by EBSCO Medical Review Board

The goal is to reduce or stop sleep apnea episodes.

Some medicines have been used to treat sleep apnea. For example, modafinil may ease daytime sleepiness in people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Treatment may also include:

Lifestyle changesSurgeryOther treatments

References

Central sleep apnea. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:  https://www.dynamed.com/condition/central-sleep-apnea . Accessed September 17, 2020.

Greenstone M, Hack M. Obstructive sleep apnoea. BMJ. 2014 Jun 17;348:g3745.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:  https://www.dynamed.com/condition/obstructive-sleep-apnea-osa-in-adults . Accessed September 16, 2020.

Sleep apnea. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sleepapnea. Accessed September 16, 2020.

Sleep apnea information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Sleep-Apnea-Information-Page. Accessed September 16, 2020.

Snoring, sleeping disorders, and sleep apnea. ENThealth—American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery website. Available at: http://www.entnet.org/content/snoring-and-sleep-apnea. Accessed September 17, 2020.

What is sleep apnea? American Sleep Apnea Association website. Available at: https://www.sleepapnea.org/learn/sleep-apnea. Accessed September 16, 2020.

Revision Information

  • Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board Kari Kassir, MD
  • Review Date: 03/2020
  • Update Date: 04/07/2021