Sleep Disorder Treatment

Treatment of sleep disorders depends largely upon the exact cause of the sleep disorder, and its severity.

Treatment for Mild Sleep Apnea

• Mild Sleep Apnea is usually treated using behavioral changes.  This may include things such as:
• Changing pre-sleep habits to prevent insomnia or poor sleep
• Sleeping habits - such as sleep position. Sleeping on your side is most often recommended.
• Losing Weight
• Avoid alcohol and medications such as tranquilizers and sleeping pills. These relax the muscles in the back of your throat, interfering with breathing.

Oral Sleep Devices

Using oral mouth devices whilst sleeping to help keep the airway open. These devices may help to reduce snoring by either:

1. adjusting the position of the jaw forward
2. elevating the soft palate, or
3. preventing the tongue from falling back in the airway and blocking breathing.

These devices are commonly known as Oral Positive Airway Pressure Devices [OPAP]

Tongue-Restraining Devices [TRD]

A TRD is a suction cup that is gripped with the teeth and which sucks the tongue forward, thus opening the airway behind the tongue. Many people snore only when lying on their back, when tongue causes airway.

Nasal Sleeping Devices

Using a similar approach as the OPAP and Nasal CPAP applies Continuous Positive Airway Pressure to the nasal area.

A CPAP is a small air blower device connected via a hose to a nose mask worn whilst sleeping. The devices blows air into the nose, increasing pressure to the airways, preventing the airway from collapsing. Most users get used to the sensation fairly quickly and is more tolerated by both the wearer and sleep partner than snoring.

In addition, it is preferable to the effects of apnoea, both in terms of chronic fatigue and the other physical effects

Treatment of Moderate to Severe Sleep Apnea

Moderate to severe Sleep Apnea is usually treated with a C-PAP [continous positive airway pressure].

C-PAP is a machine that blows air into the nose via a nose mask. This keeps the airway open and unobstructed.

For more severe apnea, there is a Bi-level [Bi-PAP] machine. The Bi-level machine blows air at two different pressures. The pressure is higher during inhalation and lower during exhaling. The actual pressures are prescribed by the Sleep Doctor. These pressures are set up by the provider of the maching and will provide training in its use and maintenance.

Corrective Surgical Treatments

Somnoplasty

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