Treatment choices for mild sleep apnea are very different from those that medical professionals recommend for severe or even moderate cases. The most popular form of treatment for sleep apnea, CPAP, may not even be appropriate for moderate cases of obstructive sleep apnea. This is according to one study (published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine).
And that is logical. In comparison to moderate or severe sleep apnea, mild obstructive sleep apnea is defined as having significantly fewer sleep disturbances (or “apneas”) each night. Therefore, it makes sense that many clinicians would view mild obstructive sleep apnea as having a smaller scope.
Options for treating mild sleep apnea include self-help therapies
After more conventional, do-it-yourself treatments have failed then CPAP is likely to be offered as a mild sleep apnea potential treatment. These treatments consist of the same tried health sleep best practices that we already know, but which always merit reiteration.
Lose weight
Not every individual who is fat has sleep apnea, and obesity itself is not the main cause of the condition. However, it is generally accepted as true that the two disorders are related. By losing weight, you can lessen the amount of tissue covering your airway, which is what initially causes sleep apnea.
Change sleep position
Try sleeping on your side rather than your back if you’ve noticed that you snore a lot lately. Gravity pulls your throat and neck tissues back when you sleep on your back. This might block your ability to breathe, causing snoring and possibly moderate obstructive sleep apnea. If you’ve always slept on your back, switching to side sleeping might not be simple, but it is possible with a little effort.
Exercise
Regular exercise not only aids in weight loss but also raises energy levels throughout the day and promotes heart health. These two things are important for achieving a restful night’s sleep. Improve the quality of your night’s sleep by engaging in physical activity for at least 30 minutes each day, such as walking, running, swimming, or cycling.
Avoid tobacco
Try to quit smoking if you do. Interesting research has suggested a reciprocal association between sleep apnea and tobacco use, whereby smoking can lead to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and vice versa. When contemplating OSA treatment, quitting smoking is good. Also, OSA treatment for sleep apnea can be a prerequisite for successful smoking cessation.
CPAP device for mild sleep apnea treatment
Treatment recommendations for mild sleep apnea should be based on the severity of your symptoms, your preferences, and any other co-occurring medical conditions. You can try a step-by-step strategy in collaboration with your doctor; if one treatment doesn’t work, you can quit it and try an alternative. When managing mild sleep apnea, you and your doctor will make decisions together. You should take into account how bad your symptoms are as well as other aspects of your health that could become worse if you don’t treat your sleep apnea.
Medical treatment(s) for OSA should be taken into account if you have inconvenient OSA symptoms. They are things such as loud, troublesome snoring, prolonged inhaling pauses, frequent nighttime awakenings, unrefreshing sleep, insomnia, difficulty thinking, or excessive daytime sleepiness. Or significant health issues that can be made worse by OSA (even mild), such as arrhythmia, high blood pressure that requires multiple medications to control, stroke, or a severe mood disorder.
