If you have sleep apnea, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines. While CPAP machines are the gold standard of sleep apnea treatment, it may not be suitable for everyone. Many people living with sleep apnea want to know how to get relief aside from using a CPAP machine or getting surgery.

The good news is that there are lifestyle changes you can try that may help reduce your symptoms. Note that these habits are usually helpful in addition to treatment and can help make CPAP treatment more effective.

Lifestyle Changes That Can Help With Sleep Apnea

Changing some of your habits can help you manage sleep apnea symptoms. These alternative treatments and interventions for sleep apnea can help reduce the pressure on your airway while you sleep or improve your breathing in other ways.

Maintain a Healthy Body Weight

Many people feel frustrated when health concerns are linked to weight. Still, research shows that excess weight can significantly contribute to sleep apnea. One factor is when fat around the neck presses down on your airway, making breathing more challenging, especially when you are lying down.

Even modest weight loss is associated with improved OSA symptoms. One study showed that OSA symptoms improved by 26 percent to 32 percent after a 10 percent reduction in body weight. Some people even see their OSA go away completely with a 10 percent weight reduction.

Obesity and Sleep Apnea Risk

People of any body size can develop sleep apnea. However, people diagnosed with obesity — a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 or higher — are at an increased risk for sleep apnea. Around 30 percent of people with OSA have obesity.

Change Your Sleeping Position

If you sleep on your back, changing your sleeping position might help with sleep apnea symptoms. Around 62 percent of people with OSA have supine-predominant sleep apnea, which means you have twice as many “events” (usually moments of stopped breathing) when sleeping on your back as you do in any other position.

Sleeping on your side may help reduce pressure and prevent your airway from collapsing, since gravity isn’t pushing your neck and throat down.

Your doctor might also recommend sleeping in a more upright position to reduce the amount of weight resting on your windpipe. Sleeping upright can also help some people with other conditions that disrupt sleep, like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD, or heartburn) or fluid buildup in the lungs.

Positional therapy (changing your sleeping position) could help, but it shouldn’t be your only focus. It’s usually recommended in addition to CPAP or other prescribed treatments.

Avoid Alcohol

Drinking alcohol, especially before bed, can worsen sleep apnea. Because alcohol is a sedative, it slows down your nervous system and relaxes the throat muscles, making airway collapse more likely.

In a review of multiple OSA studies, researchers found that people who drink were 25 percent more likely to have sleep apnea. Also, among people who drink alcohol with OSA, sleep apnea was more severe than among those with OSA who don’t drink. This is especially true for men, according to Cleveland Clinic.

To reduce sleep apnea, doctors recommend avoiding alcohol, especially around bedtime, or at least drinking in moderation.

Stop Smoking

Quitting smoking may help your sleep apnea symptoms. Smoking causes inflammation and fluid retention in your airway, making the tissue around your windpipe swell and making it harder to breathe. When you’re asleep, this worsens sleep apnea, because an airway that’s already under added pressure is more likely to collapse.

According to the Mayo Clinic, people who smoke are three times more likely to have OSA than people who don’t. If you smoke, quitting will likely help your sleep apnea and many other aspects of your overall health and well-being.

Practice Good Sleep Hygiene

Developing better bedtime habits can help with sleep apnea. Some habits and tips that might help improve sleep quality with sleep apnea include:

• Avoiding sleep deprivation
• Setting a regular bedtime
• Turning off electronics before bed
• Putting your phone in another room while you sleep

Effectiveness of Lifestyle Changes Can Be Limited

While changing some of your habits may help with sleep apnea symptoms, they aren’t generally recommended as a replacement for CPAP or other airway pressure treatment. It’s a good idea to try these steps, but it’s also important to listen to your doctor’s advice about the best sleep apnea treatment for you.

Reasons To Consider CPAP

Sleeping with a CPAP machine is the most commonly recommended treatment for OSA and it’s proven to be the most effective.

Sleep apnea is associated with heart failure, stroke, and, although rare, sudden cardiac death. People with sleep apnea are also at a higher risk of developing other conditions, like hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

The dangers of sleep apnea might seem scary, but it’s important to remember that OSA treatments are well-tested and effective. Long-term treatment of sleep apnea is proven to reduce mortality and the risk of developing other conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Getting Used to CPAP

Many people find it hard to stick to CPAP therapy. According to some estimates, between 20 percent and 50 percent of people who’ve been prescribed a CPAP machine use it rarely or not at all.

If you’re struggling to use a CPAP machine, talk to your doctor. There are options that can help you stick to treatment, improve your sleep quality, and feel better.

Members of MySleepApneaTeam report that while the adjustment period was hard, CPAP ended up working for them. One member said, “This is definitely something you will get used to. It will be hard at first, but just try to remember the fact that this is going to help you. That’s how I got through it. Now I don’t even take a short nap without it.”

Join the Conversation

On MySleepApneaTeam, people share their experiences with sleep apnea, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

Which lifestyle changes helped your sleep apnea symptoms? Let others know in the comments below.