How to sleep

I am in my 60 and have only recently been diagnosed with asthma in fact I am still getting used to the idea.

For the last two weeks I have had a really bad chest infection. The problem is I can't get comfortable enough to sleep and I am getting exhausted.

If I lay down the wheezing is very loud and starts me coughing until I choke. If I sit up in bed (the best position to limit wheezing) I can't sleep . Last night I was so desperate and tried every possible sleep position.

How do other people get comfortable enough to sleep, I just long to lay my head down on a pillow.

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Hi hermit and welcome!

When my lungs are bad I find the best place for me is on the sofa as I'm not totally upright but its definitely higher than with extra pillows in bed.

Hope you get some sleep soon.

X

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Luckily i've only had a few episodes where i've been so bad i can't sleep (and been diagnosed asthmatic for 24 years).

I was going to say similar to angelica, my bed is in a corner so at those times i have put loads of pillows / extra duvet (whatever soft & squashy i can find) behind me so that i can sit up in the corner to try and sleep. What i've also got that i find useful is one of those pillows like you use on a plane that goes round your neck but mine isn't inflatable (don't know how anyone finds them comfortable!!!) mine is soft and squishy - filled with microbeads. That helps to stop your head drooping so you don't get an achey neck and also should help you cough less cos you're not squashing your windpipe.

Hope that ramble helps somewhat LOL

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Thank you both for your replies, I haven't had a decent sleep for two weeks, hopeful things should improve now I have got some ABs and another inhaler.

I took laying down to sleep for granted until I was unable to do so.

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hermit I hope you get some sleep soon, I know that exhausted feeling so well

since being diagnosed with asthma I never sleep on my back, always on my side but even then I still get bad episodes as when I lie down I wheeze and cough and the only thing that helps, apart from my inhaler, is to sit up and lean forward then I can breath a lot easier