Sleep apnea: solutions other than C-pap machine?

Self-help treatment for sleep apnea

Minor sleep apnea is responsive to self-help remedies, or “behavioral treatments.” Some of the following self-help treatments for sleep apnea may work for you.

• Lose weight. Overweight individuals who lose even 10% of their weight can reduce sleep apnea during the night and dramatically improve the quality of their sleep.
• Eliminate the use of alcohol, tobacco, and sedatives such as sleeping pills. Avoiding the use of alcohol, tobacco, and sleeping pills can reduce the likelihood of airway closure during the night.
• Sleep on your side. People who experience sleep apnea only when they sleep on their backs can benefit from special pillows or folk remedies that encourage side-sleeping, such as the “tennis ball trick” (putting a tennis ball under you to make back-sleeping uncomfortable).
• Regularize your sleep hours. Irregular sleep hours can throw off your sleep cycles and lead to breathing problems during the most important sleep stages. Stabilizing bedtime hours and eliminating disturbances to your sleep can reduce sleep apnea.

Borrowed from this great site:

http://www.helpguide.org/life/sleep_apnea.htm

Good luck and best wishes. 

In addition to tiptopmanagers excellent advice I'd suggest that you talk to a doctor. Sometimes sleep apnea can be caused by an allergy or a deviated septum, and there might be a herbal remedy that can help. I know there is also an operation that can alleviate the situation.

Thanks to both posters for your replies.  Unfortunately, none of the suggestions apply to me -- I've been to three doctors, I underwent the throat surgery two years ago (didn't change my apnea at all, even though my tonsils, uvula, and some throat tissue were removed), and I even flew from Philly to Milwaukee to see a sleep apnea specialist, who told me the problem is that my tongue is too big!  His suggestion was surgery to reduce the size of my tongue.  That is not something I want to do.  Does anyone out there have advice about whether I should have a permanent tracheotomy "installed"?  I would have a breathing machine while I sleep and would close the tracheotomy while awake.  Too drastic?  It's an option I've been given as a last resort.  To the two who responded to my first question, I really appreciate your help, but I should have been more specific about my particular type of sleep apnea.