In the self-quarantine thread, the problem of no power for CPAP machines was mentioned.
I occasionally have fairly mild obstructive sleep apnea, and I thought I'd share what I had done for a no-power solution that works for me.
First, a little about sleep apnea. There are two kinds. Central sleep apnea is more rare. It's caused by the brain not triggering breathing normally while asleep.
The most common kind of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea, where the unconscious (asleep) person's soft tissue is no longer supported by the throat musculature the way it is while someone is awake and vertical. Especially when the person is sleeping on their back, the relaxed tissues succumb to gravity and block the airway, like this:
There are serious consequences to long-term sleep apnea like pulmonary hypertension and coronary artery disease, as well as psych issues that come from chronic sleep deprivation.
My "fix" won't work with central sleep apnea, and it might not work for all obstructive sleep apnea.
The no-power, low-cost treatment is heat moldable mouth-guard like this one. (The stick in the photo below is just to help you get it in position to mold it. It doesn't remain in the mouth-guard after the molding process.)
Remember from your first aid class, the "jaw thrust" maneuver used to open the airway in victims who have a suspected spinal injury?
We can use the heat moldable mouth-guard to do the same thing: Hold our jaw in a real jaw-forward, underbite position. Know right off that this takes a little getting used to, but I didn't find it awful.
Essentially, we heat up the mouthguard just like the directions say. But instead of biting normally to let the plastic set, thrust your jaw a little forward, then bite down to let the plastic set. Put the mouthguard in before bed, and get used to sleeping with it for a couple weeks.
Then, reheat the mouth-guard like the directions say, but this time, stick your jaw out a little farther than last time and bite. Then sleep with it in for a couple weeks.
Do this as incrementally as you'd like, until you are able to sleep comfortably with your jaw as far forward as keeps your airway open at night.
I am making no guarantees, but the few folks who have tried it have had good success, including a physician co-worker.
One note: If you decide to try this, make sure you buy a mouth-guard that has a groove for both upper and lower teeth. Some mouth-guards only fit over upper OR lower teeth, not both.
I hope this helps someone!
I occasionally have fairly mild obstructive sleep apnea, and I thought I'd share what I had done for a no-power solution that works for me.
First, a little about sleep apnea. There are two kinds. Central sleep apnea is more rare. It's caused by the brain not triggering breathing normally while asleep.
The most common kind of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea, where the unconscious (asleep) person's soft tissue is no longer supported by the throat musculature the way it is while someone is awake and vertical. Especially when the person is sleeping on their back, the relaxed tissues succumb to gravity and block the airway, like this:
There are serious consequences to long-term sleep apnea like pulmonary hypertension and coronary artery disease, as well as psych issues that come from chronic sleep deprivation.
My "fix" won't work with central sleep apnea, and it might not work for all obstructive sleep apnea.
The no-power, low-cost treatment is heat moldable mouth-guard like this one. (The stick in the photo below is just to help you get it in position to mold it. It doesn't remain in the mouth-guard after the molding process.)
Remember from your first aid class, the "jaw thrust" maneuver used to open the airway in victims who have a suspected spinal injury?
We can use the heat moldable mouth-guard to do the same thing: Hold our jaw in a real jaw-forward, underbite position. Know right off that this takes a little getting used to, but I didn't find it awful.
Essentially, we heat up the mouthguard just like the directions say. But instead of biting normally to let the plastic set, thrust your jaw a little forward, then bite down to let the plastic set. Put the mouthguard in before bed, and get used to sleeping with it for a couple weeks.
Then, reheat the mouth-guard like the directions say, but this time, stick your jaw out a little farther than last time and bite. Then sleep with it in for a couple weeks.
Do this as incrementally as you'd like, until you are able to sleep comfortably with your jaw as far forward as keeps your airway open at night.
I am making no guarantees, but the few folks who have tried it have had good success, including a physician co-worker.
One note: If you decide to try this, make sure you buy a mouth-guard that has a groove for both upper and lower teeth. Some mouth-guards only fit over upper OR lower teeth, not both.
I hope this helps someone!
Last edited:
