The Benefits of Positional Therapy for Snoring and OSA

What is your favorite position in bed? No, not that position - we’re talking about sleep position. Is it on your side, on your back, curled up in the fetal position, or on your stomach? Is there a right way to sleep to ensure you're getting a healthy night’s rest? Turns out there is a best sleep position to alleviate snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Snoring and mild OSA are the most common sleep-disordered breathing problems. Positional sleep apnea can affect as many as 49.5% of patients with mild sleep apnea and 19.4% of those with moderate sleep apnea. Sleep apnea raises the risk of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure.

Lifestyle changes can help, such as managing weight, avoiding alcohol and sedatives, and avoiding sleeping on your back (known medically as the supine position). Instead, snorers and people with mild OSA are advised to sleep on their sides. Why?

To ensure that the base of the tongue won’t collapse into the back of your throat. This helps keep the airway open. Gravity can easily shift your tongue and the soft tissues in your mouth into the throat, blocking adequate airflow and leading to disrupted breathing and snoring which disturbs your sleep.

Research shows that this simple fix, also known as positional therapy, works. One study found that 56% of patients with OSA experienced a difference of 50% or more in the apnea index between the supine and non-supine sleep positions, which just goes to show that changing your sleeping position can help!

Positional therapy is a clinically-proven therapy with no adverse side effects and a good choice for anyone who snores, but in particular for:

• People with teeth or jaw issues (who cannot use an anti-snoring mouthpiece);
• Snorers seeking a co-therapy option to pair with an anti-snoring mouthpiece, nasal dilator, or chin straps.
• People with mild OSA who cannot tolerate CPAP; and
• People who need to change sleep positions for health reasons, such as pregnant women who must sleep on their sides once they reach a certain point in pregnancy.

ZQuiet offers a range of snoring solutions. We understand that there is no one-size-fits-all. Browse our snoring solutions to find the best one for you or your bed partner.