Another technique is to use positional pillows to assist in sleeping on the side. Positional therapy has limits, but it has been tried with success in some patients. Back to top Positive Pressure Therapy Positive airway pressure is a very effective therapy for obstructive sleep apnea. Regardless of the mechanism used, it is desirable to use the lowest possible pressure to eradicate the sleep apnea . In most cases, positive airway pressure is easier to tolerate at lower pressures.
Every patient requires a different pressure.
To determine the individual patient's optimum airway pressure, it is necessary to titrate the pressure to each individual patient during a polysomnogram. A polysomnogram indicates when the respiratory events have ceased, and when arousal from the respiratory events occurs. To reduce the need for sleep studies, machines have been designed to titrate the correct pressure automatically. These machines are called auto-titrating machines. Auto-titrating machines may be useful, but have not been validated against a titration done during a polysomnogram.