If these symptoms sound familiar, we encourage you to take our short quiz below to understand whether you may have sleep apnea.
Try the ramp feature (available on many devices), which gradually increases pressurized air instead of starting your night at full pressure
Before considering an alternative to CPAP therapy, it’s important to discuss any concerns or challenges about this treatment with your doctor.
Luckily, there are alternative options to CPAP therapy for people experiencing difficulty using a CPAP device. Read on to learn more, including expert insight into what these alternatives are and whether they’re effective.
If you experience any of these symptoms regularly when using your CPAP machine, talk with your health care provider to see if you can find a solution.
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Bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP): BiPAP machines introduce positive pressure into your upper airway and lungs to keep your airway open and prevent it from narrowing or collapsing. BiPAP machines can be set to different pressures for breathing in and out.
Customer Service Expert Carol says: website December 18, 2019 at 12:12 pm Hi Dorothy, my apologies for the delayed response. I’ve spoken with CPAP users that have the very complaint you have. What I have found is that initially you may gain weight, but over time you may not eat as much as you were before starting CPAP therapy.
Hypoglossal nerve stimulation is a relatively new treatment that involves a surgeon implanting a thin, flexible tube in the muscles between the ribs and an electrical pulse generator in the chest (below the collarbone).
Using the built-in AutoSet algorithm, the machine adjusts pressure settings to help you comfortably breathe in and out throughout the night.
Some issues—including mask leaks, incorrect air pressure, and mask discomfort—can have relatively simple solutions. Open communication with your physician could be the difference between feeling better sooner rather than later.
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Additional studies are needed to understand the potential benefits of TRDs, but these devices may be a reasonable alternative for people without teeth or who cannot use other oral devices.
See how your sleep habits and environment measure up and gauge how adjusting behavior can improve sleep quality.