A new study led by researchers from Monash University and Harvard has shown that using a combination of treatments for sleep apnea could be more effective than using just one.
The results, published in the European Respiratory Journal, bring fresh hope to people with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition that affects breathing during sleep.
Sleep apnea happens when a person’s airway becomes blocked or collapses while they sleep, causing them to stop breathing for short periods. This can happen many times during the night.
It’s not just loud snoring—sleep apnea can lead to poor sleep quality, daytime tiredness, and serious health issues like high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. In Australia, around 5% of the population has sleep apnea, and among men over 30, it affects about one in four.
Dr. Brad Edwards, a sleep expert at Monash University, explained that OSA is caused by two main problems. First, the upper airway (usually the throat area) tends to narrow or collapse during sleep.
Second, the way the brain controls breathing can be unstable. Most current treatments focus on the physical blockage, but the new study wanted to see what would happen if they also treated the brain’s role in the disorder.
The researchers tested a combination of two different tools. One was a mandibular advancement device, or MAD for short. This is a mouthguard-like device that moves the lower jaw forward to keep the airway open.
The other treatment was supplemental oxygen, which helps stabilize breathing. Oxygen is often used in other lung diseases but not typically for sleep apnea. This study is the first time these two treatments were used together for sleep apnea patients.
The trial included 41 people with moderate-to-severe sleep apnea. Each participant had four sleep sessions, testing oxygen alone, the MAD alone, both together, and a placebo (regular room air with no treatment).
The researchers carefully measured how often the participants stopped breathing during the night and how severe their symptoms were.
The results were clear: using both treatments together worked better than either treatment alone. People had fewer breathing interruptions and better sleep overall.
Dr. Scott Sands, a senior researcher from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said the study offers strong evidence that treating both the physical and control problems of sleep apnea at the same time makes a big difference.
He compared this approach to how doctors treat high blood pressure—using two or three drugs that each work in different ways to get the best results. In the same way, using a combination of therapies for sleep apnea could become a more effective method in the future.
The study suggests that combining treatments may be the key to helping people with sleep apnea who haven’t had success with single therapies. However, the researchers also say that larger studies are needed to confirm the results and figure out which types of patients would benefit most.
In conclusion, this study is a big step forward in the treatment of sleep apnea. By targeting more than one cause at the same time, doctors may be able to improve sleep quality and reduce health risks for millions of people around the world.
If confirmed in future research, this combination method could change how sleep apnea is treated and help many people get a better night’s rest.
If you care about sleep, please read studies about How sleep affects type 2 diabetes management and findings of Connection between sleep apnea and high blood pressure you need to know.
For more health information, please read studies that Common sleep supplement could improve memory and Scientists find link between short sleep and higher risk of long COVID.
The study is published in the European Respiratory Journal.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
