " means I tuck a folded or balled up

pillow under one shoulder (it varies as to which) so I can breathe

easier. Now, you can get a hell of a crick in your neck if you don't

do only this because there's no support under your neck and it can get

bent up pretty badly. To deal with that problem, I have a small

U-shaped neck pillow filled with buckwheat husks and I tuck a small

corner of that underneath the small of my neck to support it. I used

to use a small scrunched up part of a towel for that purpose. It'll

take a little experience to figure out just how much support is

needed, and how much bulk under your neck is too much.

This new position, sleeping on my front, does help. I have less

problem with apnea, and fewer shoulder problems than sleeping on my

side. But your mattress should be sealed or very new and all bed

clothes quite clean if you have any suggestion of athsma - and I think

most EDSers have more than just a suggestion. Sticking one's nose into

a bed that's redolent of mite droppings isn't recommended for

athsmatics, and it's very possible to have asthma attacks at night

without remembering them (if you have EDS plenty of sore muscles will

remember for you, though). And same for pillows - new pillows every

six months and you can clean 'em too, in between.

Come to think of it, I actually start out on my back, then when I nod

off and the first episode of apnea hits, waking me, I flip over to the

front for the night. That way I have more time asleep before being in

too much pain to stay in that position (i.e. before waking up and

switching the shoulder the pillow is under.)

Happy dreams.

[Guest guest]

EDSers often discuss how best to get to sleep, including positions

that won't hurt too much. So here's my two cents, from such a discussion:

I used to sleep on my back. Then, about twenty years ago now, it

became obvious that my sleep apnea was too bad to continue. I trained

myself to sleep on my side, which was a struggle - I was used to apnea

on my back but even a suggestion of it starting while I was on my side

drove me absolutely squirrelly. It was like voluntarily letting

oneself drown to try to go to sleep in the new position. One of the

harder things I've ever had to do, weirdly, and I've had to do some

weird things, like a gastroscopy without anesthesia to kill the gag

reflex (it was the first appointment in the morning and the

anesthetologist hadn't arrived yet and I didn't want to come back)..

So why didn't my doctors just treat the apnea then? Because it wasn't

believed that thin people could have apnea. They saw I did from a

proper overnight sleep session in the lab, but they just weren't

willing to believe it, or take it seriously. The medical cant at the

time was that I must really be ok because I was thin, given that extra

weight was " the " cause of apnea.

Some years later it was clear that my apnea had progressed, and

sleeping on the side wasn't enough.. So I switched to sleeping on my

front, sort of, which was a further help with the apnea, and this

position had most of the physical comfort for shoulders, etc, of

sleeping on one's back. " Sort of " means I tuck a folded or balled up

pillow under one shoulder (it varies as to which) so I can breathe

easier. Now, you can get a hell of a crick in your neck if you don't

do only this because there's no support under your neck and it can get

bent up pretty badly. To deal with that problem, I have a small

U-shaped neck pillow filled with buckwheat husks and I tuck a small

corner of that underneath the small of my neck to support it. I used

to use a small scrunched up part of a towel for that purpose. It'll

take a little experience to figure out just how much support is

needed, and how much bulk under your neck is too much.

This new position, sleeping on my front, does help. I have less

problem with apnea, and fewer shoulder problems than sleeping on my

side. But your mattress should be sealed or very new and all bed

clothes quite clean if you have any suggestion of athsma - and I think

most EDSers have more than just a suggestion. Sticking one's nose into

a bed that's redolent of mite droppings isn't recommended for

athsmatics, and it's very possible to have asthma attacks at night

without remembering them (if you have EDS plenty of sore muscles will

remember for you, though). And same for pillows - new pillows every

six months and you can clean 'em too, in between.

Come to think of it, I actually start out on my back, then when I nod

off and the first episode of apnea hits, waking me, I flip over to the

front for the night. That way I have more time asleep before being in

too much pain to stay in that position (i.e. before waking up and

switching the shoulder the pillow is under.)

Happy dreams.