Answer: I would suggest she, atleast, try the CPAP. Sleep apnea can be fatal if it goes untreated. The most common complaint I hear from my patients is that the mask is uncomfortable or the air pressure is too high. But, for the most part, they adjust to it. For some people, it just takes time. However, I have also seen people adjust to the CPAP the very first night they are on it. Everyone is different.The only other alternatives I can suggest are weight loss (if she is overweight) or surgery. Each person's body reacts differently. I have had patients who had the surgery and it "cured" their apnea. I have had others who had it then they return a few months later when the apnea returns.Patients who use the CPAP are NOT required to sleep on their backs. That is a myth. It is also a myth to say that sleep apnea can be compared to a child holding their breathe. When patients have sleep apnea (especially when it is severe), the brain may be telling the body to breathe, but with a constricted airway, it is not possible. Each time it happens, the body's oxygen levels drop. That means the brain is getting insufficient amounts of oxygen and that, in turn, effects other organs, ESPECIALLY the heart. Sleep apnea causes high blood pressure which can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, etc... Needless to say, it is an extremely serious condition.