CPAP Specialist

What is CPAP?

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is often a go-to treatment for sleep apnea. With this therapy, you must use a CPAP machine every night when you sleep. This machine includes a mask that goes over your mouth and nose and delivers a steady flow of oxygen through your airway with a motor. 

The air holds your airway open to remove any obstruction that occurs when the tissues relax. The motor keeps the air flowing through the night. As a result, you won’t wake up intermittently throughout the night as you struggle to breathe or gasp for air unconsciously. 

Using a CPAP machine is beneficial to many people who try it. You get clean, uninhibited oxygenated air all night. Because your quality of sleep and oxygen levels improve, you may notice a significant difference in your memory, concentration, and energy during the day, as well as fewer other sleep apnea symptoms like headaches. 

What are some of the drawbacks of using CPAP?

While CPAP benefits countless people who would not otherwise get a quality night’s sleep, it isn’t the best treatment option for every sleep apnea patient. Even if it works to relieve your symptoms, you might struggle with some of the drawbacks of this treatment. 

You should consider booking an appointment at Hibernation Sleep MN to explore alternative sleep apnea treatments if you’re unhappy with CPAP because of:

• The noise of the machine
• Frequent nose bleeds
• Waking up with a dry mouth
• Skin irritation from the mask
• A bloated feeling from all the air

You might also find your CPAP mask uncomfortable or traveling with the CPAP machine to be inconvenient. Thankfully, there are quieter and smaller alternative devices to help you manage your sleep apnea.

What are some alternatives to CPAP?

At Hibernation Sleep MN, Dr. Cogswell offers custom oral appliances that you can wear at night to hold your airway open without the steady stream of oxygen from a CPAP machine. Also called mandibular advancement devices, these appliances work by jutting your lower jaw forward to keep the tissues in the back of your throat from touching. 

There are many types of sleep apnea oral appliances, and Dr. Cogswell can work with you as you try one or more of them. Three of the most common sleep apnea appliances are:

ProSomnus® IA

The ProSomnus IA is a customizable sleep apnea device. Dr. Cogswell evaluates you to determine the exact design, considering your arch size and tongue space, among other details. It’s plastic and easy to keep clean. 

Panthera® D-SAD

Panthera D-SAD is made with a comfortable biocompatible nylon material. It’s the smallest of all sleep apnea oral appliances and is made entirely using computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology.

SomnoDent® Herbst Advance™

SomnoDent Herbst Advance comes with an adjustable metal arm as well as custom plastic trays for your teeth. It allows you to have some range of jaw movement while you use it and lasts for at least three years.

Whole You™  

Whole You sleep appliances are customizable in numerous ways, including optional extra tongue space and a variety of sizes to accommodate different mouth widths and depths. They move enough that you can speak or drink water while wearing your device. 

To explore various alternatives to CPAP with less hassle and discomfort, call Hibernation Sleep MN, or request an appointment online today.