Our Top 5 Favorite CPAP Masks For Side Sleepers (2024)

If you have been recently diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and prescribed continuous positive airway pressure (or CPAP therapy), you likely understand how difficult it can be to find the right CPAP mask for your sleep apnea treatment.

There are a lot of different factors that go into determining which CPAP mask is the best for you. Your sleep specialist will consider your face shape, if you are a mouth breather or nose breather, if you have facial hair, if you suffer from claustrophobia, and even your sleeping position.

In this article, we’ll share which masks we recommend for CPAP users who sleep on their side. After all, research shows side sleeping is the most popular sleeping position! Continue reading to learn more about which masks are ideal for side sleeping CPAP users.

If you have obstructive sleep apnea, sleep medicine experts typically recommend side sleeping as the best sleeping position for patients. This is because back and stomach sleepers often experience extra stress or pressure on their airways, which may worsen their obstruction.

However, with CPAP therapy, there are a lot of different types of CPAP masks that are designed to accommodate a variety of different sleeping styles. Therefore, if you’re not naturally a side sleeper, do not worry! There are mask styles for all sleepers, making CPAP therapy a good option for back, stomach, and side sleepers.

Before we share which type of CPAP mask is the best for side sleepers, let’s quickly review the different types of CPAP masks. There are 3 main types: full face, nasal, and nasal pillow masks. Full face masks cover both the nose and mouth, nasal masks cover just the nose, and nasal pillow masks have 2 pillows, or soft silicone inserts, that fit inside the nostrils.

For side sleepers, a mask that provides a secure seal and allows for freedom of movement is typically the best. A mask that checks all of those boxes is a nasal pillow CPAP mask because of how small, light and secure it is.

Remember, it’s important to keep in mind that your sleeping position is not the only piece of information used to determine the best CPAP mask for you. For example, a nasal pillow mask may be the best mask for an individual who is a side sleeper and who also has a beard. However, for someone who is both a side sleeper and a mouth breather, a full face mask may be more appropriate.The bottom line is that a holistic approach is important when selecting a mask that’s best for you!

*All 5 of these masks are compatible with APAP, BiPAP, and CPAP devices.

What’s better is that all of these masks are available to receive through insurance at Aeroflow Sleep! Not sure which size or style is best for you? Our dedicated sleep specialists will help you every step of the way to ensure you get the CPAP equipment you need covered up to 100% through your insurance.

So what are you waiting for? Click below to see if you qualify for CPAP supplies through your insurance today; better sleep awaits!

References

Cary, Doug et al. “Identifying relationships between sleep posture and non-specific spinal symptoms in adults: A scoping review.” BMJ open vol. 9,6 e027633. 28 Jun. 2019, doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027633