Combining CPAP with Oral Appliance

I keep sleeping super late and am still trying to figure out what's going on with my sleep. Therefore I'm considering using my oral appliance with my CPAP. I've read that people do this, but I was curious what CPAPTalk has to say about this. Please help. Thanks.

SnoreySam wrote:I keep sleeping super late and am still trying to figure out what's going on with my sleep. Therefore I'm considering using my oral appliance with my CPAP. I've read that people do this, but I was curious what CPAPTalk has to say about this. Please help. Thanks.

Hi SnoreySam,

What you are referring to is TAP-PAP Combination Therapy, http://tapintosleep.com/patients-treatm ... n-therapy/, which is usually provided to people with severe apnea who are having trouble adjusting to pap therapy. A dental appliance by itself generally does not have a great success rate for people who have severe apnea in getting the AHI below 5.

As a result, the combination therapy was developed. The idea is that by using the dental appliance to also open the airway, the pressure of the machine can be lowered which would make the therapy more tolerable. How well that works in reality is another question as I haven't seen exactly what the success rates are.

If you wanted to post more specific problems about your situation, folks on this board would be happy to help you.

49er

Thank you 49er. I am going to look at that link. I have a SnoreRx and a Resmed S9 autoset. I use the CPAP now and previously used the SnoreRx. I've been adjusting to the CPAP which I tolerate fine, but I still wake up quite late sometimes. I was trying to see if there was a way to just get near perfect sleep because after using an oral appliance for a year the CPAP just feels like it may not keep my throat open quite enough on air alone. It rates a good AHI most of the time, but I've read that AHI on the machine only says so much. Sometimes a day with a high AHI people still better.

SnoreySam wrote:Thank you 49er. I am going to look at that link. I have a SnoreRx and a Resmed S9 autoset. I use the CPAP now and previously used the SnoreRx. I've been adjusting to the CPAP which I tolerate fine, but I still wake up quite late sometimes. I was trying to see if there was a way to just get near perfect sleep because after using an oral appliance for a year the CPAP just feels like it may not keep my throat open quite enough on air alone. It rates a good AHI most of the time, but I've read that AHI on the machine only says so much. Sometimes a day with a high AHI people still better.

Hi SnoreySam,

You're very welcome.

If you have access to Sleepyhead, perhaps you might want to post screenshots of your data so the experts can make sure your therapy is optimized. For example, depending on what the data shows, even if your AHI is optimized, perhaps raising your pressure a notch could provide you what you need.

Best of luck.

49er

It appears you are more comfortable using both; am I correct?