CPAP Alternatives
Sleep Apnoea Treatment Without CPAP
If you are having difficulty adjusting to regular CPAP (continuous positive airways pressure) Therapy, you can investigate one of the alternative options here. All of our alternatives to CPAP can be helpful to people with less severe symptoms. Each product is clinically proven, but please check their suitability for your sleep disorder.
Please note: Everyone may have apnoea episodes during the night, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you have Obstructive Sleep Apnoea or require therapy.
Understanding Sleep Apnoea Indicators
The severity of your symptoms can open up your options to alternatives to CPAP therapy, because your snoring may not affect your sleep, but you may want to find a remedy.
One of the critical indicators that we use in our sleep test report is the AHI, there are other indicators but to illustrate a simple idea of your potential issue I’m going to explain the AHI, which stands for the Apnoea-Hypopnoea Index.
The AHI is the number of apnoeas or hypopneas recorded during the study per hour of sleep; and generally expressed as the number of events per hour.
For example:
- None: AHI number under 5 per hour.
- Mild: AHI number between 5 to 14.9 per hour.
- Moderate: AHI number between 15 to 29.9 per hour.
- Severe: AHI number greater than 30 per hour.
Mandibular Advancement Devices (MAD)
A mandibular repositioning appliance is a dental appliance, similar to a gum shield, which is worn in your mouth while you sleep. It is also known as a mandibular advancement splint, Mandibular Advancement Device, oral appliance or dental device. Wearing the device holds the airway open whilst you sleep, so that breathing becomes easier and oxygen levels in the blood are normalised. The appliance should also control snoring.
Oniris MAD
Clinically Proven Mandibular Advancement Device
ONIRIS is the leading off-the-shelf mandibular device for snoring and Sleep Apnoea, clinically proven in hospitals and clinics by sleep and ENT specialists, to be as effective as custom-made oral appliances. The unique design provides an impression equivalent to laboratory-produced mouthpieces while allowing millimetre-precise adjustment and freedom to talk and drink naturally.
The device can be configured precisely to the wearer’s requirements. The lower jaw can be moved forward in 1mm increments, from 0mm up to 15mm. This allows more scope to tailor the comfort and level of therapy provided than you would typically find in an off-the-shelf device.
Oniris is supported by a 30-day Money Back Guarantee.
Somnofit MAD
A less invasive option for treating snoring & mild OSA
The Somnofit Mandibular Advancement Device is a proven anti-snoring mandibular advancement device that offers a snoring solution and an alternative to CPAP therapy for mild OSA sufferers. It works by moving the lower jaw forward and keeping it there while you sleep. By doing so, it opens up the throat to allow for greater airflow, reducing the chance of the obstructions that lead to snoring and apnoea.
The Somnofit consists of two oral mouldings; one for the upper jaw and one for the lower. They are heated in water to soften the moulding material (thermoforming) and then bitten into creating an exact fitting for your teeth.
The two mouldings are connected by a supple strap to keep them aligned as they need to be, ensuring that the lower jaw cannot be pulled downwards by gravity, and will instead stay positioned forwards for optimal airflow. Within a few minutes of the adjustment, you have a personalised device, ready for you to use and reduce your snoring.
Who can benefit from using a Somnofit?
The Somnofit is suitable for:
- Snoring
- Mild Sleep Apnoea (sleep study and ongoing medical supervision required)
- Mild-to-moderate Sleep Apnoea patients on the move, travelling, camping, boating, holidaying etc. who prefer a temporary alternative to their usual CPAP therapy (professional medical consultation required)
- Bruxism (grinding teeth), migraines due to jaw tensions
Somnofit is NOT suitable for people who:
- Wear full or partial dentures
- Have mandibular (lower jaw) pain
- Have loose teeth or advanced periodontal disease
- Have upper or lower jaws with fewer than ten teeth
- Suffer from severe or central Sleep Apnoea
- Are under 18 years old
The Somnofit MAD is engineered and manufactured in Switzerland by an established healthcare company called Oscimed SA. In 2008 they were awarded the ISO 13485:2003 certificate for their outstanding quality management systems for the development, manufacturing and sale of medical devices and other healthcare products. Oscimed puts the utmost care into delivering quality products that conform to the latest medical standards.
Somnolis MAD
As the entry-level version of the Somnofit MAD, the Somnolis Mandibular Advancement Splint is the most affordable way to try this method of oral appliance therapy to reduce snoring.
You fold the two parts together and put it in your mouth when you go to sleep. The lower part pushes the lower jaw (mandible) forward just slightly, creating more space in the back of the throat for uninterrupted breathing. At the same time, it tenses the tissue in the back of the throat, making it less floppy and therefore less prone to vibrations, reducing the sound of snoring.
Please note: Somnolis is not as a permanent solution for snoring and certainly not for Sleep Apnoea. If you suspect Sleep Apnoea (breathing lapses), please book a sleep study or consult your doctor.
Positional Sleep Therapy
Positional Sleep Therapy can help to reduce snoring by adjusting your sleeping position. If you find yourself sleeping on your back and snoring position therapy can encourage and help you to sleep on your side. Making this change without the need for invasive techniques and complicated devices could have a big impact on your snoring or Sleep Apnoea.
Somnibel Positional Therapy
Somnibel Positional Therapy provides a simple, comfortable solution for positional snoring and Sleep Apnoea.
Around 1 in 4 people are positional snorers; meaning they only snore while sleeping on their back. Half of all the Sleep Apnoea patients are also positional based, meaning they can sleep normally on their side.
Somnibel is a tiny device worn on the forehead. It vibrates when you’re facing upwards, gently encouraging you to sleep on your side.
Positional Therapy is a clinically-proven alternative to CPAP therapy, with studies showing it can obtain similar results in patients with position-dependent Sleep Apnoea.
The Somnibel can be purchased to treat snoring or Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.
Target the root cause
The world’s first clinically proven daytime therapy for mild Sleep Apnoea.
Target the root cause – not the symptoms with eXciteOSA. Sleep apnoea and snoring is a problem for many people whose tongue muscles relax during sleep, causing partial airway collapse. eXciteOSA® is the world’s first therapy to target the root cause of this problem by improving the muscle tone of the tongue. eXciteOSA is a convenient daytime therapy for noticeable night-time results
eXciteOSA
eXciteOSA® is the world’s first daytime therapy proven to improve tongue muscle tone and endurance, known to be the root cause of sleep apnoea and snoring. It uses safe electrical currents to stimulate and improve muscles functions in the mouth and tongue; effectively giving them a “workout”.
After using for 20 minutes per day for six weeks, the tongue muscle no longer blocks the airway at night, allowing for a restful night’s sleep – with no CPAP or mouthguard required.
Once the initial six week period is complete, you simply use your eXciteOSA twice a week for 20 minutes during the day to keep your tongue muscles toned.
The eXciteOSA device will deliver small electric currents through the mouthpiece to your tongue, this will stimulate the tongue muscle and improve its tone. The improved tone of the tongue muscle will help in keeping the breathing passage open during your sleep and reduce the vibration of the throat region.
Provent Sleep Therapy
A CPAP alternative that has been discontinued.
Provent Therapy is a simple, non-invasive treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA). The Provent Nasal Device uses a valve design that attaches over the nostrils and secured in place with hypoallergenic adhesive. The valve opens and closes, redirecting air through small holes to create resistance when breathing out. Because Provent Therapy is a small, single-use, disposable device, it’s also discreet and very convenient.
During inhalation, the valve opens, allowing the user to breathe in freely. When exhaling, the valve closes, and air passing through the nose is directed through two small air channels. This increases the pressure in the airway (called EPAP or expiratory positive airway pressure), maintains pressure and helps to keep the airway open until the start of the next inhalation.
Provent is primarily intended for those with Mild and Moderate OSA, who have tried CPAP and are finding it challenging to maintain compliance (i.e. use regularly). In terms of the effectiveness of the treatment, CPAP remains the “gold standard” – but if a patient is unable to use it every night, then Provent is available as an alternative treatment option.
While CPAP increases the pressure on both inhalation and exhalation; Provent Therapy increases the pressure on exhalation only. CPAP increases pressure in the airway using forced air, while Provent Therapy uses the patient’s breathing to create pressure during exhalation. Because the air pressure generated through Provent is not as strong as CPAP can be, it is only suitable for Mild and Moderate Sleep Apnoea. It simply cannot create enough pressure for Severe OSA, for which CPAP remains the only proven treatment option.
Provent is also useful for short-term use while travelling, thanks to its small, simple design. Each night’s set is individually pouched. There is no need for electricity or equipment, and the device can be discarded after single-use.
