Knowing your CPAP alternatives 2023 options will help you make an informed choice for treatment, even if you've just received a sleep apnea diagnosis or believe you may have it. Giving you the resources and skills you require to get a restful night's sleep so that you can awake feeling awake and reenergized has always been our mission. 

Many people receive life-changing benefits from continuing to use a CPAP, which is still regarded as the best effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, sustaining CPAP compliance might be challenging for certain persons due to their inability to tolerate the continuous airflow or due to a variety of other issues, such as: 

• Nasal Dryness 
• Mask Leaks 
• Dry Mouth 
• Claustrophobia 

These typical, CPAP issues fortunately have a wide range of solutions as there are several CPAP alternatives. The treatment of sleep apnea can significantly enhance your quality of life and lower your risk of developing serious health conditions like heart disease and diabetes, regardless of the therapy you ultimately decide to choose. 

In this post, we'll discuss several technologies, operations, and lifestyle modifications that you might want to think about, ranked from most to least practical in terms of cost-effectiveness and risk issues. Let's start by talking about some simple lifestyle modifications you may make to make managing your OSA simpler. 

Lifestyle Modifications as an Alternative to CPAP 

Whether or not you use CPAP, the following lifestyle adjustments can help you manage the symptoms of sleep apnea: 

Exercise and Weight Loss 

There is a connection between weight gain and sleep apnea, even if it isn't necessarily the cause of OSA's beginning. Overweight people frequently have fat deposits around their necks, which can obstruct their upper airways and restrict their ability to breathe as they sleep. 

Thankfully, there are a few easy-to-do yet surprisingly efficient Sleep apnea treatment exercises you can attempt to enhance breathing and lessen symptoms. 

Some of these workouts consist of: 

• Exercises for the Oropharynx 
• Stretching and light cardio regimes 
• Yoga's targeted oropharyngeal exercises keep your mouth and throat muscles in good shape and, hopefully, lessen the amount of obstruction in your throat. 

A 2013 meta-analysis of multiple studies found that general activity is beneficial for people with OSA, even if they aren't shedding a lot of weight. This is true even for people who aren't experiencing significant weight loss. 

Change up your sleeping position 

According to a 2013 meta-analysis of 20 years' worth of sleep apnea studies, 56% of OSA patients also have POSA, or position-dependent OSA. The study also discovered that a highly efficient and cost-effective sleep apnea treatment without CPAP is employing pillows or wearable gadgets to support side sleeping while applying positional treatment. 

Simply put, your sleeping posture counts when it comes to lessening the symptoms of sleep apnea. The worst position to sleep in if you have OSA is flat on your back because as your muscles relax, the soft tissue at the back of your throat can easily collapse across the airway. 

If you use a CPAP machine now, you should also consider CPAP pillows. These pillows have been specially created to support various sleeping positions, and they include specialized cutouts for your mask and tubing. 

Stop smoking

Because smoking interacts with each type of sleep apnea differently, the relationship between the two conditions is complex. For the sake of this article, our attention will be only on smoking and OSA. 

According to a thorough 2014 study, smoking worsens OSA by interfering with your natural sleep cycle, inflaming the upper airway, making it harder for you to wake up naturally, and tightening the respiratory system's muscles. 

While giving up smoking won't necessarily "cure" OSA, it will improve your general quality of sleep and should result in fewer apnea episodes overall. 

Skip the alcohol 

Alcohol actually interferes with your sleep, whether you're aware of it or not. Before going to bed, drinking alcohol can keep your brain from experiencing deep Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. Drinking alcohol at night may also make it more likely that your throat and mouth tissues may relax while you sleep, potentially obstructing your airway. Alcohol use was linked to both longer AND more frequent apnea episodes as well as noticeably lower blood oxygen levels, according to a 2018 meta-analysis of 14 studies. 

This extensive study demonstrates that drinking increases your chances of both getting OSA and having OSA that is already present. Reducing your alcohol intake is a great treatment option for sleep apnea symptoms should improve if you stop drinking alcohol altogether or significantly reduce your consumption. 

There are other options for managing your sleep apnea if, despite your best efforts, you are unable to commit to using your CPAP machine consistently. Even though a lot of people have had success with some of the following CPAP alternatives, we firmly advise you to speak with your doctor before making any modifications to your sleep apnea treatment. 

EPAP Valve: Expiratory Positive Airway Pressure 

Before retiring to bed, you attach EPAP valves, which are little devices, to your nostrils. In order to maintain your airway open until your subsequent inhalation, the valve leverages the pressure created by your breath when you exhale. Unfortunately, EPAP devices' ability to provide pressure during inhalation in the same manner as CPAP machines limits the extent to which they can be used. 

The use of oral pressure (OPT)

By applying negative pressure to the mouth, oral pressure therapy can treat OSA by moving the tongue and soft palate forward. This is carried out using a device and a mouthpiece and is frequently regarded as less invasive than CPAP masks. 

A 2013 multi-center assessment revealed that OPT, despite initially showing a lot of promise, was not nearly as effective at treating OSA as CPAP machines. While some individuals can eliminate their OSA symptoms by utilizing an OPT device, many only find partial symptom alleviation, with the majority observing only a 50% average reduction in apnea occurrences. 

Tongue-Retaining Equipment 

Tongue-retaining mouthpieces are used to stop snoring. Additionally, they can help with some sleep apnea symptoms. When you're sleeping, the mouthpiece keeps your tongue from rolling back into your airway. 

A 2017 meta-analysis that examined 16 research on tongue retention devices came to the conclusion that they were "a statistically effective alternative therapy option for Obstructive Sleep Apnea." It should be highlighted that the average decrease in apnea occurrences was only 53% on average, far short of the efficacy of CPAP therapy. 

Alternatives to CPAP therapy

Positive airway pressure at two levels (BiPAP) 

BiPAP devices are quite similar to CPAP devices, however, BiPAP employs two unique pressure settings: one for inhalation and one for exhalation. Some people find it challenging to tolerate the constant pressure of a CPAP machine, so having a different, lower pressure for exhalation helps them. A CPAP machine or a BiPAP machine will be suggested based on your unique information, and you must visit a sleep specialist if you want to switch devices. It is a great replacement for CPAP. A setting for exhalation relief may be present on your CPAP machine if you have trouble tolerating continuous pressure. Many contemporary devices include this programmable setting, which might make it more simpler to exhale when using treatment air. 

Oral appliances and mouthguards 

Wearable sleep apnea mouth guard are among the least intrusive substitutes for CPAP machines. While many devices are quite effective at preventing snoring, very few people find that a mouthpiece by itself can fully alleviate the symptoms of OSA. Examples of an oral appliance for sleep include: 

• Device for Mandibular Advancement (MAD) 
• Tongue-Retaining Instrument 
• tongue-stabilizing apparatus 
• Mouthguard for Stopping Snoring 

Despite the fact that the CPAP machine is the gold standard for treating obstructive sleep apnea, there are numerous difficulties that patients run through during CPAP therapy that may discourage them from receiving treatment or even physically prevent them from doing so. 

If you're having trouble maintaining your CPAP therapy, you can attempt targeted oropharyngeal exercises, various sleeping positions, and minor lifestyle changes in addition to your CPAP therapy for a more thorough approach to treating your OSA. 

For those who are unable to utilize CPAP machines, there are a number of CPAP alternatives for sleep apnea available, including oral devices, surgical procedures, BiPAP, or ASV machines. Your health will greatly benefit from managing your OSA, and selecting a treatment choice that you are comfortable with can enhance your quality of life.