Sleep apnoea: a survey of breathing retraining.

• Jurisdiction: Australia
• Date: 01 October 2012
• Author: Birch, Mary

A Russian breathing retraining method, called the 'Buteyko Method' has been used in Australia for over 20 years. Initially this method was used mainly for asthma, and several clinical trials have demonstrated considerable benefits in preventing and reducing asthma symptoms and in reducing the need for asthma medication. Increasingly the method is also used for sleep apnoea, as the number of people diagnosed with this condition has increased due to more readily available polysomnography (sleep studies). No clinical trials of breathing retraining have been conducted for sleep apnoea.

Survey results

The majority of practitioners who responded estimated following BIM breathing retraining courses:

* Over 95% of clients with sleep apnoea had improved sleep.

* Approximately 80% of clients had been able to cease use of their CPAP machine or oral appliances.

* Symptoms such as snoring, headaches, restless legs, low concentration levels and decreased energy levels also improved in the majority of clients.

Disordered breathing patterns and sleep apnoea

Author, registered nurse and breathing retraining consultant Mary Birch, conducted the survey in 2010 on behalf of the Buteyko Institute and compiled the report. The report analyses the relationship between disordered breathing patterns and sleep apnoea and suggests hyperventilation, either in chronic or intermittent form, may be a key factor in sleep apnoea aetiology and pathophysiology. Hyperventilation may be defined as:

"A pulmonary ventilation rate that is greater than metabolically necessary for the exchange of respiratory gases. It is a result of an increased frequency of breathing, an increased tidal volume or a combination of both, and causes an excessive intake of oxygen and the blowing off of carbon dioxide." (Mosby's Medical & Nursing Dictionary 1986).

A decrease in carbon dioxide levels reduces the body's...