Wall Street Journal — The New Face of Sleep

By Kris Maher

For the 18 million people with obstructive sleep apnea, the remedy is far from perfect: bulky and expensive masks that some compare to sleeping in scuba gear.

As the number of people with sleep apnea is expected to rise, doctors and medical device makers are trying new treatments. New masks, while still bulky, aim to be more comfortable. Dentists have begun prescribing an appliance that draws the lower jaw forward to create more space in the airway. Some doctors recommend several types of surgery. And some try basic lifestyle changes, like sleeping in a different position. For patients who don’t find relief from any of these, there’s an odd recommendation: Learn to play the didgeridoo (more about that later).

Patients with sleep apnea stop breathing during sleep because the soft palate collapses and blocks the upper airway. A tell-tale symptom is chronic and loud snoring. The most common and effective treatment is “continuous positive airway pressure,” or CPAP. The treatment involves wearing a breathing mask to sleep—which some people find impossible to do. As few as 50% of people who are prescribed a CPAP device actually use it regularly.

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