How to Sleep with Sleep Apnea Without CPAP

Sleeping with sleep apnea can be really difficult, especially without the most common treatment which is the CPAP. Don’t worry, there are still plenty ways to sleep without CPAP and I’ll gladly tell you about it.

So, how to sleep with sleep apnea without CPAP? Check this list of 12 ways to sleep without CPAP that you might find useful.

1. Nasal Strips
   • Nasal strips are one of the earliest tools used to treat sleep apnea and its symptoms such as snoring. Nowadays, there are newly developed nasal strips that you can try.
2. Oral Appliance
   • Oral pieces can help with sleep apnea, they are custom made to make sure it prevents the obstruction in the airways and counter sleep apnea.
3. Lose weight
   • Being overweight or obesity can be a cause of sleep apnea. You can potentially get rid of sleep apnea by getting plenty of exercises and maintaining a healthy, balanced diet.
4. Stop or avoid smoking too much.
   • Excessive smoking can cause or worsen sleep apnea. Reducing your smoke intake per day will also reduce the risk of getting sleep apnea.
     
     If possible, quit smoking to potentially get rid of sleep apnea.
5. Avoid excessive alcohol consumption
   • Drinking too much alcohol before sleeping can cause and worsen sleep apnea just like smoking.
6. Avoid sedatives before going to sleep
   • Certain sedatives can cause sleep apnea. Consult a medical expert to determine what type of sedative may be the cause.
7. Maintain a proper sleep routine.
   • Sometimes, we end up getting exposed to sleep apnea since we simply don’t sleep at the right time. Try to avoid staying up late and sleep early.
     
     Try to keep a proper sleeping position as well. Try to sleep with your head elevated or sleeping in a recliner chair.
8. Don’t overwork yourself all the time.
   • Going to sleep exhausted can make us a lot more prone to sleep apnea. It’s important to relax a little bit at first before going to bed to lessen the risk of sleep apnea.
9. Treat chronic allergies
   • Some allergies can trigger obstruction in your body’s airways and may cause you to have sleep apnea. Treat or avoid triggering your allergies to prevent sleep apnea.
10. Rapid Maxillary Expansion
    • For children with obstructive sleep apnea. This process places an expandable brace on the roof of the mouth that increases the width of the upper jaw (maxilla).
      
      Over time, parents can adjust the brace using a special key to increase the amount of pressure for the teeth.
11. Jaw Advancement Surgery
    • For teenagers and adults. This process will surgically break the jaw bones, moved forward and then fixed properly with screws and plates and will change the person’s facial structure or profile.
      
      It might take months to recover.
12. Surgical Airway Advancement
    • Similar to the jaw advancement example. Bones of the upper and lower jaw will be repositioned in a way that will relieve airway obstruction.

There are also other ways to sleep with sleep apnea, but for now, these are the top 12 methods that can help you out. And as you read on, you will learn more facts about sleep apnea.

Why you can’t sleep with sleep apnea without CPAP

There are a few reasons that can make sleep apnea worse or stop your treatment from working. In this case, we will provide you some conditions that may be making it difficult for you to sleep.

Some of these cannot be avoided at all, but it’s important that you know the reasons why your sleep apnea is getting worse or why it’s hard to sleep without CPAP or even when you use specific treatments.

1. Obesity
   • Can make breathing difficult even while asleep or not moving. If you are overweight, you can cure sleep apnea by trying to lose weight.
2. Hypothyroidism
   • The condition wherein your body does not produce enough thyroid hormones, which is needed to control how to use energy received from food through metabolism. Bad metabolism can affect heartbeat and breathing.
3. Acromegaly
   • Opposite of hypothyroidism, acromegaly produces too much growth hormones which can affect your overall health including breathing.
4. Allergies
   • There are certain allergies that can worsen sleep apnea. Allergies that result with difficulty in breathing are the likes.
5. Smoking cigarettes
   • Excessive smoking can damage your body which may make it harder to function or relax properly, increasing the risk of sleep apnea or stopping you from curing it.
6. Drinking liquor
   • Too much liquor and drinking before going to sleep can cause sleep apnea. Excessive liquor can counteract against the treatments being used to cure your sleep apnea.
7. Drug usage
   • Sedations or other types of drugs especially when being abused can result in sleep apnea or worse. It can also prevent other medications from working.
8. Being male
   • Observations reveal that males tend to have sleep apnea more than females
   • Though this factor cannot be avoided, knowing about it will help you understand the reason why you are prone to sleep apnea.
9. Being old
   • Observations also revealed that older adults are more prone to sleep apnea than younger ones due to more complicated health issues that may trigger sleep apnea

Other natural causes of sleep apnea can be a thick neck, narrow throat and having a round head.

What are the risks of sleeping with sleep apnea

If you are wondering about what happens when you continue to sleep while you have sleep apnea without any form of treatment like the CPAP or such, let me give you a list of possible risks that you might encounter.

1. Heart failure
   • May lead to fatal conditions such as brain damages or even death
2. Heart attack
   • Can also be severely life-threatening
3. Irregular heartbeat
   • Worsens the ability to breathe
   • Can trigger anxiety
   • Can lead to other heart diseases
4. Stroke
   • Can leave permanent damage
   • May lead to paralysis
   • Can cause death
5. Depression
   • Not an easy condition to treat
   • Can lead to self-harming
6. Weight gain or loss
   • Sleep apnea can cause uncontrolled weight gain or weight loss that can lead to complicated health conditions
7. Diabetes
   • Leaves you prone to more heart attacks
8. High Blood Pressure
   • Aside from your physical health, this can also affect your mental health and relationship with people around you including your work
   • Can lead to other life-threatening conditions
9. Increases ADHD
   • Sleep apnea reduces your ability to focus which is what happens when you have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
   • Having a lack of control to focus can lead to frustration and risk of other danger
10. Headaches
    • You may wake up with a bad headache which will lead to other problems listed here
    • Can lead to brain problems
11. Lack of daily energy
    • As mentioned, your energy will be reduced since you are unable to sleep well. This can lead to risky conditions that may put someone in danger
12. Seizures
    • Sleep apnea patients are more prone to seizures during sleep compared to epilepsy patients without sleep apnea.

The thing is, sleep apnea, if left unresolved or worsened by other factors, can lead to death. Its risks can be fatal and leave permanent damage or severe pain and feeling of sickness which can drag on daily.

If diagnosed with sleep apnea, one must consider treating the problem as soon as possible in order to prevent any unwanted scenarios related to your health.

When sleeping with sleep apnea can be dangerous

But then, what are the signs that you might have sleep apnea that can be dangerous? Check out this list of sleep apnea signs below that can help you determine whether you need a treatment or not.

• Heavy snoring
  • Maybe, it can be a sign of fatigue but snoring loudly and usually can be a sign of sleep apnea.
• Sudden weight gain or loss
  • Losing control of your weight can be a sign of sleep apnea.
• Gasping for air during sleep
  • The feeling of drowning without knowing it and suddenly you’re out of air.
• Insomnia
  • Having trouble going to sleep because you have breathing problems that you may not notice
  • This is also why we feel sick later on, the lack of sleep means lack of energy.
• Hypersomnia
  • Having trouble staying awake in the morning because you were unable to sleep well due to your sleep apnea.
• Waking up with a headache
  • Sleep apnea can disturb your body’s “charging” state. Since you can’t sleep well, your body will use energy for means that can help you breathe which may lead to headaches.
• Waking up with a dry mouth
  • With sleep apnea, the person tends to snore and keep their mouth open when gasping for air which leads to a dried up mouth once we awaken.
• Decreased ability to focus
  • Sleep apnea can give lack of sleep which will also result in difficulty to focus on anything
• Feeling uncomfortable
  • Your lack of energy due to sleep apnea can make you feel uncomfortable and irritable without your knowledge
• Suddenly stop breathing during sleep
  • Your housemates should notice this and tell you about it. Sleep apnea can disrupt breathing that may last for up to 10 seconds which is already risky.

Related Questions

Can sleep apnea be cured naturally?

Usually, no. Sleep apnea does not go away by itself or gets cured naturally most of the time. However, there are certain conditions that may cause it to be cured “naturally”.

For example, being overweight can be the cause of sleep apnea. Losing weight is like curing sleep apnea “naturally”, in a sense.

How do you know if you have sleep apnea if you live alone?

You can find out if you have sleep apnea when you live alone by recording your own sleep through your phone or camera and then check for obvious signs such as loud, constant snoring.

You can also schedule an appointment for a sleep study, just talk to your doctor.