Oral pressure therapy utilizes a device that creates a vacuum in the mouth, pulling the soft palate tissue forward. It has been found useful in about 25 to 37% of people.

Neurostimulation is currently being studied as a method of treatment; an implanted hypoglossal nerve stimulation system received European CE Mark (Conformité Européenne) approval in March 2012. Also being studied are exercises of the muscles around the mouth and throat through activities such as playing the didgeridoo.

Numerous treatment options are used in obstructive sleep apnea. Avoiding alcohol and smoking is recommended, as is avoiding medications that relax the central nervous system (for example, sedatives and muscle relaxants). Weight loss is recommended in those who are overweight. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and mandibular advancement devices are often used and found to be equally effective. Physical training, even without weight loss, improves sleep apnea. There is insufficient evidence to support widespread use of medications or surgery.

Excess body weight is thought to be an important cause of sleep apnea. In weight loss studies of obese and overweight individuals, those who lose weight show reduced apnea frequencies and improved Apnoea–Hypopnoea Index (AHI) compared to controls.

Among the natural remedies are exercises to increase the muscle tone of the upper airway, and one medical practitioner noting anecdotally that professional singers seldom snore, but there have been no medical studies to fully link the two.

Behavioral modifications include getting at least 7–8 hours of sleep and lifestyle changes to help weight loss to help reduce or eliminate symptoms. Positional therapy also has helped many patients ease their UARS symptoms. Sleeping on one's side rather than in a supine position or using positional pillows can provide relief, but these modifications may not be sufficient to treat more severe cases. Avoiding sedatives including alcohol and narcotics can help prevent the relaxation of airway muscles, and thereby reduce the chance of their collapse. Avoiding sedatives may also help to reduce snoring.

Nasal steroids may be prescribed in order to ease nasal allergies and other obstructive nasal conditions that could cause UARS.

So far, there is no certain treatment that can completely stop snoring. Almost all treatments for snoring revolve around lessening the breathing discomfort by clearing the blockage in the air passage. Medications are usually not helpful in treating snoring symptoms, though they can help control some of the underlying causes such as nasal congestion and allergic reactions. Doctors, therefore, often recommend lifestyle changes as a first line treatment to stop snoring. This is the reason snorers are advised to lose weight (to stop fat from pressing on the throat), stop smoking (smoking weakens and clogs the throat), avoid alcohol and sedative medications before bedtime (they relax the throat and tongue muscles, which in turn narrow the airways) and sleep on their side (to prevent the tongue from blocking the throat).

A number of other treatment options are also used to stop snoring. These range from over-the-counter aids such as nasal sprays, nasal strips or nose clips, lubricating sprays, oral appliances and "anti-snore" clothing and pillows, to unusual activities such as playing the didgeridoo. However, one needs to be wary of over-the-counter snore treatments that have no scientific evidence to support their claims, such as stop-snore rings or wrist worn electrical stimulation bands.

After a patient receives a diagnosis, the diagnosing physician can provide different options for treatment.

- Mechanical regulation of airflow and/or airway pressure:

- An experimental pacemaker for the diaphragm has shown promising results in overcoming central sleep apnea.

One treatment for obstructive hypopnea is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). CPAP is a treatment in which the patient wears a mask over the nose and/or mouth. An air blower forces air through the upper airway. The air pressure is adjusted so that it is just enough to maintain the oxygen saturation levels in the blood. Another treatment is sometimes a custom fitted oral appliance. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine's protocol for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) recommends oral appliances for those who prefer them to CPAP and have mild to moderate sleep apnea or those that do not respond to/cannot wear a CPAP. Severe cases of OSA may be treated with an oral appliance if the patient has had a trial run with a CPAP. Oral Appliances should be custom made by a dentist with training in dental sleep medicine. Mild obstructive hypopnea can often be treated by losing weight or by avoiding sleeping on one's back. Also quitting smoking, and avoiding alcohol, sedatives and hypnotics (soporifics) before sleep can be quite effective. Surgery is generally a last resort in hypopnea treatment, but is a site-specific option for the upper airway. Depending on the cause of obstruction, surgery may focus on the soft palate, the uvula, tonsils, adenoids or the tongue. There are also more complex surgeries that are performed with the adjustment of other bone structures - the mouth, nose and facial bones.

Sleeping in a more upright position seems to lessen catathrenia (as well as sleep apnea). Performing regular aerobic exercise, where steady breathing is necessary (running, cycling etc.) may lessen catathrenia. Strength exercise, on the other hand, may worsen catathrenia because of the tendency to hold one's breath while exercising. Yoga and/or meditation focused on steady and regular breathing may lessen catathrenia.

People with neuromuscular disorders or hypoventilation syndromes involving failed respiratory drive experience central hypoventilation. The most common treatment for this form is the use of non-invasive ventilation such as a BPAP machine.

The conditions of hypoxia and hypercapnia, whether caused by apnea or not, trigger additional effects on the body. The immediate effects of central sleep apnea on the body depend on how long the failure to breathe endures, how short is the interval between failures to breathe, and the presence or absence of independent conditions whose effects amplify those of an apneic episode.

- Brain cells need constant oxygen to live, and if the level of blood oxygen remains low enough for long enough, brain damage and even death will occur. These effects, however, are rarely a result of central sleep apnea, which is a chronic condition whose effects are usually much milder.

- Drops in blood oxygen levels that are severe but not severe enough to trigger brain-cell or overall death may trigger seizures even in the absence of epilepsy.

- In severe cases of sleep apnea, the more translucent areas of the body will show a bluish or dusky cast from cyanosis, the change in hue ("turning blue") produced by the deoxygenation of blood in vessels near the skin.

- Compounding effects of independent conditions:

Treatment of EDS relies on identifying and treating the underlying disorder which may cure the person from the EDS. Drugs like modafinil, Armodafinil, Xyrem (sodium oxybate) oral solution, have been approved as treatment for EDS symptoms in the U.S. There is declining usage of other drugs such as methylphenidate (Ritalin), dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), amphetamine (Adderall), lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse), methamphetamine (Desoxyn), and pemoline (Cylert), as these psychostimulants may have several adverse effects and may lead to dependency when illicitly misused.

There is currently a great deal of active research on various aspects of circadian rhythm; this often occurs at major universities in conjunction with sleep research clinics at major hospitals. An example is the program with Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital. This research includes programs that are staffed by researchers from various departments at the university, including psychiatry, neurology, chemistry, biology. Other major sleep research centers are in Tel Aviv in Israel, Munich in Germany and in Japan.

A wide variety of sleep disorders are actively being researched. Measuring body temperature or melatonin levels may be used. Some hospitals do blood tests for melatonin levels. Saliva tests for melatonin are now available for online purchase; its metabolites can also be tested in urine.

In general, there are two broad classes of treatment, and the two may be combined: psychological (cognitive-behavioral) and pharmacological. In situations of acute distress such as a grief reaction, pharmacologic measures may be most appropriate. With primary insomnia, however, initial efforts should be psychologically based, including discussion of good sleep hygiene. Other specific treatments are appropriate for some of the disorders, such as ingestion of the hormone melatonin, correctly timed bright light therapy and correctly timed dark therapy or light restriction for the circadian rhythm sleep disorders. Specialists in sleep medicine are trained to diagnose and treat these disorders, though many specialize in just some of them.

When infants have a lower birth weight or younger gestational age, there is a greater risk of infantile apnea. With the advancement of neonatal intensive care units and the greater technology available, there are more successful premature births compared to the past. With the greater number of premature infants being born, there is also a greater number of children with infantile apnea. Approximately 85 percent of infants born with a weight less than experience infantile apnea within the first month after birth. This risk decreases to 25 percent for infants weighing less than . Studies have found that almost 2% of the pediatric population experience obstructive sleep apnea.

Histamine plays a role in wakefulness in the brain. An allergic reaction over produces histamine causing wakefulness and inhibiting sleep Sleep problems are common in people with allergic rhinitis. A study from the N.I.H. found that sleep is dramatically impaired by allergic symptoms and that the degree of impairment is related to the severity of those symptoms s Treatment of allergies has also been shown to help sleep apnea.

Middle-of-the-night insomnia is often treated with medication, although currently Intermezzo (zolpidem tartrate sublingual tablets) is the only Food and Drug Administration-approved medication specifically for treating MOTN awakening. Because most medications usually require 6–8 hours of sleep to avoid lingering effects the next day, these are often used every night at bedtime to prevent awakenings. Medication may not be prescribed in some cases, especially if the cause turns out to be the patient ingesting too much fluid during the day or just before they go to sleep.

Sleep restriction therapy and stimulus control therapy as described in insomnia have shown significance in treating middle of night insomnia.

Some studies have shown that zaleplon, which has a short elimination half-life, may be suitable for middle-of-the-night administration because it does not impair next day performance.

Although "there has been no cure of chronic hypersomnia", there are several treatments that may improve patients' quality of life, depending on the specific cause or causes of hypersomnia that are diagnosed.

There have been some studies suggesting levothyroxine as a possible treatment for idiopathic hypersomnia, especially for patients with subclinical hypothyroidism. This treatment does carry potential risks (especially for patients without hypothyroidism or subclinical hypothroidism), which include cardiac arrhythmia.

There have been a few studies suggesting melatonin could be helpful in the treatment of idiopathic hypersomnia. One small study used a dose of 2 mg slow release melatonin at bedtime and showed 50% of patients with "shortened nocturnal sleep duration, decreased sleep drunkenness and relieved daytime sleepiness."

A small study of paroxetine found some benefit. Another small trial found benefit with L -5-hydroxytryptophan (L -5-HTP).

A review of the evidence in 2012 concluded that current research is not rigorous enough to make recommendations around the use of acupuncture for insomnia. The pooled results of two trials on acupuncture showed a moderate likelihood that there may be some improvement to sleep quality for individuals with a diagnosis insomnia. This form of treatment for sleep disorders is generally studied in adults, rather than children. Further research would be needed to study the effects of acupuncture on sleep disorders in children.

Several circumstances have been identified that are associated with an increased risk of sleep paralysis. These include insomnia, sleep deprivation, an erratic sleep schedule, stress, and physical fatigue. It is also believed that there may be a genetic component in the development of RISP, because there is a high concurrent incidence of sleep paralysis in monozygotic twins. Sleeping in the supine position has been found an especially prominent instigator of sleep paralysis.

Sleeping in the supine position is believed to make the sleeper more vulnerable to episodes of sleep paralysis because in this sleeping position it is possible for the soft palate to collapse and obstruct the airway. This is a possibility regardless of whether the individual has been diagnosed with sleep apnea or not. There may also be a greater rate of microarousals while sleeping in the supine position because there is a greater amount of pressure being exerted on the lungs by gravity.

While many factors can increase risk for ISP or RISP, they can be avoided with minor lifestyle changes. By maintaining a regular sleep schedule and observing good sleep hygiene, one can reduce chances of sleep paralysis. It helps subjects to reduce the intake of stimulants and stress in daily life by taking up a hobby or seeing a trained psychologist who can suggest coping mechanisms for stress. However, some cases of ISP and RISP involve a genetic factor—which means some people may find sleep paralysis unavoidable. Practicing meditation regularly might also be helpful in preventing fragmented sleep, and thus the occurrence of sleep paralysis. Research has shown that long-term meditation practitioners spend more time in slow wave sleep, and as such regular meditation practice could reduce nocturnal arousal and thus possibly sleep paralysis.