Sleep apnea treatment: 7 options, what they cost, and who each is for

Treatment guide for U.S. adults. By SleepApneaSelect. Prices and rules checked October 7, 2026. How we checked.

Seven main options to discuss for obstructive sleep apnea are a CPAP machine, a custom mouthpiece (called an oral appliance), positional therapy, weight loss and habit changes, the drug Zepbound, a nerve-stimulation implant, and other surgery.

CPAP is the usual first treatment. Sleep medicine guidelines generally put it first, and it cuts breathing pauses more than an oral appliance does (AASM/AADSM guideline (opens in a new tab)). But it is not your only choice. If you can't use CPAP, or you want something else, there are real options with real evidence behind them.

Which ones are open to you depends on your sleep study results, whether you've tried CPAP, your weight and airway anatomy, your other health needs, what you prefer, and who is paying.

The table below puts all seven side by side. You'll see who each one is for, what using it involves, checked price examples, and who to call.

This guide is for adults with obstructive sleep apnea, the most common type. For a child, or for central sleep apnea, start here.

Jump to what you need:

• I haven't been tested yet
• I was just diagnosed
• CPAP is hard for me to use
• I want options besides CPAP
• I want to know the cost

Already have a CPAP prescription and just need the machine? Our comparison covers one machine setup right now, so check that it matches your prescription.

Sleep apnea treatment options compared

Read across a row to see the whole deal for one treatment: who it's for, what you do, the catch, a price, and how you'll know it works.

Provider and seller links on this page are unpaid. Advertising disclosure.

Three things to know about this table:

• It isn't a ranking. CPAP is first because it is the usual first treatment. Surgery is last because it usually comes later.
• "Quote needed" doesn't mean free. It means we don't have a comparable total from the sources we checked. Ask for a written quote.
• You can mix them. Many people use more than one, like CPAP plus weight loss.

How the filter works. Say you tick "No surgery" and "No mask or air machine." Four treatments stay: a custom oral appliance, positional therapy, weight loss and daily habits, and Zepbound. Now tick "Not limited to moderate or severe sleep apnea." Zepbound drops off, because its label covers moderate to severe sleep apnea only. Three are left to ask your clinician about.

The filter sorts these treatment routes by what labels and guidelines say. They are not every brand or device available. "Doesn't usually require a CPAP trial" describes the usual care route; medical exceptions and insurance rules can differ. The filter doesn't know your health. We don't decide what you qualify for. Your clinician decides treatment suitability with you; your insurer decides coverage.

Where to start

If you haven't been tested yet

Start with a clinical evaluation and a sleep test if your clinician orders one. You can't pick a treatment until you know three things: if you have sleep apnea, what type, and how severe.

Snoring, feeling tired, or an alert from a smartwatch are good reasons to get tested. They are not a diagnosis.

Many adults can test at home. A clinician decides if a home test fits you. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) says a lab test is the better pick if you have serious heart or lung disease, a nerve or muscle condition that weakens breathing, hypoventilation while awake or suspected during sleep, long-term opioid use, a past stroke, or severe insomnia. Hypoventilation means breathing too little to clear enough carbon dioxide (AASM testing guideline (opens in a new tab)).

If a home test comes back negative, unclear, or without enough usable data, don't just buy another one. AASM recommends a lab study next. Go back to the clinician who ordered the test.

If you were just diagnosed

Do these five things, in order:

1. Get your sleep study report and any prescription already issued. HIPAA gives you a right to copies of records held by covered providers; most providers must follow it (federal records guide (opens in a new tab)). See prescription and records help.
2. Ask what type of sleep apnea you have and how severe it is. The next section explains the number on your report.
3. Ask which treatment your clinician suggests first, and what else you could try. Bring the visit questions.
4. Find out who supplies the treatment and who follows up. These are often different people.
5. Check the full price and what your insurance needs before you buy. See what treatment costs.

If CPAP is hard for you to use

You are not failing. Lots of people struggle with CPAP at first.

Start with the fixes to try and what to ask. Then look at your options besides CPAP.

If you're still tired on treatment

Don't shop for a new treatment yet. Tell your clinician first. AASM says a follow-up sleep test can be used when symptoms keep going even though you use CPAP well (AASM follow-up guidance (opens in a new tab)).

Safety first. If you are too sleepy to drive safely, don't drive. If you are already driving, pull over somewhere safe and arrange another ride. Call your clinician promptly. You don't need to wait until you nod off (American Thoracic Society (opens in a new tab)).

What your sleep study number means

Your report may have a number called AHI. That stands for apnea-hypopnea index. It counts breathing pauses and partial reductions in breathing per hour of sleep. Some home tests report a respiratory event index (REI), based on monitoring time instead. Ask your clinician which number your report uses (AASM testing guideline (opens in a new tab)).

These are the usual adult severity ranges (MedlinePlus (opens in a new tab)). Coverage rules can use different cutoffs; see the Medicare oral appliance rule.

Here is why the number matters for your choices:

• Zepbound is labeled for moderate to severe sleep apnea, in adults with obesity.
• Implants are labeled for moderate to severe sleep apnea too. Inspire covers an AHI of 15 to 100. Genio and aura6000 cover 15 to 65.
• CPAP and oral appliances are not limited to one range.

The number is not the whole story. Your symptoms, your oxygen levels, and your health history matter too. We can't read your report for you. Ask your clinician to walk you through it.

Don't have your report? See prescription and records help.

CPAP and other PAP machines

What it is. PAP means positive airway pressure. A small machine by your bed pushes air through a hose and a mask. The air holds your airway open so you keep breathing.

There are three kinds:

Who it's for. AASM recommends PAP for adults with obstructive sleep apnea and excessive daytime sleepiness. It also suggests PAP when OSA affects sleep-related quality of life or comes with high blood pressure. It says CPAP and APAP both work for long-term treatment. For routine cases, it suggests either one over BPAP (AASM PAP guideline (opens in a new tab)).

Why it comes first. AASM and the dental sleep group AADSM say CPAP should generally be the first choice. It lowers AHI and improves oxygen levels more than an oral appliance does (AASM summary (opens in a new tab)).

What it costs. Two sellers we track list the same machine at $1,004. It is the ResMed AirSense 11 AutoSet with a humidifier and standard SlimLine hose. A mask and a heated hose cost extra (CPAP.com listing (opens in a new tab); The CPAP Shop listing (opens in a new tab)). Return rules differ a lot. CPAP.com allows a one-time machine return within 60 nights of shipment, with condition and return-shipping rules. The CPAP Shop does not take back opened or used machines for a change of mind (CPAP.com returns (opens in a new tab); The CPAP Shop returns (opens in a new tab)). See both in our CPAP comparison.

With Original Medicare. Part B may cover a 12-week CPAP trial when its requirements are met. After the Part B deductible, you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount when the supplier accepts assignment. If continued coverage requirements are met, Medicare pays its share of a 13-month continuous rental, and then you own the machine (Medicare.gov (opens in a new tab)).

To keep coverage after the trial, your records must show use for at least 4 hours a night on at least 70% of nights during a consecutive 30-day period in the first 3 months. That means at least 21 of those 30 nights. You also need a clinical review between day 31 and day 91 documenting that treatment helps you (CMS PAP coverage policy (opens in a new tab)).

That is a coverage rule, not the treatment goal. Use PAP whenever you sleep, including naps, as prescribed (American Thoracic Society (opens in a new tab)).

You need a prescription. CPAP machines are prescription devices in the U.S. (FDA (opens in a new tab)).

Before you order, read what to check before buying equipment.

If CPAP is hard to use

Trouble with CPAP is a reason to ask for help. It is not a reason to give up on treatment.

A different mask or a clinician's review of your settings may help. AASM suggests troubleshooting help during your first weeks on PAP (AASM PAP guideline (opens in a new tab)). These questions follow the American Thoracic Society's PAP troubleshooting tips (opens in a new tab).

Two rules:

• Don't change your pressure settings on your own. Your prescriber sets them.
• Tell your prescriber promptly if side effects keep you from using treatment, so you can agree on a safe plan.

Bring your mask model and notes on what goes wrong and when.

If you gave it a real try and it still doesn't work, say so plainly. That is a reason to talk about an oral appliance or a visit with a surgeon. You can also discuss an oral appliance because you prefer an alternative, without first failing CPAP. Implant rules differ: Inspire requires PAP failure or intolerance, while Genio and aura6000 have broader wording about standard treatments that failed, couldn't be tolerated, or couldn't be used. See the device differences.

See your options besides CPAP, or grab the CPAP questions for your visit.

Oral appliance treatment

What it is. A custom mouthpiece you wear at night. Most hold your lower jaw a little forward. That helps keep your tongue and throat from closing off your airway. It is made for your teeth and can be adjusted. It is not a store-bought snore guard.

Who it's for. AASM and AADSM recommend that sleep doctors consider one for adults with obstructive sleep apnea who can't tolerate CPAP or would rather use something else (AASM/AADSM guideline (opens in a new tab)).

The tradeoff. CPAP lowers AHI more. So with an appliance, you need proof that it works for you. AASM recommends a follow-up sleep test for treatments other than PAP (AASM follow-up guidance (opens in a new tab)). More on that in how to tell if your treatment is working.

What the steps look like:

1. A medical clinician diagnoses you and prescribes the appliance.
2. A dentist checks your teeth, gums, and jaw.
3. The dentist takes impressions or scans, plus a bite record.
4. You get the appliance fitted, then adjusted over time.
5. You take a sleep test with it in.
6. You keep going to dental checkups.

Will it change my teeth or bite? It can. The guideline calls for a dentist to watch for tooth and bite changes. Ask how they will track yours.

Custom or store-bought? The guideline suggests a custom, adjustable appliance from a qualified dentist over a non-custom one.

In person or by mail? AADSM's 2025 standards say three steps should happen in person: the comprehensive dental exam, impressions or scans, and the bite record. Some screening and follow-up visits can use telehealth (AADSM standards (opens in a new tab)). Daybreak describes taking impressions at home and mailing them back (Daybreak FAQ (opens in a new tab)). A mail-in kit does not provide those in-person steps. Before choosing a remote service, ask who will examine your teeth, gums, and jaw in person and how the care will meet that standard.

What it costs. Daybreak lists $3,490 as its "Full Treatment Cost" under the No Insurance tab (Daybreak pricing (opens in a new tab)). The page also describes a $995 "Treatment Essentials" charge for non-covered items, without itemizing them. Ask for a written breakdown confirming what the $3,490 includes and how the $995 charge fits into that total.

Daybreak says its services and devices are self-pay for people enrolled in government plans, including Medicare and Medicare Advantage, and that those customers must not seek reimbursement from those plans (Daybreak's government-plan terms (opens in a new tab)). That is Daybreak's policy; it is not a statement that Medicare never covers oral appliances.

We show Daybreak because it posts a price. We have not compared oral appliance providers, and this is not a recommendation. Local dentists don't post prices in one place, so ask for a written quote. Here is what a full quote should include.

With Medicare. Medicare can pay for a qualifying custom appliance as medical equipment when its rules are met. The policy is called LCD L33611 (opens in a new tab). One rule: if your AHI or RDI is above 30, your records must show you couldn't tolerate PAP or that PAP is contraindicated. RDI is another breathing-event index used in some reports. This policy's "above 30" cutoff is separate from the clinical severity bands above. Ask whether the dentist is enrolled to bill Medicare for the appliance and accepts assignment.

AADSM runs that directory. A listing doesn't mean the dentist takes your insurance or that an appliance is right for you. Take the oral appliance questions with you.

Positional therapy

For some people, apnea happens mostly when they sleep on their back. If that's you, staying off your back can help.

How to find out. Your sleep study may show your AHI on your back and on your side. Ask your clinician: "Was my apnea much worse on my back, and how much remained on my side?" Side sleeping may not be enough if substantial apnea remained in that position (AASM positional therapy guide (opens in a new tab)).

What it involves. You wear a device, or use another method, that keeps you from rolling onto your back.

The limit. It only helps if position is a big part of your apnea. And less snoring doesn't prove your apnea is under control. Ask how the result will be checked. AASM says another sleep test is not always needed if your diagnostic study already showed that positional treatment worked (AASM follow-up guidance (opens in a new tab)).

There is no standard price, so we don't list one.

Weight loss and daily habits

What helps. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) lists these: regular activity, a healthy weight, good sleep habits, less alcohol and caffeine, and quitting smoking (NHLBI (opens in a new tab)). Weight loss is relevant when you have overweight or obesity; it is not a goal for everyone with sleep apnea (American Thoracic Society weight-management guideline (opens in a new tab)).

The honest part. These changes usually work with a main treatment, not in place of one. NHLBI says PAP machines often work best when paired with them.

Needing treatment is not a personal failing. Weight is one cause among several.

Can I stop CPAP if I lose weight? Maybe. But don't guess. Feeling better or snoring less doesn't prove the apnea is gone. AASM says a new sleep test may be used after a big weight change (AASM follow-up guidance (opens in a new tab)). Ask your clinician whether you need one before reducing or stopping treatment.

Zepbound: the first approved medicine

The short version. Zepbound (tirzepatide) is a shot you take once a week. On December 20, 2024, the FDA approved it for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity. You use it along with a lower-calorie diet and more activity. It was the first medicine the FDA approved for sleep apnea (FDA announcement (opens in a new tab)).

How it works. It helps you lose weight. The FDA says the improvement in apnea is likely related to weight loss. It does not hold your airway open the way a machine or a mouthpiece does.

What the studies found. Two 52-week trials included 469 adults with obesity and moderate to severe OSA. They did not include people with diabetes. On average, people taking tirzepatide had about 25 and 29 fewer breathing events an hour in the two trials. People on a placebo (a shot with no medicine) had about 5 and 6 fewer. These counts include stopped and reduced breathing.

At 52 weeks, about 42% and 50% of people on tirzepatide met a combined result: fewer than 5 events an hour, or 5–14 with an Epworth Sleepiness Scale score of 10 or lower. About 16% and 14% on placebo met it. That sleepiness score does not mean every symptom was gone. Everyone received diet and activity guidance. These are group results, not a prediction of your result (original SURMOUNT-OSA report (opens in a new tab)).

Who its OSA approval doesn't cover. People with mild OSA, or adults with OSA who don't have obesity. Zepbound has separate weight-management indications, but those are not approval to treat every form of sleep apnea. And the OSA approval is for Zepbound itself. It doesn't carry over to other weight-loss drugs.

Dose. The label lists maintenance doses of 10 mg or 15 mg once a week for OSA. Treatment starts lower; each increase comes after at least four weeks at the current dose. Your prescriber sets the dose and schedule. The 2.5 mg starting dose is not a maintenance dose (current Zepbound label (opens in a new tab)).

Safety. The label has a boxed warning, the FDA's strongest kind. It is about thyroid tumors seen in rats. No one knows yet if this happens in people. You should not take Zepbound if you or a family member has had medullary thyroid cancer, if you have a condition called MEN 2, or if you have had a serious allergic reaction to tirzepatide or an ingredient. Stomach side effects like nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting are common. Tell your prescriber about pregnancy, other medicines, and your medical history before starting. Your prescriber should go over the full warning and side-effect list with you (current label (opens in a new tab)).

What it costs without insurance. These are LillyDirect's self-pay prices for four single-dose vials or one four-dose KwikPen. Lilly calls this a month's supply, but it means 28 days, not a calendar month (LillyDirect pricing (opens in a new tab); Self Pay Journey terms (opens in a new tab)):

The $449 offer applies automatically to the first purchase at one of the qualifying higher doses. To keep it, you must buy the refill within 45 days of delivery or receipt of the previous prescription. If you miss that window, the regular price applies. That is a purchase deadline, not an instruction to change when you inject the medicine. Visits, injection needles or syringes, and any applicable taxes or fees cost extra. Lilly can change or end the offer.

These are direct LillyDirect purchase terms. A pharmacy savings card has its own eligibility, fill limits, and expiry; check the terms for the route you actually use.

Keep using CPAP as prescribed. One trial enrolled people already using PAP, but the trials did not establish when those people could stop it. Don't stop your current treatment on your own because of weight loss or feeling better. Ask your sleep clinician to review your response and whether you need a new sleep test (Zepbound label, section 14.2 (opens in a new tab); AASM follow-up guidance (opens in a new tab)).

Take the Zepbound questions to your prescriber.

Nerve-stimulation implants

What it is. A surgeon places a small device in your body. At night, it sends a mild signal to the nerve that moves your tongue. This helps keep your airway open. There is no airflow mask.

Who it's for. Selected adults with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. The device matters: Inspire requires PAP failure or intolerance. Genio and aura6000 also include people for whom current standard treatments are unsuitable.

Three systems are FDA-approved. They are not the same, and FDA approval does not mean all three are commercially available.

What it takes to qualify. Your specialist reviews the sleep study, why standard treatments failed, couldn't be tolerated, or couldn't be used, and the exact device's requirements. Age, airway anatomy, central or mixed breathing events, other implants, and health conditions can matter. Insurers apply separate coverage rules. An AHI or BMI in range is not enough on its own.

Cost. We have not verified a comparable all-in price for implantation. Inspire says most major U.S. insurers cover its treatment when their requirements are met (Inspire's insurance page (opens in a new tab)). Coverage for one brand does not establish coverage for another. Ask the center and your insurer for the exact policy and a written estimate of your share.

One Medicare local policy requires a BMI below 35 and an AHI of 15–65 on a qualifying lab sleep study, among other criteria. Ask your surgeon which coverage policy applies to you (CMS LCD L38276 (opens in a new tab)). That is a local coverage rule, not the FDA label or a nationwide promise for every implant.

What about the next aura6000 version? LivaNova projects an MRI-compatible commercial version in the second half of 2027, subject to FDA approval. That is a company forecast, not a current device feature or a promised appointment date (August 2026 company presentation, slide 18 (opens in a new tab)).

The honest limits. It is surgery. And these are four separate questions: Is it FDA-approved? Is it a good medical fit for me? Is it offered near me? Will my insurance pay?

Take the implant questions to your visit.

AASM runs that directory. Not every center offers every implant.

Other surgery for sleep apnea

The short version. Surgery is usually something to talk about after CPAP hasn't worked, not before.

What the guideline says. AASM recommends that clinicians talk about a visit with a sleep surgeon when an adult has a BMI under 40 and can't tolerate or won't accept PAP. For adults with a BMI of 35 or higher in that same spot, it recommends talking about a visit with a weight-loss surgeon. It also suggests trying PAP first, even when there is a blockage like large tonsils (AASM surgery guideline (opens in a new tab)).

These are prompts for a talk with your clinician. They are not rules about who can have surgery.

Other surgical indications or your individual circumstances can justify discussing surgery earlier (full AASM guideline (opens in a new tab)).

The main types:

• Throat and tonsil surgery removes or tightens tissue that blocks the airway.
• Jaw surgery moves the jaws forward to make more room.
• Nose surgery can make breathing easier, and can make CPAP easier to use.
• Weight-loss surgery can help when obesity is driving the apnea.

What to expect. A visit with a surgeon is not a promise of surgery or of a cure. Ask about recovery, what happens if some apnea remains, and the sleep test afterward.

Cost. A quote is needed. We have not verified a comparable total for these different procedures. Ask for a written estimate that covers the surgeon, the facility, anesthesia, and follow-up.

What sleep apnea treatment costs

There is no single price for sleep apnea treatment. Some habit changes have no purchase cost. The checked appliance and medicine examples below cost thousands of dollars; surgery needs its own quote.

What matters is the full cost of the path you pick, and how much of it you owe.

Prices we checked

Checked October 7, 2026. These are examples from named companies. They are not averages.

A budget example at today's prices. This is our math from the prices above. Equipment is an upfront purchase; the drug example covers repeated purchases:

• CPAP: $1,004 upfront, plus a mask, supplies, and any care costs.
• Oral appliance: Daybreak's advertised $3,490 treatment package, after confirming the itemized total and included care.
• Zepbound maintenance: 13 eligible 28-day LillyDirect fills × $449 = $5,837 for 52 weeks (364 days). This assumes today's price stays the same and every refill remains eligible. It excludes visits, injection supplies, taxes, and fees. It is not a quote or a promise that the offer will continue. Starting and dose-escalation costs may differ; your prescriber chooses the dose and schedule.

The big difference: a CPAP machine or an appliance has a large upfront cost, plus ongoing supplies, care, and eventual replacement. Zepbound has a recurring medicine cost for each 28-day supply.

What a full quote should include

A low price can hide missing pieces. Ask each provider to mark every item below as included, extra, or not needed.

Here's an example. One dentist quotes a price for the appliance and the first fitting. Another quotes a higher price that also covers six adjustment visits and the follow-up sleep test. You can't tell which is cheaper until you know what each one leaves out.

What insurance changes

Your plan sets your share. Ask the provider and your insurer these six questions:

1. Are you in my network for this treatment?
2. Do I need approval ahead of time, and who sends it in?
3. What records or sleep test results does my plan need?
4. What will I pay out of pocket, and what is not covered?
5. Do I have to try CPAP first before you'll cover something else?
6. If the first treatment doesn't work, what happens next, and who pays?

If you have Medicare:

• CPAP: Part B may cover a 12-week trial. With Original Medicare, you generally pay 20% of the approved amount after your deductible when the supplier accepts assignment. Continued coverage requires the use and clinical-review rules described above.
• Oral appliance: can be covered as medical equipment when Medicare's rules are met. Ask if the dentist bills Medicare.
• Implant: ask which device your Medicare coverage includes and which local coverage policy applies. Don't use a manufacturer's general coverage statement as your approval.
• Zepbound: ask your Part D drug plan about coverage for moderate to severe OSA with obesity, including prior authorization and your share (CMS Part D guidance (opens in a new tab)).

How to tell if your treatment is working

"Working" means the treatment controls your apnea. It doesn't just mean you snore less.

• On CPAP: your machine records how long you use it and estimates remaining breathing events. Your clinician reviews that along with how you feel. Machine data are not the same as a diagnostic sleep study. If you have no recurring symptoms and are doing well on PAP, AASM does not recommend routine repeat sleep tests.
• On other treatments: AASM generally recommends a follow-up sleep test to check your response. That covers oral appliances, implants, and surgery. One exception is positional therapy when the diagnostic study already showed that it worked.
• After a big weight change: a new sleep test may be used, up or down.

Source for all three: AASM follow-up guidance (opens in a new tab).

These are not proof on their own: less snoring, feeling better, or a good score on a smartwatch.

Ask your clinician three things:

1. What result counts as good enough for me?
2. Who checks it, and when?
3. What's the plan if I still have symptoms?

Questions to take to your visit

Take these to your sleep clinician, dentist, prescriber, or surgeon. Copy them, print them, or just read them off your phone. Copy and Print include the core list and all four treatment-specific question groups. This checklist does not collect or send your health information. Copy puts the questions on your clipboard; Print uses your browser.

What's new in sleep apnea treatment

• December 2024: The FDA approved Zepbound, the first medicine for sleep apnea.
• August 2025: The FDA approved Genio, a second nerve-stimulation implant.
• March 2026: The FDA approved aura6000, a third implant. Approval is separate from commercial availability; see the current restrictions and company launch forecast.
• March 2026: Lilly announced retail self-pay access to the Zepbound KwikPen, starting at $299 for a 28-day supply. Pharmacy savings-card rules differ from the direct LillyDirect offer above (Lilly statement (opens in a new tab); current terms (opens in a new tab)).
• July 2026: Apnimed announced that the FDA accepted its application for AD109, a once-a-night pill for OSA. Its September update still lists a target decision date of February 28, 2027. It is not approved, and approval is not certain (July announcement (opens in a new tab); September update (opens in a new tab)).

Central sleep apnea and children

Central sleep apnea is a different condition with different treatments. If your report says central, mixed, or complex sleep apnea, don't use this page to choose a treatment. Go over the report with your sleep clinician. AASM has a plain guide to central sleep apnea (opens in a new tab).

Children need their own plan. Causes and treatments can differ from adults. Start with your child's doctor, and read NHLBI's guide to sleep apnea in children (opens in a new tab).

Common questions about sleep apnea treatment

Can sleep apnea be cured?

Sometimes it gets better enough that you need less treatment, or none. Big weight loss or surgery can do that for some people. But the Zepbound studies' combined result of remission or mild OSA with a low sleepiness score is not proof of a permanent cure. See what the studies actually measured.

CPAP and oral appliances work only while you use them. And apnea can come back. A sleep test is the way to know where you stand.

Is there a pill for sleep apnea?

No pill is FDA-approved specifically for adult obstructive sleep apnea as of October 7, 2026. Zepbound is a shot, and its OSA indication is for adults with obesity and moderate to severe sleep apnea. Apnimed says its pill AD109 is under FDA review, with a target decision date of February 28, 2027. It is not approved (Apnimed update (opens in a new tab)). Other sleep-apnea types can have different medicine options; see central sleep apnea.

Do I need treatment if my sleep apnea is mild?

Mild sleep apnea can still need treatment. AASM recommends PAP for excessive daytime sleepiness and also suggests it when OSA affects sleep-related quality of life or comes with high blood pressure. Mild OSA without those problems still calls for a discussion of your symptoms, other health needs, treatment choices, and follow-up (AASM PAP guideline (opens in a new tab)).

Do mouth tape, nose strips, or store-bought snore guards treat sleep apnea?

None of the AASM treatment guidelines linked here recommend mouth tape, chin straps, or nose strips as a stand-alone OSA treatment. A small mouth-taping study involved just 20 selected adults with mild OSA who could tolerate it. That does not establish it as a safe replacement for prescribed treatment (original preliminary study (opens in a new tab)). For mouthpieces, the guideline suggests a custom, adjustable one from a qualified dentist over a non-custom one (AASM/AADSM guideline (opens in a new tab)).

Less snoring is nice. It doesn't prove your apnea is under control.

Can I buy a CPAP without a prescription?

No. CPAP machines are prescription devices in the U.S. (FDA classification (opens in a new tab)). If you have a prescription, ask your prescriber for a copy. If you've never been tested, start with a clinical evaluation. See prescription and records help.

Your next step

Pick the one that matches where you are today.

You haven't been tested. Compare home tests, and let the service's clinician decide if a home test fits you.

You have a CPAP prescription. Compare what two sellers include and how their return rules differ. Check that the machine matches your prescription.

You need your report or prescription. Here's how to ask for a copy.

You want to talk about treatments besides CPAP. Take the visit questions to a sleep clinician.

You want an oral appliance. Find a dentist trained in sleep apnea care.

How we checked

We read the clinical guidelines, FDA records, Medicare pages, and company price pages linked on this page. We opened them on October 7, 2026.

A few things to know:

• No clinician has reviewed this page. We report what published guidelines and labels say.
• We didn't test any treatment or buy anything.
• Prices are examples from the companies named. They aren't averages, and they can change. Confirm the price before you pay.
• Company claims are labeled as company claims. That covers Inspire on insurance, Daybreak on its own pricing, and LivaNova on its plans.

Our comparison method and editorial standards explain the rest. See a price or rule that changed? Send us the source.

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