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Sleep Apnea—Treatments for Mild Cases

By Darien Simon, M.S.

In mild cases of the sleep disorder obstructive sleep apnea may respond to simple treatment such as losing weight or sleeping on one side or the other rather than on your back. Other steps that may help alleviate symptoms include avoiding sedatives, and not drinking or smoking. However, the symptoms of potential obstructive sleep apnea, and any treatment plan, should be discussed with a health care provider. One reason for this is that typical sedatives and sleeping pills can be dangerous to a person with sleep apnea, because they may prevent the sleeper from awakening sufficiently to open the windpipe and breathe. Another is that snoring alone is not proof of sleep apnea. Other sleep disorders also disrupt sleep, and should be ruled out to ensure proper treatment. If you are diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, and the simple changes in lifestyle and sleeping posture do not relieve the symptoms and restore your restful and natural sleep cycles, physical intervention may be indicated. Your health care provider can advise you on which type of intervention is most likely to minimize or eliminate your symptoms, depending on how severe they are. If your obstructive sleep apnea is mild, but still requires more than lifestyle or sleep habit changes, using a mouthpiece may help. The mouthpiece is custom-made by a specialist (usually a dentist of orthodontist) and physically keeps the tongue and lower jaw in a position that helps keep the windpipe open. These mouthpieces may also help people who snore, but do not have obstructive sleep apnea.