If additional medical expertise is required, referral to a sleep disorders center is indicated. There, a specialist in sleep disorders medicine can perform an evaluation and initiate specific treatment. Examples of treatments used for the above three sleep disorders are the following. Obstructive sleep apnea. This is a mask covering the nose and connected to an air blower.
Air pressure is delivered by the machine, through the mask and nose, to the back of the throat.
The increased air pressure in the throat keeps the tongue from falling backwards and blocking the air passage. Other treatments include surgery to widen the back of the throat, and dental mouthpieces. The latter advance the lower jaw forward during sleep. Because the tongue is connected to the lower jaw, it will have less of a tendency to collapse backward and obstruct the airway. Insomnia that is related to other medical problems such as asthma or emphysema is best treated by addressing those conditions.