Figure 5. Supine-predominant obstructive sleep apnea patient who self-selects to sleep nonsupine.

This patient spent significant portions of the night between 290–310 degrees (supine of left lateral); and between 60–80 degrees (supine of right lateral). The patient also spent a small period of the night within ± 30 degrees of supine. This patient has an overall AHI of 18.4 events/h, which is concentrated almost entirely in the small percentage of the night that the patient spent in the supine position where we observe position specific AHIs of > 40 events/h. In contrast, when sleeping in the left and right lateral positions, the posture-specific AHIs reduce to < 5 events/h. Providing a postural therapy to prevent sleeping within ± 60 degrees of supine appears likely to almost fully control this individual’s sleep apnea. The relatively small period of supine sleep indicates that this patient self-selects nonsupine positions, and is likely to tolerate a postural therapy.