Sleep apnea is when you stop breathing while you sleep.

Treatments can include lifestyle changes, such as losing weight or changing sleep positions, medical devices like CPAP machines, or surgery.

You may be able to treat mild sleep apnea with some lifestyle changes. Your doctor may recommend that you:

With continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), you wear a mask over your nose or mouth while you sleep. The mask is hooked up to a machine that delivers a constant flow of air into your nose. This airflow helps keep your airways open so you can breathe the way you should. CPAP is the most common treatment for sleep apnea.

Bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) is like CPAP. But the airflow changes when you breathe in and out. You’ll wear a mask, which will connect the BiPAP machine to you. It'll use pressure to put air into your lungs. When you breathe normally, your diaphragm is pushed down so your lungs can fill with air. If you have sleep apnea, the BiPAP can help you breathe this way during sleep.

BiPAP is usually safe. But it isn’t right for everyone. If you have trouble breathing, swallowing, or staying conscious when you use it, talk with your doctor. They may be able to change your treatment.

If a CPAP machine doesn’t help or causes problems, your doctor may prescribe an automatic positive airway pressure (APAP) machine. It props your airway open while you sleep so nothing can block it. Different from the CPAP machine, the APAP machine adjusts how much pressure it gives you while you sleep based on your needs.

Dental devices can help keep your airway open while you sleep. Dentists with special expertise in treating sleep apnea can design them for you.

You might need surgery if you have a medical condition that makes your throat too narrow. These conditions include enlarged tonsils, a small lower jaw with an overbite, or a deviated nasal septum (when the wall between your nostrils is off-center).

The most common types of surgery for sleep apnea include:

If you don’t, you might have:

More serious long-term symptoms could include higher chances of:

National Sleep Foundation: "Sleep Apnea and Sleep,” “Sleep Hygiene.”

2005 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Los Angeles, Sept. 25-28, 2005.

Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery: “Patient Selection and Efficacy of Pillar Implant Technique for Treatment of Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome.”

Tuomilehto, H. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, October, 2010.

Foster, G. Archives of Internal Medicine, September 28, 2009.

Vakulin, A. Annals of Internal Medicine, October 6, 2009.

Vasquez, M. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, October 15, 2008.

Sheri Katz, DDS, president, American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine; dentist, Decatur, GA.

Texas Heart Institute Heart Information Center: "Obstructive Sleep Apnea."

Hopkins Medicine: “What is BiPap?”

Sleep Foundation: “APAP vs CPAP.”

AAST: “5 Alternative Sleep Apnea Treatment Options.”

Know your myths from your facts.

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You may need a sleep study.

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