Please note: The following treatment options are mostly for obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea is treated by finding the underlying cause and then treating that.
Sleep apnea treatments can be broken down into four main categories; lifestyle changes, airflow machines, surgery and natural remedies.
Making a few simple lifestyle changes can dramatically reduce the severity and frequency of your sleep apnea episodes. Even if your sleep specialist suggests a more dramatic course of action it’s worth noting that the below treatments can be used alongside what they recommend. They will also improve your general health and well being which is great added bonus.
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Weight Loss:
By losing weight you remove layers of fat in your airways. This makes your airways larger and less likely to collapse and become blocked while at rest.
Quit Smoking:
Smoking causes inflammation and fluid retention, especially in the throat and upper airways. By quitting your lungs will have an easier time breathing and the chances of your airways becoming obstructed will lessen.
Avoid Alcohol & Sleeping Pills:
When you’re not sleeping well you’re first reaction might be to take a sleep pill. Unfortunately this is the wrong thing to do as sedatives like sleeping pills and alcohol cause your throat and tongue muscles to loosen and thus decrease the size of your airways. Smaller airways means they become blocked easier and this results in an obstructed sleep apnea event.
Maintain Regular Sleeping Hours:
By sticking to a sleep schedule you’ll find you are able to fall asleep faster as you are more relaxed.
Change Your Bedtime Routine:
Sleep On Your Side:
When you sleep on your back gravity makes it more likely that your tongue will fall back and block your airways. To prevent yourself from rolling onto your back you can sow a tennis ball into the back of your PJs.
Prop Your Head up:
Elevate your head by 3-7 inches. You can do this by using a specialized sleep apnea pillow or by putting a foam wedge under your bed. This will also prevent your tongue from obstructing your airways.
Open Your Nasal Passages:
CPAP machines work by keeping your airways open, but you can help keep the nasal passage open by using a nasal dilator, saline spray or breathing strips.
Sleep Apnea Treatment Using Airflow Machines:
There are a number of airflow machines on the market that can be used to treat sleep apnea. These are unfortunately quite expensive and won’t be recommended by your doctor until you have undergone a full sleep study.
CPAP:
CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure. It’s the most widely used and recommended treatment option for obstructive sleep apnea. It provides a constant flow of air which keeps your airway from closing, effectively making it impossible to suffer from an apneic event.
There are of course some downsides in using CPAP, lots of patients find that the machine is extremely loud and the mask you need to wear can be uncomfortable to sleep with. This can be overcome by purchasing a specialized mask and using a white noise machine.
BiPAP:
BiPAP stands for bilevel positive airway pressure. It works in much the same way as a CPAP machine does, but instead of having the same constant airflow it changes depending on whether you are inhaling or exhaling. Lower pressure is used when exhaling to make it easier on the body and a higher pressure is used when inhaling to ensure the airways stay open.
APAP:
APAP stands for automatic positive airway pressure. It works by automatically adjusting the pressure on a breath by breath basis. APAP machines are the future of sleep apnea machine technology and offer more features than standard CPAP & BiPAP machines. APAP machines can also be set to blow a constant pressure (basically turning themselves into a CPAP machine). Most people find it hard to adjust at first to an APAP machine due to the constantly changing pressure, but they often find after a week or fortnight that it no longer bothers them.
Sleep Apnea Treatment Via Surgery
In severe cases of obstructive sleep apnea sometimes surgery is recommended. This generally occurs when other treatment options (such as lifestyle changes & sleep apnea machines) have been exhausted and the obstruction point is clear.
Sleep apnea surgery works by increasing the size of your airways, generally by removing your tonsils, adenoids and excess tissue at the back of your throat/nose.
Sleep apnea surgery is used as a last resort as there is a chance of infection and other complications. It can also make the symptoms of sleep apnea worse.
