CPAP Frustrations
It’s not your fault your CPAP fails you
You dread going to bed. You have sleep apnea, which means its vicious grip is strangling your every breath, mercilessly snatching it away night after night. Your body is robbed cruelly of oxygen, while you battle valiantly to get restful sleep.
But not to worry, the sleep center gave you a CPAP and sent you on your merry way. Most nights you struggle with the CPAP more than your sleep apnea. Which means, you slump out of bed each morning, groggy…dry…mouth…sore throat…headache…and fatigue wrapped around you like a weighted blanket as you stumble toward the coffee pot.
Common frustrations with CPAP
If you have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), you’ve probably been told to use a Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) device at night. The CPAP, a popular OSA treatment, keeps the airway open by supplying pressurized air through a mask.
You try to wear it every night, but, let’s be honest: having a mask strapped to your face, blowing air into your orifices isn’t exactly comfortable. Plus, it doesn’t allow you the freedom to roll over in bed, let alone charm your sleeping partner.
Are you struggling with your CPAP? It’s not your fault. On average only 30–50% of people prescribed a CPAP actually use it because they can’t tolerate it. Most don’t realize, their CPAP struggles may be because of an underlying issue with their Breathing Triangle: the two sides of their nose and throat.
Why it's crucial to treat your sleep apnea:
If you can’t breathe well, you can’t sleep well.
To live your best life, the benefits of proper sleep can’t be overstated. And if you struggle to get healthy restful sleep, you feel its effect all day long. Sleep experts recommend that adults sleep between 7–9 hours per night 1,3, and adults who sleep less than 7 hours per night, or have untreated sleep apnea, may experience health issues2, including: a higher risk for mental health issues like anxiety or depression, blood sugar irregularities, hormonal changes, immune system alterations, and increased risk of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressue. 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Benefits of CPAP therapy
CPAP devices can be an effective way to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) if your nasal airway is open and healthy. Many people who struggle with CPAP do so because of undiagnosed nasal breathing issues. CPAP, when used in conjunction with open nasal airways, can enhance your sleep quality, which introduces positive impacts on your health like snoring less10 and less daytime sleepiness.11
Mouth breathing is a sign of nasal airway issues. If you are a mouth breather – 61% of Americans are12 – you have a much higher risk of developing sleep-disordered breathing and OSA. You may also have to use a full-sized face mask rather than a smaller nasal mask if you opt for CPAP treatment.
This is why ADVENT has a 100% laser-focus on treating Breathing Triangle issues to optimize nasal breathing. It's no wonder that our patients have a CPAP compliance rate almost 2x as good as the national average.
CPAP alternatives you may not have heard of:
There’s good news. If CPAP doesn’t sound right for you, we offer alternatives. Breathing well and clearly through your nose every day and every night is a gift you deserve… and it keeps giving. ADVENT offers simple treatment options to ensure your Breathing Triangle is working properly, as well as, the following CPAP alternatives:
- Oral Appliance Therapy: This device is similar to a retainer that you wear while you sleep to slightly reposition your lower jaw forward. This prevents your tongue from falling back and blocking your airway. In fact, 96% of patients strongly prefer Oral Appliance Therapy over CPAP & traditional solutions. Unfortunately, many sleep centers don’t offer this simple solution.
- Sleep Apnea Surgery: Surgery could be an option for you depending on the severity of the root cause of your issue, but the vast majority of our patients see such great improvements from our non-invasive treatments they never see an operating room.
3 simple steps to sleep apnea success:
1: Get Your Breathing Triangle Evaluation
First, we listen. At your new patient appointment, you’ll discuss your symptoms and goals with a Sleep & Sinus Specialist. You’ll also get a thorough Breathing Triangle Evaluation to help identify any underlying issues that may be contributing to your sleep apnea.
2: Uncover the Root Cause
Depending on your symptoms you may get an in-office CT scan or home sleep study to better understand the source of your sleep apnea.
3: Treat Your Sleep Apnea with Simple Solutions
We offer several simple in-office options to ensure you have a healthy Breathing Triangle and treatments for sleep apnea. Depending on your diagnosis, you may be a candidate for: Balloon Sinuplasty, Turbinate Reduction, Nasal Cryotherapy, Snoreplasty, Uvulectomy, Oral Appliance Therapy or CPAP.
CPAP FAQs
Common CPAP problems can include:
- It’s simply uncomfortable
- Too much pressure or too little pressure
- Mask discomfort and skin irritation
- Aerophagia, or when air from the CPAP enters your stomach or esophagus and causes bloating or gas
- Sleep position and pillow blocks mask exhalation ports—this can cause you to breathe in carbon dioxide. Stomach or side sleeping could also reposition your mask, causing it to leak or press into one side of your face.
- Feelings of claustrophobia
- Inconvenient for travel
- Tangling in tubing or knocking the machine off your nightstand
- Machine not working properly
- Supplies and parts can be costly
Alternative positive airway pressure machines include auto-adjusting positive airway pressure (APAP), bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP or BPAP), and adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV) machines. However, it you’re struggling with your current CPAP you may have an underlying Breathing Triangle issue that should be resolved.
Oral Appliance Therapy is a lesser known, yet highly effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. It is a mouthpiece you wear at night that gently repositions your jaw forward so your tongue doesn’t block your airway.
More severe cases of sleep apnea may require an in-office procedure like Snoreplasty or Uvulectomy, or surgery that helps to keep the throat open during sleep.
Oral appliance therapy is a very effective, non-invasive option to treat sleep apnea. It’s a small custom-made device worn while you sleep—much like a mouth guard—that repositions your jaw to help keep your airway open.96% of patients prefer Oral Appliance Therapy over CPAP and traditional solutions, plus, it costs 2-3x less than CPAP over a 5-year period.
"The best alternative to CPAP that ADVENT offers is oral appliance therapy (OAT). We are able to treat mild, moderate and even some severe sleep apnea with a mouthguard."
"[OAT devices] are smaller, portable, more convenient mouth guards that tend to be much more comfortable than CPAP, which increases compliance and patient success rates."
Jacob Daniels, PA-C
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References
- Guangsen Shi, Chen Yin, Zenghua Fan, Lijuan Xing, Yulia Mostovoy, Pui-Yan Kwok, Liza H. Ashbrook, Andrew D. Krystal, Louis J. Ptáček, Ying-Hui Fu, Mutations in Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 1 Contribute to Natural Short Sleep Trait, Current Biology, 31, 1 (2021) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096098222031441X
- Nabil M. Al Lawati, Sanjay R. Patel, Najib T. Ayas, Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Consequences of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Short Sleep Duration, Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, 51, 4 (2009) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0033062008000765
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. How Much Sleep Is Enough? National Institutes of Health. 2022 March 24. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep/how-much-sleep
- Alexander J. Scott, Thomas L. Webb, Marrissa Martyn-St James, Georgina Rowse, Scott Weich, Improving sleep quality leads to better mental health: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, Sleep Medicine Reviews, 60. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079221001416
- Nannapaneni S, Ramar K, Surani S. Effect of obstructive sleep apnea on type 2 diabetes mellitus: A comprehensive literature review. World J Diabetes. 2013 Dec 15;4(6):238-44. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3874482/
- Nikolaus, N, Eliasson, A, Strohl, K. Women with Sleep Apnea Have Lower Levels of Sex Hormones. Sleep Breath 2003; 07(1): 025-030. https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-2003-38943
- Kellesarian, S.V., Malignaggi, V.R., Feng, C. et al. Association between obstructive sleep apnea and erectile dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Impot Res 30, 129–140 (2018). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41443-018-0017-7
- Ludwig K, Huppertz T, Radsak M, Gouveris H. Cellular Immune Dysfunction in Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Front Surg. 2022 Jul 6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9299259/
- Salari, N., Khazaie, H., Abolfathi, M. et al. The effect of obstructive sleep apnea on the increased risk of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurol Sci 43, 219–231 (2022). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10072-021-05765-3
- Guzman MA, Sgambati FP, Pho H, Arias RS, Hawks EM, Wolfe EM, Ötvös T, Rosenberg R, Dakheel R, Schneider H, Kirkness JP, Smith PL, Schwartz AR. The Efficacy of Low-Level Continuous Positive Airway Pressure for the Treatment of Snoring. J Clin Sleep Med. 2017 May 15;13(5):703-711. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28356182/
- Avlonitou, E., Kapsimalis, F., Varouchakis, G. et al. Adherence to CPAP therapy improves quality of life and reduces symptoms among obstructive sleep apnea syndrome patients. Sleep Breath 16, 563–569 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-011-0543-8
- GSK. (2018, June 28). New survey takes a peek into Americans’ bedrooms to reveal what’s keeping people awake: Mouth Breathing. PR Newswire: press release distribution, targeting, monitoring and marketing. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-survey-takes-a-peek-into-americans-bedrooms-to-reveal-whats-keeping-people-awake-mouth-breathing-300044836.html
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