Maskless Sleep Apnea Treatment: New CPAP Machines Without a Mask

Struggling with a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine? You’re not alone. Many people find traditional CPAP machines uncomfortable, noisy, and restrictive—leading to poor sleep and low treatment compliance. The good news? Maskless sleep apnea treatments are changing the way we treat sleep apnea, offering effective alternatives without the hassle of bulky headgear.

For those with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea, lifestyle changes can be difficult to maintain and expensive surgeries should be a last resort. 

Thankfully, advances in sleep apnea therapy are changing the game and offering a more comfortable and innovative alternative to CPAP treatments. These maskless sleep apnea devices and machines are gaining popularity for their ease of use and effectiveness. 

MouthShield is one such device, specifically designed to be effective and comfortable, ensuring better health and a better night’s sleep. The trimmable, 100% medical-grade silicone device is a simple yet highly effective maskless sleep apnea treatment.

How Maskless Sleep Apnea Machines Work

Many people find CPAP machine masks quite uncomfortable, restrictive, and difficult to sleep with. This can often lead to people not using them and receiving poor or ineffective treatment as a result. 

Maskless sleep apnea machines and alternatives aim to solve this problem by offering different methods to keep your airways open without requiring you to wear a mask or undergo invasive surgeries.

These devices, essentially new CPAP machines without masks, work in various ways to prevent your airways from collapsing during sleep. Some of the most popular methods and best maskless sleep apnea machines use oral appliances that create negative pressure.

Oral appliances are custom molded to you and placed in your mouth at night. They reposition your lower jaw and bring your tongue forward, elevating your soft palate, and keeping your tongue from falling back and blocking your breathing.

Recent studies have shown that these oral appliances, catered towards those with mild to moderate sleep apnea and those unable to use other devices, can be effective treatment options.

The goal of these oral appliances is to maintain an open airway and ensure a steady flow of oxygen throughout the night, without the bulky, loud, discomfort of a traditional CPAP machine mask. These are some of the most common types of oral appliances:

1. Mandibular Advancement Devices (MADs)

Mandibular Advancement Devices are the most common form of oral appliance, and are customized and personalized mouthguards designed to slightly push the lower jaw forward, preventing the airway from collapsing during sleep. 

These devices are particularly effective for people with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea and those who suffer from chronic snoring. 

Many dentists can provide custom-fitted MADs to ensure comfort and effectiveness. While these devices can an effective method, there are certain mild and short lasting side effects that can impact the quality of your treatment:

    ❌ Dry mouth

    ❌ Gum irritation

    ❌ High salivation levels

    ❌ Tooth pain

    ❌ Tender muscles

    ❌Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain

    ❌ Myofascial pain

2. Tongue Stabilizing Devices (TSDs) and Tongue Retaining Devices (TRDs)

TSDs and TRDs work by holding your tongue in a forward position, often using gentle suction, preventing it from falling back and obstructing your airway. Unlike MADs, which require jaw repositioning, these devices focus solely on tongue placement. 

These devices are often recommended for individuals who cannot use MADs due to dental issues or jaw discomfort. However, they can also come with their own host of side effects:

    ❌ Tongue Discomfort and Soreness

    ❌ Drooling

    ❌ Dry Mouth and Throat

    ❌ Difficulty Swallowing

    ❌ Tongue Numbness or Weakness

    ❌ Jaw Discomfort

3. MouthShield

MouthShield is an innovative maskless sleep apnea device that provides a secure but comfortable seal around your mouth, allowing users to breathe freely while keeping airways open. By reducing airway obstruction and promoting nasal breathing, MouthShield helps decrease snoring and improve your sleep quality without the need for cumbersome masks or machines.

The flexible and durable 100% medical-grade silicone, easily trimmable for a custom fit, provides rounded and smooth edges to ensure a comfortable barrier against your cheeks and gums. Sitting comfortably between your lips and teeth, MouthShield stays in place throughout the night and helps to reduce dry mouth, snoring, and those irritating mask air leaks for CPAP users.

MouthShield has a host of benefits in comparison to other maskless alternatives:

✅ Comfortable and Easy to Use

✅ Easy to Apply and Remove

✅ Free Jaw Movement

✅ No Skin Irritation

✅ Eliminates Single-use Waste

✅ Enhances CPAP Effectiveness

✅ Non-Invasive

Benefits of Going Mask-Free for Sleep Apnea 

We know firsthand that traditional CPAP machines can be uncomfortable, and traditional treatments aren’t for everyone. In fact, about 50% of people who try CPAP treatment for their sleep apnea stop using it in the first year.

Maskless sleep apnea treatments offer some incredible benefits, including:

• Better Comfort – No more straps, headgear, bulky masks, red marks, irritation, or the dreaded feeling of being strapped in for the night.

• Reduced Snoring & Apnea Episodes – Devices such as mouth guards keep your airway clear, reducing snoring and pauses in breathing.

• Improved Oxygen Intake – Increased airflow allows for more oxygen to your body and brain, leading to waking up feeling refreshed and ready for your day.

• Higher Compliance – If it’s easier to use, you’re more likely to stick with it - and that’s what really matters!

• Great for Travel – Many mask-free devices, such as MouthShield, are small, portable, and don’t require a power source - a traveler’s dream.

• Quiet Operation – Some CPAP machines can sound like a jet engine. Many sleep apnea machines without masks are whisper-quiet or completely silent.

• Fewer Side Effects – Say goodbye to dry mouth, sore throat, nasal congestion, and air leaks!

• Lower Maintenance – No complicated parts or maintenance compared to traditional CPAP machines.

Comparing Traditional CPAP Machines to Maskless Options

While CPAP machines have long been considered the gold standard for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, maskless devices are becoming a more popular and convenient alternative. 

While it’s important to find the right therapy that works for you, there are some key components of traditional CPAP machines and maskless sleep apnea machines that differ, that are worth taking into account:

Comfort:

✅ Maskless alternatives are more natural and comfortable

❌ Traditional CPAP Machines can feel restrictive and uncomfortable

Compliance:

✅ Maskless alternatives have higher compliance due to being easy to use

❌ Traditional CPAP Machines have lower compliance due to mask intolerance

Portability:

✅ Maskless alternatives are compact and travel-friendly

❌ Traditional CPAP Machines are bulky and require power

Noise Level:

✅ Maskless alternatives are often silent or very quiet

❌ Traditional CPAP machines can be loud due to airflow and motors

Side Effects:

✅ Maskless alternatives are known to have minimal to no side effects when well-fitted and used regularly

❌ Traditional CPAP Machines can leak air, and leave you with dry mouth, nasal congestion, and mask discomfort

Effectiveness: 

✅  Maskless alternatives are best for mild to moderate OSA, CPAP intolerance, or frequent travelers 

✅ Traditional CPAP machines are highly effective for severe OSA

Are Maskless CPAP Machines Right for You?

You may have found yourself asking: is there a maskless CPAP machine? While we always recommend speaking with your sleep specialist to determine the best treatment for your needs, if you’re wondering whether you should ditch your CPAP mask, ask yourself: 

    ✔️ How Severe is My Sleep Apnea? If it’s severe, a traditional CPAP treatment may still be your best option. Many mask-free options best treat mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea and may not be sufficient to treat more severe cases of sleep apnea on their own.

    ✔️ Do I Struggle With My Current CPAP Setup? If the discomfort and claustrophobia of a mask is a dealbreaker, a maskless option could be a game-changer for your treatment.

    ✔️ Do I Travel Often? Traveling with a compact, maskless device will make your life much easier.

    ✔️ Am I Experiencing Unwanted Side Effects? If you are experiencing sinus issues or skin irritation as a result of the CPAP mask or machine therapy, a maskless approach will reduce or even eliminate these problems.

    ✔️ Am I Open to Alternative Treatments? Trying a maskless alternative and finding the right one for you could provide peace of mind. Discover the top 5 features that make MouthShield the best mouth guard for sleep apnea relief.

Other alternatives to maskless CPAP devices include:

• Surgery is an option for those with obstructive sleep apnea, but is usually only recommended if other treatments have failed. These procedures can be quite expensive and are associated with severe complications.

• Lifestyle Changes can be helpful in mild cases of sleep apnea. Some of these changes may include losing weight, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, and regular exercise.

• Allergy Medications or nasal decongestants can increase airflow and help you breathe through your nose while sleeping. While it may not cure sleep apnea, those with mild cases will experience some relief. 

• Position Therapy is a secondary treatment that involves changing your sleep position, preventing you from sleeping on your back. It uses a variety of tools that keep you from turning over in your sleep.

However, there are still those with more severe sleep apnea that may still require traditional CPAP treatment:

    🚫 Those With Severe OSA: Traditional CPAP therapy and treatment is still the most effective method of treatment for those with severe obstructive sleep apnea

    🚫 Those with Central Sleep Apnea (CSA): Many maskless alternatives are not designed to treat central sleep apnea, which requires a different form of therapy

    🚫 Those with High AHI (Apnea-Hypopnea Index) Scores: The AHI measures the average number of times someone stops breathing or experiences restricted breathing per hour of sleep. The higher the score, the more severe the case. If you have been prescribed CPAP treatment based on a high AHI score, maskless alternatives may not be able to provide the amount of airway support require to effectively treat your sleep apnea.

The Future of Sleep Apnea Therapy

As innovations like MouthShield continue to evolve, we believe sleep apnea treatment will become more accessible, comfortable, and tailored to individual needs.

• Smart Sleep Devices

• AI-driven, adaptive solutions with sensors that track jaw movement, breathing, and sleep patterns, to automatically adjust therapy in real-time

• Wearable Technology 

• Devices integrated into wearable health trackers for seamless sleep monitoring. These, however, do not address difficulties during sleep

• Improved CPAP Alternatives

• For those with more severe sleep apnea, smaller CPAP devices and treatments that get rid of a bulky mask while still providing the necessary relief and treatment

• Gene Therapy and Medication

• New research aims to address the root cause of sleep apnea, exploring genetic factors and seeking to repair and improve existing muscles and tissues in the throat

• Less Invasive Implants 

• More advanced, minimally invasive alternatives to current surgical options

Try MouthShield Today!

We know just how frustrating it can be to deal with sleep apnea and struggle with traditional CPAP masks. Thankfully, maskless sleep apnea treatments like MouthShield are offering a breath of fresh air–literally!

If you’re tired of the discomfort and inconvenience of a CPAP mask, it might be time to explore your alternatives. Good sleep shouldn’t come at the cost of comfort! 

Take the next step toward better sleep–explore how MouthShield can help you breathe easier and enjoy a mask-free solution for sleep apnea.

Bibliography:

“Diagnosing and Treating Sleep Apnea.” AAOMS Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, https://myoms.org/what-we-do/obstructive-sleep-apnea-osa/diagnosing-and-treating-sleep-apnea/

Maskless Sleep Apnea Treatment: Options, Outlook, and More. 28 Dec. 2022, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/maskless-sleep-apnea-treatment.

“Sleep Apnea - Diagnosis and Treatment.” Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-apnea/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20377636

Slowik, Jennifer M., et al. “Obstructive Sleep Apnea.” StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 2025. PubMed, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459252/.