The Inspire sleep apnea device is an innovative therapy that helps you breathe more easily during your sleep, which decreases symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea. It’s the only internal neurostimulation treatment for obstructive sleep apnea approved by the FDA, and it’s available for patients ages 22 and up who meet eligibility requirements. Inspire is the only therapy that treats the root cause of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea—a collapsed upper airway—by directly stimulating the tongue muscle. The device is a small implantable system that delivers gentle pulses of energy to your upper airway during sleep, keeping it open. You control the device with a remote that you use to start the device at bedtime and stop it when you wake up for the day.

How the Inspire Sleep Apnea Device Can Help You Sleep Better

To determine if you’re a good candidate, an Inspire-certified doctor will review your symptoms and history of sleep apnea. You’ll also undergo an initial procedure to evaluate your airway. The doctor will insert a camera into your airway to see how your upper palate and tongue move during sleep. The doctor will then recommend the appropriate Inspire therapy for you.

If you decide to proceed, the device will be surgically implanted under general anesthesia as an outpatient procedure in which two small incisions are made. You’ll be able to return home the same day. After the device is activated, you’ll schedule a titration sleep study to optimize the settings. You can also use the remote to pause the device during the night or change the stimulation level. The implantable pulse generator has a battery that lasts about 10 years, and you’ll need replacement surgery to get a new one.