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Sleep Apnea Pillows: What helps?

Sleep Health | Last Active: Jan 31, 2021 | Replies (3)
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@kb1942

If complex sleep apnea means both obstructive and central, try treating just the central with night time supplemental oxygen which does not require any kind of face mask. O2 treatment works very well for CSA but not so much for OSA.
CPAP over promises but under delivers because most users can stand it. Only 60-70% who try CPAP stick with it, and the average use by those who stick with it is 4 hrs a night, not the prescribed full nights sleep. That’s what I found in the research 5-6 years ago when I was diagnosed, so there has likely been some improvement, but given the amount of compaliing heard from CPAP users, its still a big problem.. Fortunately, this is enough to help a lot of people, but the glass is half empty. If you have CSA, you don’t need CPAP. If you have both, try both treatments, but you already know CPAP is not good for you, so give an oxygen concertrator a try-- 100% fixing of, let’s say, 30% of your problem is better than fixing nothing, and it might be enough.
Discuss with your MD. You need a prescription for an oxygen concentrator.

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Replies to "If complex sleep apnea means both obstructive and central, try treating just the central with night..."
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Jan 31, 2021

Hello @kb1943, Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Thanks for sharing. Sound advice to discuss the need for an oxygen concentrator with your doctor. My experience with obstructive sleep apnea and using a CPAP has been a mixed bag. I did hate it when I first started but was persistent and got a lot of help here in other discussions. I found that most of the problems are associated with a person not getting a CPAP mask that fits or is comfortable so that they continue to use it. I guess different strokes for different folks. Since I was diagnosed almost 3 years ago, I've used my CPAP an average of 7-1/2 hours a night.

I think those with central sleep apnea have a more difficult time since central sleep apnea occurs because your brain doesn't send proper signals to the muscles that control your breathing. This is different from obstructive sleep apnea, which is you can't breathe normally because of upper airway obstruction. From what I've read oxygen therapy doesn't work as well as CPAP.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Oxygen Therapy: A Systematic Review of the Literature and Meta-Analysis:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3578679/

Do you have sleep apnea? Just wondering if you use an oxygen concentrator and if it's helped you.

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