When you say that you tried the various forms of machines, and couldn't tolerate them, did you mean during one 'try out' time? Or do you mean that you tried several, over a period of time? Is it the sound of the machine, or the breathing apparatus attachment that you can't tolerate?

My sister uses a Cpap and didn't have a problem with the sound, but after a week of trying the attachment that fits into the nose, she still found it too uncomfortable. She then switched to the mask attachment and found it claustrophobic for the first few nights. By about the 4th night, she was able to sleep without it bothering her too much. Soon after, she found that she'd completely adapted to it, and now sleeps totally oblivious to the Cpap. I hope you will give it another try, as apnea while sleeping is very unhealthy and you do need something that will ensure it is under control. Take care!

I have had one for many years, I would never sleep without it. Just one night is not going to give you an honest response. You need to get used to it. I took mine off in the middle of the night for the first week and then it just got better and better.

How many days or weeks of consecutive nights, all night, did you try before stopping?

I tried several varieties for 2 week periods. I am not asking for recommendations, thank you, just alternatives. Sorry if there was any confusion.

Two weeks is often not long enough. It took me nearly one sleepless, zombie-like month. 20 years ago.

You really need to stick with it longer before giving up.

Surgery works for some, not everyone. Some dentists are trained to make an oral appliance that pushes the jaw forward when sleeping that can help some types of breathing obstructions. These also work for some, not everyone.

I also could not tolerate them and got a mouthpiece and it works and no problem. It is plastic kind of like a football players, only it has "Velcro" that adjusts the lower teeth forwards. Medicare paid for it.

Phoggie- did you get it from a dentist?

I have a mouthguard that my dentist made me a few months back. It was $600 and wasn't covered by insurance, probably because I don't have sleep apnea. I haven't been able to get used to it so I haven't been wearing it, but I really should. It's supposed to help with snoring and also with my teeth clenching/grinding.

I could not deal with the CPAP machine. I considered the surgery (my best friend had it), but the doctor recommended against it, because it may not be a permanent solution, and is very painful. I went with the mouthpiece. The cost was completely covered by Medicare. It is not uncomfortable, but does take a while to get used to it. In my opinion, it's the best solution for me. Check it out: https://somnomed.com/en/

Good luck!

I was tested, found to have moderate apnea as well and set up with a machine several years ago but don't use it. First recent visit with new dentist (previous one retired) he brought up the insert. However as I remember it orthodontist said I wasn't a suitable candidate for one of those - so apparently not everyone can escape the machine by getting an insert made.

What put me off using the machine for longer than the first week was the complex maintenance and sanitation protocols insisted upon in the directions the supplier gave me. Although I did end up getting a SoClean device from them later - they'd actually had an unmarked one on display a few feet from the receptionist from the time I first went in there. But when I went back later and asked about them she didn't know what I was talking about. And by the time I did get the cleaning aid I was so put off of the subject I've never used that either. In fact for a long time I even kept forgetting I had gotten one.

Otherwise a gastroenterologist I talked to recently said too much is made of the need to keep CPAPs clean ("it's the same air your breath all the time anyway"), that it is much more important to be using them. With the main issue being instead the elevation of blood pressure that occurs during episodes of unresolved apnea. And, yes, this is considered to be so significant that apnea patients aren't supposed to ever sleep for any length of time without the machine.

Maybe I haven't been struck down yet because I take blood pressure medication at bedtime anyway. Not that I don't have chronic sinus infections, reflux, lack of mental acuity and energy etc. due to the constant malfunctioning while attempting to sleep.

I wash the mask piece that's in contact with my face (using dish detergent and water) less than than once a month (unless it's visibly dirty, as when I have a cold) and the rest of it mostly never.

Not only can blood pressure rise during apnea events but your blood oxygen level drops (that's why that's measured with the finger tip sensor in a sleep test) and heart muscle damage often results. A friend who recently had heart surgery was told by his cardiologist to sleep with a CPAP machine every night for the rest of his life, no excuses and no exceptions.

I have used the Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD) for about ten years. I even use it for naps. I did a sleep test with it and it works as well as a CPAP for me. It is also great when I travel, the only thing extra I have to bring along is denture cleaner tablets. Great for camping as no electricity is needed.

I love my CPAP, I use it faithfully every night and when I travel. The surgery you're referring to doesn't have long-term success. The surgery extremely painful and has a long recovery time.

I struggled for several months trying to establish a routine. I tried several masks, tried several degrees of humidity, got a heated hose, etc. Being persistent paid off. I now use my CPAP every night.

I also don't have a rigorous cleaning ritual. I wash the cushion part that comes into contact with my nose every morning with dishwashing liquid. I wash out the chamber that holds the water for the humidifier every once in awhile. That's all I do. No laborious, time-consuming things.

If you go with the mouth guard, you still need to have a sleep study to determine if it is working effectively. Just putting the mouth guard in your mouth doesn't resolve sleep apnea. If it did, everyone would use one and there wouldn't be any need for a CPAP machine.

I lost a friend to sleep apnea. She was only 52. She faithfully used her CPAP, but didn't one night. Her husband found her dead in the morning when she didn't turn off the alarm. Her autopsy confirmed she'd had a heart attack because her blood pressure had sky rocketed during an episode that she didn't breathe. And not using a CPAP when one is prescribed does long-term damage to one's body because of lack of oxygen. When your brain or organs aren't getting enough oxygen, you can have a stroke, heart attack, or cause organ damage.

Only trying a couple of weeks to get used to CPAP therapy isn't long enough. If everyone only tried that long, no one would use one.

Sorry I can't speak to alternatives, but this is my experience with the CPAP.

I've had one for several years and can't say I love it, but am used to it. If the pillows are in place correctly, it is perfectly silent-and I am very sensitive to noise. I get supplies as often as I am allowed by medicare and so I have a good supply of hoses (heated for me because my bedroom is kept very chilly). I wash them all at once in the bathtub with vinegar water as instructed, then let them drip dry into the tub by hanging on clothes hangers. I wash the water chambers (I have several of them, too) in the dishwasher about every two weeks when I changed the filters. I wash the nose pillows every week with dishwashing detergent, along with the washable filters and the straps that hold it all in place.

I find that having a big supply of the equipment extras makes it much easier to change everything often and not have to deal with cleaning it all right when I'm changing it out. Every 6 or 8 weeks, I have a big washing session that probably only takes 15 minutes to wash all the hoses. Water chambers go in dishwasher as I change them, then into storage until needed.

After the Dr explained the consequences of apnea, I would never go without it. I'd like to get a travel size as it it a bit of a pain to carry and set up when on the road.

So Clean devices are supposed to eliminate need for washing etc.

I did the sleep test twice, so I had the script approved by doctor. I got the mouthpiece from American Sleep Association 866-620-3670 or to discuss 855-234-7287. They send all info and materials for impression. It is an FDA cleared appliance. There is a "hinge" on it that rubbed the inside of my mouth, so I sent it back and they removed it...no more problems with it. Go to their website or call them. I live alone so do not know if I snore, but not tired like I was. Mine looks very similar to the one Wanda posted.

Have you elevated the two legs at the head of the bed? Simple, but I guess it doen't hurt to try.

phoggie - have you had a sleep test to confirm that you don't now have sleep apnea since you've started using a mouthpiece? Wearing a mouthpiece is useless if it doesn't resolve sleep apnea. And the only way to tell is wearing it during a sleep study. Snoring isn't the only indicator of sleep apnea. I have it severely and have never been told I snore, nor did I snore during the sleep study.

My sister did have a sleep test after she got the mouthguard. I think it was 3 nights.

https://healthblog.uofmhealth.org/health-management/10-alternatives-to-cpap-for-treating-obstructive-sleep-apnea

DH uses a cpap regularly...it's a lot more comfortable since he got the right face mask and had them set the machine to variable pressure so it gives him what he needs rather than a steady pressure.

Years ago he had 2 laser treatments to try to stop the snoring and its effects were painful to recover from and his tissue grew back so fundamentally useless and not cheap.

Gal from work said she had her uvula removed and it significantly improved her sleep.

GF tried cpap but couldn't take how much gas it gave her (not all of the air goes into the lung but some of it into the digestive track and comes out the other end.) She went for the mouth appliance which helped until her teeth started to move. Now she's debating about trying a different style appliance.

DH was another one who said he would never get used to the CPAP. I finally told him to just start using the damn thing religiously and take it off in the middle of the night if he got uncomfortable. First night I think he lasted 30 minutes. By the the end of the month he was sleeping so well and felt so great he would never go anywhere without it.

People can get used to anything. All sorts of uncomfortable or painful conditions can hit us in life and you either learn to live with them or you die. People make their own choices.

Sister has a CPAP machine and it took a long time for her to get used to it period more like months than weeks. She has blood pressure problems but gets a slightly better sleep with a CPAP so the front blood pressure is under control.

Just to an aside she also has atrial fibrillation and that causes her to have a buildup of moisture everywhere including in her lungs. So with her doctor's permission she does not use any moisture it her CPAP otherwise she ends up with lung problems and a great deal of settled moisture. That small adjustment has made it so that she does not get pneumonia or bronchitis or shortness of breath as frequently as before. In fact she just doesn't get those infections that she was getting for quite a while. I found out because I asked about it. She did not question anything about anything which is her nature.

Good luck on finding an alternative that works for you. Or alternatively a way to get comfortable with it.

My husband had to experiment with a few different styles of head pieces, masks, nose pillows, etc., before he found the right device for his needs. He is a 100% compliant user and won't be without it. His health is much improved since he began using a cpap.

I can't imagine, however, anyone not washing their face mask or nose piece every day. Ewwwww. Takes a few seconds.

I can't imagine using one-I toss and turn during the night, but my fitness tracker says I get an excellent nights sleep (meaning a deep sleep not waking). Its just my nature to move about in my sleep i guess. Just curious if you lie still??? I picture getting all tangled if it were me, I used to snore, but when my braces came off I got a top and bottom nightime retainer and don't snore now-nice surprise. Also curious-for those of you who never snored-what made you get a sleep study?

Lisa, DH built a small shelf above the bed for his unit and the hose, which is quite long, comes down, He has plenty of freedom to move around and can sleep in whatever position he wants.

My grandson said I snored when he spends the night, but I ended up with a sleep study because I was hospitalized with a pulmonary embolism. In the tests done to discover why, they found my heart had some damage and since doc couldn't figure out why, he suggested a sleep study to see if apnea was a contributor. It was mild, but my oxygen drops when I sleep, so he suggested using a cpap machine.

I really was sad about it because I'm kind of a princess and the pea kind of gal and was sure I'd NEVER get used to it. But I did. I don't see any difference in how I felt before using it and now, but it seems like a wise thing to follow my Drs' recommendations.

It was recommended by my primary care doctor to have a sleep study. I am not a snorer, nor did I snore during the sleep study. I was constantly tired no matter how many hours I spent in bed. I could hardly wait for weekends when I could sleep longer. But no matter how many hours I spent in bed, I was always tired. My doctor ruled out anything physical, thus the suggestion for the sleep study. I'm so glad I followed up with it. I now sleep like a baby and always feel refreshed after 8 hours of sleep. I don't nap anymore, and don't fight to stay awake during the day.

Anyone can get used to sleeping with a CPAP if their life depended on it. Unfortunately, many people don't understand that if they have sleep apnea, their life does depend on 100% compliancy with using a CPAP.

My experience was similar to what sephia and olychick describe. For me, it was the tiredness even after a night's sleep of normal duration that turned out to be the indicator to the sleep doc that I had a problem. The focused diagnosis was determined from two overnight sessions at a sleep study center.

I used to toss and turn through the night. Since I started using a CPAP machine (as above, nearly 20 years ago) I don't move at all. I always wake up in the same position and in exactly the same spot I'm in when I fall asleep.