4 Simple Strategies for Treating Mild Sleep Apnea at Home

You can treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) at home if you have mild sleep apnea (5 or fewer apnea episodes per hour). Home treatment for sleep apnea includes:

• Losing weight. Many people who have sleep apnea are overweight. Small studies have indicated that losing weight reduces the number of times an hour that you stop breathing (apnea) or that the airflow to your lungs is reduced (hypopnea).⁶ Experts agree that weight loss should be part of managing sleep apnea.⁶
• Limiting the use of alcohol and medicine. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol or taking certain medicines, especially sleeping pills or sedatives, before sleep may make symptoms worse. Also, taking Viagra (sildenafil) shortly before sleeping may make sleep apnea worse.⁴
• Getting plenty of sleep. Apnea episodes may be more frequent when you have not had enough sleep.
• Sleeping on your side. Try this: Sew a pocket in the middle of the back of your pajama top, put a tennis ball into the pocket, and stitch it closed. This will help keep you from sleeping on your back. Sleeping on your side may eliminate mild sleep apnea.⁷ You can try using a special pillow (called a cervical pillow) when you sleep. A cervical pillow can help your head stay in a position that reduces sleep apnea.

If you are using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to help you breathe, use it every night. If you don't use it all night, every night, your symptoms will return right away.

Other treatment choices for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) include:

• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). You use a breathing device that prevents your airway from closing during sleep. It is the preferred treatment for moderate or severe sleep apnea.
• Other devices that are similar to CPAP. These devices automatically adjust air pressure or use different air pressures when you breathe in or out. They are easier and more comfortable for some people to use.
• Oral breathing devices. These reposition your tongue and jaw during sleep, which opens up your airways. They may not work as well as CPAP.

What to think about

Research shows that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) decreases daytime sleepiness, especially in people who have moderate to severe sleep apnea.^{9, 6} But CPAP may not work as well for people who have mild sleep apnea.⁶

If you use CPAP to treat sleep apnea, you need to use it every night. If you do not use it, your symptoms will return right away.

It may take time for you to be at ease when you use CPAP. You may find that you want to take off the mask, or you may find it difficult to sleep while using it. If you cannot get used to it, talk to your doctor. You might be able to try another type of mask or make other adjustments.

Nasal strips to decrease snoring are available in most pharmacies. Nasal strips widen the nostrils and improve airflow. Although these strips may decrease snoring, they cannot treat sleep apnea.

If you are overweight and have sleep apnea, think about getting nutritional counseling to help you lose weight.