Treatment of Sleep Disorders at Parkwest Medical Center

Behavioral Changes

Some sleep disorders can be treated with behavioral changes, such as:

• Losing weight
• Developing better sleep habits
• Avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and sleep medications

Oral Appliances

For mild sleep disorders, oral appliances may be effective in keeping the airway open by holding the tongue or jaw forward, increasing the airway space behind the tongue.

Positive Airway Pressure

Moderate to severe sleep apnea is usually treated with Positive Airway Pressure (such as CPAP, BiPAP, Auto PAP, BiPAP ST, and auto servo ventilation units for central apnea).

During this treatment, a patient wears a mask over the nose during sleep, and positive air pressure is directed through the airway and/or nasal passages.

Surgery

In addition to positive airway pressure therapy, severe sleep apnea may require surgery. Usually, a surgeon will suggest the patient utilize the machine for at least a month before pursuing surgery.

The most common surgical procedures to treat sleep apnea include:

• Removal of adenoids and tonsils
• Removal of nasal polyps or other growths
• Removal of other tissue in the airway
• Correction of structural deformities