I want to share the top 5 sleep apnea supplements with you in this article but I also want to share some other resources for getting to the actual cause of sleep apnea.

When it comes to health challenges like insomnia or sleep apnea and people ask me about supplements, herbs, minerals or vitamin that they can take for them, I always like to ask a question first.

That question is…

In the case of sleep apnea….did you ever sleep without snoring (even if it was decades ago) before you took any supplements?

If the answer is yes then sleep apnea supplements aren’t fixing the root cause of your inability to breathe through your nose at night.

If the sleep apnea supplements I recommend work, that just means that if you stop taking them, your sleep apnea will return.

Fixing The Root Cause of Sleep Apnea

So before I share what I believe are the best sleep apnea supplements available, I want to share with you some possible causes and long term solutions to fixing sleep apnea naturally without drugs, supplements or pharmaceutical medications.

Now this is going to sound somewhat controversial but after studying nutrition since 2003 and reading hundreds of journals and research papers, my belief is that mineral dysregulation and improper nutrition causes the bone structure in the face, jaw and upper airway to form incorrectly.

Sleep apnea is also exacerbated if your tonsils were removed, using pacifiers as a baby and not being breastfed.

Obviously food allergies, excess estrogen, blue light and weight gain play major roles as well and they should all be looked at.

Most times people will get a CPAP machine without ever wondering why do I have sleep apnea in the first place? There are tests you can do to see if you even have sleep apnea and dental devices you can wear but the real question we should ask ourselves is “Why do we have sleep apnea to begin with?”

To answer that question and get to the real root cause of fixing some of the primary causes, you need to look into a myofunctional therapist in your area.

I’ve done extensive study with two myofunctional therapists that I’ll refer you to in order to work on the long terms natural cures for sleep apnea. The first one is named Carol Vander Stoep and she’s the author of a great book I read called Mouth Matters. I would read that book and do exactly what she says if you want to get rid of sleep apnea without taking medications. Her website is called Mouth Matters Book.com. But as of this writing it’s no longer there for some reason. She can also be found on Twitter, Facebook and here as well.

The other myofunctional therapist I’d recommend looking into is Sarah Hornsby from MyFaceology.com.

They are both wonderful and amazing people who are doing incredible work with helping people who suffer from sleep apnea. The other thing I would heavily research is Buteyko Breathing and following their specific breathing techniques.

Some people will even use mouth tape along with nasal dilators to open up the airways during the night. I’ve done that before (albeit I don’t have sleep apnea) with really good success.

There’s also a very interesting procedure that I would research and do if I had sleep apnea. It’s called balloon sinuplasty. I first learned about this technique from Dr. Stephen Berman D.C.

As you’re working on the root cause of sleep apnea so you never have it again, you can also take what I would consider to be the most effective sleep apnea supplements.

6 Sleep Apnea Supplements

Here they are…

1. DHEA – Women should apply 1 pump on thin-skinned areas every other day, while men should apply 1-3 pumps on thin-skinned areas daily.
2. N-acetyl-cysteine: 600 mg
3. Acetyl-L-carnitine: 500 mg
4. Alpha lipoic acid: 100 mg
5. L-arginine: 500 mg
6. Coenzyme Q10: 100 mg

DHEA

• Some Studies suggest that DHEA may help improve sleep quality by balancing hormone levels, which could potentially mitigate some of your symptoms of sleep apnea, particularly in postmenopausal women where hormonal imbalances are common (source).
• Research indicates that increased levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) are associated with better regulation of sleep disturbances, suggesting that DHEA supplementation might have a positive effect in reducing sleep apnea symptoms by enhancing overall hormonal balance (source).

N-acetyl-cysteine

• Studies show that N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) can attenuate the hypertension and oxidative stress induced by intermittent hypoxia, a key feature of obstructive sleep apnea, suggesting its potential therapeutic role in managing the cardiovascular effects associated with the condition (source).
• Research indicates that N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) may help reduce respiratory muscle dysfunction and oxidative stress caused by chronic intermittent hypoxia, which is commonly observed in sleep apnea patients, improving overall breathing function during sleep (source).

Acetyl-L-carnitine

• Research suggests that Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) can improve sleep-related disorders by modulating neurotransmitter function and reducing fatigue, as seen in cases of cognitive and neurodegenerative disorders (source).
• Studies indicate that Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) supplementation has shown beneficial effects in managing sleep disorders and improving memory function, particularly in patients with fatigue and other cognitive impairments (source).

Alpha lipoic acid

Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) has been shown to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, which are key factors in the pathophysiology of obstructive sleep apnea, potentially improving symptoms. Some studies also suggest that ALA may enhance mitochondrial function, which can positively affect the overall sleep quality in individuals with sleep disorders like sleep apnea.

L-arginine

L-arginine may help improve sleep apnea symptoms by promoting the production of nitric oxide, which enhances blood flow and can reduce airway resistance during sleep. Additionally, L-arginine has been studied for its potential to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, factors that contribute to the severity of obstructive sleep apnea.

Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) may benefit individuals with sleep apnea by improving mitochondrial function and reducing oxidative stress, both of which are linked to the condition. Research also suggests that CoQ10 supplementation can enhance energy metabolism and reduce fatigue, potentially improving overall sleep quality in people with obstructive sleep apnea.

Conclusion

As you can see sleep apnea can have many causes, triggers and associations. Personally I think there are many factors at play, each to varying degrees depending on your situations. Food allergies are one major cause of sleep apnea. Perhaps sleep apnea was triggered when you had your tonsils removed?

Perhaps you have food allergies but still have your tonsils but were given a pacifier too long? Or maybe you have food allergies, you don’t have your tonsils but were never given a pacifier as a baby but you were not breast fed either.

Even with all of these seemingly unrelated factors, I believe that sleep apnea can be reversed naturally if you’re willing to put in the work.  My recommendation is to work with a myofunctional therapist, while looking into the sleep apnea supplements I mentioned to help ease the transition of healing.

Let’s put an end to snoring and not breathing when you’re sleeping so that you can wake up feeling rested!

Questions:

1. How long have you had sleep apnea?
2. Have you ever taken specific supplements for sleep apnea?
3. If so, which ones?
4. How long did you take them?
5. Did they work?

Comment below!