How to Sleep Better with Sleep Apnea: 8 Effective Strategies

Sleep apnea is a common health condition where your breathing is interrupted at night. In fact, the American Medical Association estimates that 30 million people in the U.S. may have sleep apnea — but only 1 out of every 5 are diagnosed. And when you have sleep apnea, it can be hard to get a good night of sleep. 

Here are some suggestions for how to get better rest if you struggle with sleep apnea.

How can you get better sleep with sleep apnea?

If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, the best thing you can do is get treated. But there are other things you can do that can help, too. Let’s take a closer look.

1. Treat your sleep apnea

The first step toward sleeping better with sleep apnea is to get the right treatment. 

Chelsie Rohrscheib, PhD, neuroscientist and head sleep expert at Wesper, told GoodRx Health, “First and foremost, sleep apnea patients should work closely with their sleep care team to find the right treatment to correct their sleep apnea.”

There are many different treatment options for sleep apnea. These include:

• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy: CPAP therapy uses a machine that provides a continuous stream of air through a face mask. The continuous air helps to keep the airway open and improves breathing during sleep. 

• Bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) therapy: BiPAP is similar to CPAP, but the machine provides two different air pressures. When you inhale, there is a higher pressure. When you exhale, there is a lower pressure. 

• Oral appliances: Oral appliances are custom-made devices that you wear in your mouth while you’re asleep. They help to keep your jaw and tongue in a good position so that your airway stays open. This option is more common for mild sleep apnea treatment.

• Surgery: Surgeries may address anatomy issues in your airway that cause your breathing obstruction. These procedures involve removing excess tissue in the mouth or throat, or repositioning the jaw. 

• Losing weight: Weight loss may not be able to cure your sleep apnea completely, but it may help with your sleep apnea symptoms. It may also cut down on the number of times you stop breathing during the night. There’s some evidence that even a 10% decrease in your weight can make a difference. 

Remember: No matter what else you do to improve your sleep, unless you directly treat your sleep apnea you may still struggle to feel well-rested.

2. Try myofunctional therapy

Myofunctional therapy (MFT) are exercises that strengthen the muscles around the mouth, face, and tongue. There’s some evidence that MFT may help you sleep better if you have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) by decreasing snoring and sleep disruptions.

There are many different types of MFT exercises. Here are a few to try: 

• Soft palate ‘ah’s: Say the vowel sound “ah” over and over, and then hold it. This exercise uses muscles in the back of your throat and mouth. Repeat this for 3 minutes every day.

• Tongue mewing: Press your whole tongue against the roof of your mouth and try to suck it upward. Do this for a total of 3 minutes during the day.

• Chewing exercises: When you eat, practice chewing food on both sides of your mouth and then swallowing. Keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth and your teeth closed. 

Rohrscheib recommends doing exercises daily for 10 to 20 minutes to strengthen these muscles. You can also ask your healthcare professional to refer you to a myofunctional therapist to help coach you in MFT exercises. 

3. Consider positional therapy to stay sleeping on your side

Positional therapy are techniques that help you stay on your side while you sleep, according to Rohrscheib. This may help you sleep better if you have sleep apnea. 

Why sleep on your side? A few reasons:

• When you sleep on your back, gravity pulls some of your facial structures down — like your soft palate and tongue. This can narrow or block your airway.

• Snoring is more likely when you sleep on your back, which can also interrupt your sleep. 

Here are some techniques that can help you stay on your side when you sleep:

• Use a pillow or wedge to position yourself on your side.

• Sew a tennis ball to the back of your pajama shirt to prevent you from rolling onto your back.

• Try a sleep therapy tech device that alerts you when you sleep on your back.

• Use a wearable belt that creates a bump on your back to prevent you from rolling onto your back.

4. Try acupuncture

Acupuncture is a type of traditional Chinese medicine. It involves placing thin needles on precise areas of the body to reduce pain or inflammation or to promote healing. A 2020 review of nine studies suggested that acupuncture may be effective in reducing apneic events in individuals with OSA. But the studies were all low quality.

According to Chester Wu, MD, a psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist, there isn’t good evidence that acupuncture helps a lot with sleep apnea. But he does say that it may be a good add-on to other treatments, especially for people who have trouble sleeping because of sinus congestion related to their sleep apnea. 

5. Use a humidifier

Wu also said that using a humidifier may help you sleep better with sleep apnea. 

A humidifier helps moisten the throat, nasal passages, and mouth. When these structures are dry, it adds to irritation and difficulty breathing during sleep. Wu suggests trying warm air humidification, as this may be even more effective. 

However, Wu said that more evidence is needed, as some studies dispute these findings. Since some types of humidifiers can have  health risks if not used correctly, talk to your healthcare professional before trying a humidifier to improve your sleep quality with sleep apnea. 

6. Try mouth tape or a chin strap

Mouth taping and chin straps are tools that keep your mouth and jaw closed while sleeping. They may encourage you to breathe through your nose and keep your airway open. 

Here’s how they work:

• Mouth taping: Mouth taping is applying a specially designed piece of tape over the lips to prevent the mouth from opening during sleep. Wu said, “Mouth taping during sleep may be beneficial for those with mild OSA.” 

• Chin straps: A chin strap is a fabric device worn over the chin and over the top of the head. It’s designed to keep the jaw closed while sleeping.

Both of these devices can also be used along with CPAP therapy. According to Wu, mouth taping can help to prevent mouth leaks with CPAP therapy. Chin straps can also be an accessory used with a CPAP. 

But take care: Mouth taping can actually make sleep apnea worse, especially if your sleep apnea isn’t properly treated. You should only consider using mouth tape or a chin strap with a doctor’s supervision. 

7. Practice using your CPAP during the day

If you have a CPAP machine, it can take some getting used to. The machine may be a bulky or unfamiliar sleep companion, making it hard to sleep well.

Audrey Wells, MD, founder and CEO of Super Sleep MD, suggests that you practice wearing your mask during the day. “We can get better at anything we practice,” she told GoodRx Health. 

Wearing the mask during the day for short periods can help you become accustomed to the feeling of wearing it and what a proper seal feels like. 

“Wearing the CPAP mask during the day teaches your brain to acclimate to the sensation and allows you to make adjustments for comfort when there is no pressure to sleep,” she adds.

8. Follow proper sleep hygiene

According to Rohrscheib, “All individuals … can benefit from improved sleep hygiene, which are the behaviors that positively impact sleep.” 

Rohrscheib suggests the following sleep hygiene tips:

• Reduce caffeine consumption close to bedtime.

• Avoid bright lights from screens at night.

• Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, cool, and comfortable.

She also suggests that you may need to spend as many as 9 hours in bed to achieve enough total sleep time. “Sleep apnea causes frequent awakenings, so spending enough time in bed to get a sufficient amount of sleep may be helpful,” she explained. 

Lauri Leadley, CCSH, RPSGT, president and clinical sleep educator at Valley Sleep Center in Phoenix, Arizona, suggests:

• Sleeping on clean, comfortable sheets

• Avoiding large meals too close to bedtime

• Not taking daytime naps

• Trying aerobic exercise regularly, ideally completing your workout by 2PM 

• Hiding or covering your clock 

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Written by:

Payton Sy, BSN, RN

Payton Sy, BSN, RN, is a registered nurse with experience in women's health, primary care, and health insurance utilization management. She also worked as a certified nursing assistant in the senior health space before attending nursing school.

Edited by:

Renée Fabian, MA

Renée Fabian is the senior pet health editor at GoodRx. She’s worked for nearly 10 years as a journalist and editor across a wide range of health and well-being topics.

Reviewed by:

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP, has more than 15 years of experience as an attending pediatrician in a variety of clinical settings. She has worked in a large academic center in an urban city, a small community hospital, a private practice, and an urgent care clinic.

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