{"id":276,"date":"2026-04-22T23:53:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T23:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oceanoaksdental.com\/blog\/?p=276"},"modified":"2026-05-28T23:54:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T23:54:24","slug":"sleeping-in-recliner-reduces-sleep-apnea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oceanoaksdental.com\/blog\/sleeping-in-recliner-reduces-sleep-apnea\/","title":{"rendered":"How Can Sleeping in a Recliner Reduce Sleep Apnea Symptoms?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sleep apnea is a dangerous health condition that causes its victims to repeatedly stop breathing throughout the night. Fortunately, the most common form of sleep apnea (obstructive sleep apnea) is relatively easy to treat<\/a>. In fact, something as simple as changing your sleeping position might greatly reduce symptoms! In this blog post, you will learn why drifting off to sleep in your favorite recliner may actually improve the quality of your rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Benefits of Sleeping at an Incline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), airway blockages occur when tissues in the throat over-relax during sleep. When this happens, your body has to arouse you enough for you to start breathing again. These repeated disruptions, even if you are not aware of them, greatly impact your sleep cycle and prevent you from benefiting from the deeper stages of sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you lie flat on your back, gravity can pull your tissues into your airway and increase the frequency and severity of airway blockages. In contrast, when you sleep at a slight incline, such as you would do in a recliner, the angle means that the tissues are less likely to move in a way that totally prevents breathing. Some studies indicate that even a slight elevation of 7.5 degrees can have benefits<\/a>. Sleeping at an incline can also reduce symptoms of GERD, which is common among OSA patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips for Higher-Quality Sleep<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are some tips to keep in mind if you want to benefit from sleeping at an incline:<\/p>\n\n\n\n