Therapeutic Strategies
Lifestyle Modifications and Positional Therapy:
Lifestyle Modifications
Weight loss, smoking cessation, and alcohol reduction can improve sleep apnoea severity in some patients.
Positional Therapy
The use of devices to maintain a lateral sleeping position can be effective in treating positional OSA, where apnoeas primarily occur during supine sleep.
Some positional devices used for positional therapy in sleep apnoea include:
- Sleep position belts or vests: These are worn around the chest or waist and have foam or inflatable bumpers attached to the back, making it uncomfortable to sleep on the back and encouraging side sleeping.
- Sleep position pillows: These are specially designed pillows that support the neck and head while maintaining a lateral sleeping position.
- Sleep position wedges: These foam or inflatable wedges are placed behind the back, encouraging side sleeping by making it difficult to roll onto the back.
- Tennis ball technique: This involves attaching a tennis ball to the back of a pajama top or t-shirt, which makes it uncomfortable to sleep on the back and encourages side sleeping.
- Sleep position alarms: These wearable devices detect when the user is sleeping on their back and emit a vibration or sound to prompt a change in position.