Could sleep apnea be ruining your rest?

3. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the gold-standard treatment for sleep apnea.
Getting people with sleep apnea to lose excess weight often doesn’t work, partly because tired people tend to snack to try to relieve fatigue, and sleep deprivation itself can cause hormonal changes that may affect appetite, says Moldofsky.

Many people turn to CPAP, which involves placing a soft gel mask over the nose and continuously pumping air into the mask to keep the airway from collapsing. “Yes, the mask will make you look like Darth Vader,” says Moldofsky, but it allows people to breathe and stops them from waking up hundreds of times a night. “People say, ‘For the first time in years, I feel alert and can do all the things I haven’t been able to do. And my spouse loves it,’” says Moldofsky.

4. In some cases, another treatment is indicated.
Alternatives to CPAP include the following options:
• Mandibular advancement. This custom-fitted dental appliance is placed in the mouth to bring the jaw forward and widen the airway. The device can be helpful for people with mild sleep apnea and costs between $1,200 and $1,500.

• Uvulopalatopharynoplasty, the surgical removal of the uvula (the fleshy structure that hangs down at the back of the throat) and part of the palate. This surgery resolves sleep apnea in less than 50 per cent of cases. Drawbacks include postoperative pain and risk of infection. It’s worth considering for the small minority of patients who can’t tolerate CPAP or for whom a mandibular advancement isn’t feasible; for example, people with dentures.

Sleep apnea prevention
The following steps may help prevent sleep apnea episodes:
• Avoid alcohol, sedatives and antihistamines before bed. These relax the throat muscles and can exacerbate sleep apnea.

• Change sleeping position. If you get sleep apnea when on your back, try sewing a pocket in the middle of your pyjama top and put a tennis ball into it to keep you from rolling on your back.

• Quit smoking. Smoking irritates the throat lining, which causes swelling and narrows the opening.

Read more:
• The family guide to sleep
• Is lack of sleep a problem in your home
• Couples' sleep problems solved

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