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Sleep apnea

Lifestyle modifications

NUTRITION

  • Alcohol: May worsen sleep apnea, disrupt sleep structure, and increase daytime sleepiness (2)


PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

  • May modestly improve sleep apnea by itself, without weight loss, including AHI reduction, sleep efficiency, sleepiness (2)


WEIGHT

  • Weight loss is advised for patients with sleep apnea who are overweight or obese (1, 2)

  • Effect: A 9-17% weight loss may decrease Apnoea-Hypopnoea Index by about 50% in people with sleep apnoea (1)

  • May decrease daytime sleepiness (2)

  • Weight loss rarely causes total remission of symptoms (2)


SLEEP

  • Altered sleep position if it triggers sleep apnea. Avoid lying on the back, or in the supine position (2)

References

Resources

Evidence Pyramid

EXPLANATION TO EVIDENCE PRESENTATION

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Evidence based on guidelines and evidence based Clinical Decision Systems is written in BOLD

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Evidence based on meta analysis or systematic reviews is written in BOLD and CURSIVE

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Evidence based on randomized controlled trials is written in plain font

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Evidence based on observational / cohort studies is written in CURSIVE

Figure: Evidence pyramid

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