Congestive heart failure causes, among other things, shortness of breath, especially when one is lying down. Mom takes her diuretics in the morning, so by bedtime they’re becoming less effective, and when she first came home after her heart attack, she would frequently get up in the night and sit up on the couch for awhile. If I asked her why she was up, she would just say she couldn’t sleep. She’s a very bad reporter.

Fortunately, we have Allied Healthcare, a medical supply store, just a few blocks away. The owner was very helpful and I ended up buying a 7″ rise sleeping wedge, as he said sometimes the taller one can cause backaches for side-sleepers, and Mom is a side-sleeper. The blue cover shown is removable and washable, but not waterproof, so I wrap Mom’s in one of the many Save-A-Sheet pads we have for her bed.

It has made a big difference in her sleeping patterns and quality of sleep, although if you were to ask her what it is and why it’s on her bed, I don’t believe she would have any idea.