Can You Hack Your Sleep Apnea? Experts Say These Tools Might Help

From leaving your phone in another room to investing in blackout curtains and white noise machines, there’s no shortage of advice promising better sleep. But when sleep apnea is part of the picture, no amount of bedtime “hacks” can fully compensate for what’s happening once your head hits the pillow.

If you’ve been diagnosed with — or suspect you have — sleep apnea, the issue isn’t how quickly you fall asleep. It’s whether your sleep is restorative at all.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) causes repeated pauses or reductions in breathing throughout the night, triggering drops in blood oxygen and frequent mini-arousals that sabotage quality sleep. The condition affects an estimated 80 million Americans, yet roughly 80 percent of cases go undiagnosed. Left untreated, OSA has been linked to serious long-term consequences, including heart disease, cognitive decline, diabetes, and an increased risk of car and workplace accidents driven by chronic fatigue.

The most established treatment for sleep apnea is continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP therapy, which uses pressurized air to keep the upper airway open during sleep. But as Dr. Max Kerr, an Austin-based dentist specializing in dental sleep medicine, notes, CPAP isn’t for everyone. Even among those who tolerate it, clinical “compliance” is defined as just four hours a night, four nights a week — well short of a full night’s rest.

While more invasive options like jaw surgery or implanted devices exist, they’re costly and not accessible — or appealing — to everyone. And the first step, as always, is proper diagnosis and guidance from a physician or sleep specialist.

For those looking for additional support, we asked three sleep experts to share the tools and gadgets they recommend to help improve sleep quality — starting tonight.

Positional Pillows

“Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea are often much worse when people are sleeping on their backs. A common conservative approach is called positional therapy, where patients try to avoid sleeping on their back. There are various positional aids on the market, but typically someone will start with something simple like positioning pillows so they cannot roll onto their back.”

- Dr. Eric Kezirian, Professor of Head and Neck Surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Nasal Strips & Dilators

“External nasal strips and internal nasal dilators reduce nasal resistance and can lessen snoring or mild airflow limitations for some people, particularly those with congestion or narrow nasal valves.”

Dr. Alison Kole, Triple-Board-Certified Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine Physician

Saline Rinses & Nasal Sprays

“Regular saline rinses and, when appropriate, medicated nasal sprays can improve nasal airflow and support Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) tolerance or oral appliance use,” Kole adds.

Oral Appliances

“Custom, titratable mandibular advancement devices, or MADs, worn over the teeth can pull the jaw and tongue forward, mechanically enlarging the airway. They are particularly useful for mild-to-moderate OSA, or for people who cannot tolerate PAP,” Kole says.

Kole emphasizes that tools and devices marketed for sleep apnea are most effective when chosen thoughtfully — tailored to an individual’s anatomy, severity of symptoms, and personal preferences. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to treating sleep apnea.

A conversation with a doctor or sleep specialist can help determine which options are most appropriate for you.

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