Technology Is Reshaping Sleep Apnea Treatment

More than a century after sleep apnea was first described in literature, and decades after it was first recognized as a clinical disorder, treatment finally caught up. In 1981, Australian physician Colin Sullivan pioneered continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a device, fitted using a mask, that keeps the airway open during sleep. It remains the gold standard in sleep apnea care today. But not everyone can tolerate it, and a new wave of technologies is expanding treatment options beyond one-size-fits-all.

“The issue with CPAP is not that they don’t work—they do—but adherence,” says Joerg Steier, adjunct professor of respiratory and sleep medicine at King’s College London. Studies show CPAP can reduce overall mortality and cardiovascular risk “quite substantially,” he says.

Many people, though, struggle to sleep with a mask strapped to their face or find it claustrophobic. One study found that ...