POST study.

Rationale:

This study tries to answer the call for the search of a comfortable and ergonomic positional therapy, which increases compliance for positional therapy in posture dependent OSAS patients.



Objective:

To assess equivalence in reducing sleep time in supine posture between positional therapy using the position training device and the sleep position band in patients with mild and moderate positional OSAS.



Design:

This study will be conducted according to an open randomized controlled trial design at Medisch Spectrum Twente, Enschede.



Population:

The subjects for the study will be recruited from the department of pulmonary medicine at Medisch Spectrum Twente in Enschede and Oldenzaal, the Netherlands. Subjects will be males and females with diagnosis of symptomatic mild or moderate OSAS (5 < AHI < 30) and the diagnosis positional OSAS (2*AHInonsupine ≤ AHIsupine & AHInonsupine < 5).



Intervention:

Subjects will sleep every night with the position training device during a 1 month period. The small device is placed in an elastic band stretched around the subject's lower chest. During sleep the device registers the sleep position of the subject and it will vibrate when the subject lays in supine posture. The positional therapy that is used as control consists of the subject getting a sleep position band. Whenever a patient rolls into supine posture during sleep, he feels the pressure of the ball and is likely to change his posture.

Primary hypothesis: Position therapy reduces sleep time in supine posture using the Sleep Position Trainer (SPT) in equal amount as the position band (PB) in patients with mild and moderate positional OSAS.



Secondary hypothesis: The Sleep Position Trainer (SPT) increases patient's compliance compared to the position band (PB).

Subjects will sleep with the device during a 1 month period. Measurements will take place before and right after the intervention.

Subjects will sleep every night with the position training device during a 1 month period. The small device is placed in an elastic band stretched around the subject's lower chest. During sleep the device registers the sleep position of the subject and it will vibrate when the subject lays in supine posture.

The positional therapy that is used as control consists of the subject getting a sleep position band. Whenever a patient rolls into supine posture during sleep, he feels the pressure of the obstruction and is likely to change his posture.