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Sleeping On Back.
A MyCOPDTeam Member asked a question 💭

I need any info if sleeping on back is okay having severe copd. I heard we should sleep on left side. I am wanting to get a Hospital bed for lots of sleeping positions. Thanks

posted July 16, 2021
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A MyCOPDTeam Member

You can sleep however you are comfortable. If you can sleep on your back or your stomach, do it; if sleeping on your side is better, do that. It's all about what position you can breathe best in. When our COPD gets to a certain point, many people find they can't sleep on their backs; they can't breathe. So they raise the head of the bed, whether that's with a wedge pillow (one of more), with bricks or cement blocks or wood under the bed legs at the head of the bed or using a bed that allows both the head and the foot to be elevated. Some people give up on beds altogether and sleep in their recliners. There isn't any one right or wrong answer here; it's what works for you. You're free to figure it out however you want.

posted July 17, 2021
A MyCOPDTeam Member

I've been sleeping in a recliner for close to five years and it works great for me. I can adjust the angle to fit what works best from one night to the next.

posted July 19, 2021
A MyCOPDTeam Member

@AshNrell nope. Go see your Dr about sleep apnea. I sleep on my side in my recliner & I have still woken up gasping for air 2 times in 1 night. I had forgotten to use my oxygen machine when I went to sleep. I could easily have died. I just forget to breathe sometimes. It doesn't hurt & I never notice it until my body starts screaming for air. I have caught myself doing it while awake too. It's just been so instinctive to breathe since I was an infant, I just didn't realize that I had stopped. But I never lay flat on my back. Sleeping in a recliner makes sure that I never sleep flat. See your Dr.

posted September 23, 2021
A MyCOPDTeam Member

I raise the head of the bed so I have a slight incline, I am a side sleeper, no back sleep for me.

posted September 11, 2021
A MyCOPDTeam Member

Hello Put a few pillows under your mattress You need your head up. I have a sleep number bed for us and we love it. Take care, God Bless you and Breath easy

posted August 2, 2021

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