Inspire Therapy for Sleep Apnea: A CPAP Alternative at Metro Sleep Center

CPAP is the gold-standard treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, but not everyone can tolerate it. If you've tried CPAP and given up because of the mask, the noise, or the discomfort, you are not out of options. Inspire therapy is an FDA-approved, implantable treatment for moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea — and Metro Sleep Center offers it at our Waldorf, MD location.

What Is Inspire Therapy?

Inspire is a small, implantable device that treats obstructive sleep apnea from the inside, without a mask or hose. Often described as a "pacemaker for the airway," it works with your body's natural breathing to keep your airway open while you sleep. You turn it on with a small handheld remote before bed and off when you wake up.

How Inspire Therapy Works

Obstructive sleep apnea happens when the muscles of the throat and tongue relax during sleep and collapse the airway. Inspire delivers gentle stimulation to the hypoglossal nerve — the nerve that controls tongue movement — keeping the airway open with each breath. The stimulation is timed to your breathing, so it works quietly and comfortably throughout the night.

Who Is a Candidate for Inspire Therapy?

Inspire isn't for everyone, and a careful evaluation is essential. In general, good candidates are adults who:

• Have moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea confirmed by a sleep study

• Have tried CPAP and were unable to tolerate or benefit from it

• Are not significantly overweight (within the device's BMI range)

• Do not have a specific pattern of airway collapse that makes the therapy less effective

Determining candidacy involves a sleep study and a brief airway evaluation. Our team walks you through every step so you understand whether Inspire is right for you.

What to Expect: From Consultation to Activation

Treatment begins with a consultation and confirmation of your diagnosis. If you're a candidate, the device is placed during a short outpatient procedure. After a healing period of several weeks, we activate the device and fine-tune the settings to your needs. From there, follow-up visits ensure the therapy is working and comfortable, and most patients control everything with a simple remote.

Inspire vs. CPAP

CPAP works by pushing pressurized air through a mask to hold the airway open, and for many people it works beautifully. Inspire takes a different approach — no mask, no hose, no machine on the nightstand — by stimulating the airway from within. For patients who can't adapt to CPAP, Inspire can be the difference between untreated sleep apnea and restful, protected sleep. The right choice depends on your anatomy, your apnea severity, and your preferences, which is exactly what an evaluation determines.

Why Choose Metro Sleep Center for Inspire Therapy

Inspire therapy is only as good as the evaluation and follow-up behind it. At Metro Sleep Center, care is led by Dr. Eskender Beyene, who is board-certified in Sleep, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Internal Medicine, and our practice is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. We offer the full range of sleep apnea treatments — so our recommendation is based on what's genuinely best for you, not the only option we offer.

Inspire therapy is offered at our Waldorf, MD location. Call (240) 585-5575 or book an appointment online to schedule your evaluation.