Favorite tricks to reduce apnea WITHOUT CPAP/BIPAP etc

[anobono]

What are your own most effective strategies to reduce apnea events if you don't have any machine to assist you? I have read all the general advice I found on the Internet, and that may cover it all, but I wonder what you found personally most effective.

I have severe OSA and I may have to wait up 3 months before we start/resume treatment for reasons I don't need to go into here.

I'm not looking for medical advice. I just need some tips and encouragement to deal with my apnea on my own.

[SarcasticDave94]

Doing things alone, this leaves out surgery obviously. You may need to sleep in a recliner where you're not reclined all the way. I've tried it in the past myself. Keep your chin from touching your chest by tucking a corner of your pillow between chin and chest. Other than that I'm not certain with severe Apnea being on the radar.

[srlevine1]

The only thing I have tried is forced positioning by keeping me from sleeping in any other position than on my side. It is not as effective as xPAP therapy. I have heard of some people sewing hard foreign objects into sleeping garments to prevent sleeping on one's back or stomach -- but this seems counterintuitive to me as I would think that it would induce unwanted arousals to disrupt sleep patterns.

[Melman]

Dave mentioned tucking a corner of your pillow between your chin and chest to prevent tucking your chin to your chest which comprises your airway. Since that may be hard to keep in place a soft cervical collar may be a better choice. See the link below. I don't know to what degree it will reduce your apnea but we have found it to be very effective for people including me who experience positional apnea that CPAP pressure will not resolve.

[sndraco]

I do have allergies so this may be specific to me but what I have found helpful

- a shower before bed (esp. in allergy season seems to help)

- I also take allegra when my symptoms are bad

- neti pot/saline nasal rinse an hour before bed

- and this is something I have noticed (even absent the above), half or one cbd gummy, no thc, seems to help my sleep and generally less ahi. 

Note I use my cpap 99% of the time, i went backpacking a couple of days and took allegra and cbd those days and it helped. Rest of data is when i do above and look at ahi vs. not doing it. 

Again would encourage use of cpap every night, and ever nap. and use anything else to supplement not replace cpap. 

Thanks

Shri

[cberistain]

What are your own most effective strategies to reduce apnea events if you don't have any machine to assist you? I have read all the general advice I found on the Internet, and that may cover it all, but I wonder what you found personally most effective.

I have severe OSA and I may have to wait up 3 months before we start/resume treatment for reasons I don't need to go into here.

I'm not looking for medical advice. I just need some tips and encouragement to deal with my apnea on my own.

I  used an appliance that moved my lower jaw forward.. but also had a band across the back of the appliance that held my tongue down. moving the lower jaw forward was very uncomfortable for me.. but holding the tongue down was very helpful.. it was helpful until I got the cpap machine.