How is Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Treated?
You may be able to treat snoring and sleep apnoea by making changes in your lifestyle. For example:
- Lose weight if you're overweight.
- Sleep on your side, not on your back.
- Limit your intake of alcohol and medicines such as sedatives before you go to bed.
- Quit smoking and regular alcohol consumption
- Raise the head of your bed 4 in. (10 cm) to 6 in. (15 cm)
- Promptly treat breathing problems, such as a stuffy nose caused by allergies or sinus problems.
- Nose strips and nasal dilators widen the nostrils and improve airflow.
- Oral breathing devices sometimes can reduce snoring, especially if it is caused by jaw position during sleep. These devices push the tongue and jaw forward to improve airflow.
- Nutritional counselling can also help people who snore and are overweight.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Therapies
This therapy uses a portable machine that gently blows pressurized room air into your upper airway through a tube connected to a mask. This positive airflow helps keep the airway open whilst sleeping, preventing the collapse that occurs during apnoea thus allowing normal breathing at night or during naps. Overall CPAP therapy is a safe and very effective treatment although not always easy to get adapted to and particularly to people who can’t breathe well through the nose.
Oral Appliances
An oral appliance is a device worn in the mouth during sleep to keep the soft tissue in the airway from collapsing. This could be an excellent option for individuals who are unable to tolerate CPAP. Not all dentists are trained to treat sleep apnoea, therefore an adequate referral to dentist knowledgeable about Sleep Apnoea as oral appliances is highly recommended to match your needs. It is critical that you follow up with your dentist regularly to check your device is meeting the goals without disturbing your teeth or bite.
Behavioural Measures for Treating Sleep Breathing Disorders
Positional therapy
Some people only have sleep apnoea symptoms when they're sleeping on their back. Positional therapy consists of different training methods to enable patients with sleep apnoea to sleep on their sides, effectively resolving or reducing sleep breathing disorders. This therapy has its limitations, therefore must be considered in an individual manner.
Weight loss
Sleep breathing disorders can be closely related to overweight and obesity, so for some over-weight individuals, losing weight can reduce or eliminate their symptoms and even cure apnoea. However, dieting and weight loss can be a very challenging task given the daytime fatigue that often accompanies sleep apnoea. Treating the apnoea can give you the energy you need to maintain a healthy diet and exercise program to lose weight. We have a team of professionals designated to provide you nutritional counselling to address this condition.
Avoiding alcohol and sedative medication
Alcohol use and sedative medication impairs breathing during sleep by relaxing the muscles that support the airway, making it more likely to collapse and can be more dramatic for those who suffer from OSA. Even people who normally don't snore can have breathing unexpected issues after a night of drinking.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBTI)
CBTI consists of several components that are tailored to the patient's individual presentation setting strategies for reducing sleep interfering thoughts and worries, managing stress, calming an active mind that won’t shut off when trying to sleep and relaxing. The key is shifting from “trying hard to sleep” to “allowing sleep to happen.”
This step-wise procedure aims to first improve sleep quality and later worry about its quantity.
CBTI takes into account people’s biological clocks and aims to align bedtime and rise time with an individual’s internal clock.
Sleep Surgery for Treating Sleep Breathing Disorders
Sleep surgery can be an excellent option for certain populations of sleep apnoea patients. Most surgeries work by and reshaping the airway to reduce the likelihood of collapse during sleep. However it's important to realize that surgery is not an appropriate treatment for all patients.
We offer a range of minimal nvasive and tailored surgical options to treat obstructive sleep apnoea as our team of surgeons, health professionals and allies work knowledgably and closely to choose the best surgical option for each patient based on factors such as individual anatomy, severity of sleep apnoea, age and personal needs.
