What Is It Like to Use a CPAP Machine for Sleep Apnea?
Key takeaways:
CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure.
It is the name of a bedside machine that delivers air through a hose to people who stop breathing during sleep — a condition known as sleep apnea.
CPAP users say that, while it takes time to get used to wearing a face mask or nose pillow, the benefit can be a good night’s sleep.
With most health conditions, people often notice their own symptoms before someone else does. That’s not the case with sleep apnea. Typically, a person’s spouse or roommate will notice the hallmark symptoms of sleep apnea: periods of not breathing during sleep or gasping for air without waking up fully.
A CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine is a portable device that pumps air through a hose and face mask or nasal tubes to support regular breathing during sleep. Below, three people describe what it’s like to use a CPAP machine for sleep apnea or another underlying health problem.
Anyone can have sleep apnea
In 2012, during a regular checkup, 6-foot-7 Kurt Heydle asked his doctor if he might have sleep apnea. Even after sleeping 7 to 8 hours a night, he told his physician, he still woke up tired.
“It’s probably not sleep apnea,” Kurt remembers the doctor saying. “You’re tall and skinny, and all of my patients with sleep apnea are overweight or obese.”
But several months later, Kurt’s wife saw him gasping for air while sleeping on his back. So Kurt went back to his doctor, who ordered an overnight test at a sleep lab. While the technician was hooking up the electrodes, Kurt asked about the link between apnea and obesity.
“Obese people are more prone to sleep apnea,” Kurt recalls the technician telling him. “But that’s not always the case. I have Olympic athletes in here who have sleep apnea.”
Sleep, interrupted
Kurt’s first test showed that his breathing was interrupted an average of 22 times an hour during sleep. His care team told him his airway is small and that, when his body relaxes during sleep, it closes and interferes with or stops his breathing momentarily.
Because of Kurt’s initial hesitancy to use a CPAP machine, his doctor suggested an alternative: an oral appliance that forces the lower jaw forward to keep the airway open.
“I used it for about a year,” Kurt, a 67-year-old freelance TV editor in Los Angeles, says. “It worked to reduce the amount of non-breathing events I had, but I was still waking up tired and it gave me headaches. I also worried about the long-term impact on my bite.”
So, on his doctor’s advice, he switched to a CPAP machine.
“Once I did that, things definitely changed for the better within just a few days,” Kurt says. “It was a little harder to fall asleep at first, because I was conscious of having gear on my face. Now, it feels very natural to me.”
A follow-up sleep study showed his hourly sleep interruptions dropped from 22 to 7.
Kurt also learned that waking up from sleep occurs gradually, not all at once. As a result, people with sleep apnea will not necessarily wake up completely if they have an episode of not breathing or gasping for air. That’s why many do not know they have the condition.
“It helps to have someone else witness it,” Kurt says. “When you’re sleeping, you don’t really know what’s happening.”
He knows that many people avoid talking to their doctor about sleep problems or getting tested for sleep apnea because they’re resistant to wearing a mask or being attached to a breathing machine while they sleep.
“When you first try a CPAP, it might seem a bit daunting. But it really is pretty easy to get used to,” he says. ”It can take a few days or a week, but once you’re accustomed to it, you’ll be so happy because you’ll feel way more refreshed when you wake up.”
‘One tool on my road to recovery’
It wasn’t snoring or gasping for air while she slept that led Alliea Phipps to a CPAP machine.
It was a bacterial infection that developed after a life-threatening reaction to an arthritis medication in 2018. The collapse of both her lungs sent her to the hospital for treatment. For nearly a year, she was bedridden while her body fought off ongoing infections.
“I knew that I was having lots of problems just getting oxygen into my system because of all the issues with my lungs,” says Alliea, a 58-year-old former Cincinnati TV reporter and public relations professional who now lives in Lacey, Washington. “I was falling asleep during the day. I was exhausted all the time. I was also very ill. I was on 26 different medications when I was first diagnosed.”
Her lung specialist sent her for a sleep test and recommended that she use a CPAP machine to support her lungs and overall health.
“It’s one tool in my healthcare toolbox, one tool on my road to recovery,” Alliea says of her CPAP machine. “And I use it every night. It has been a blessing on so many different levels — not just for sleep apnea but for getting good sleep and getting more oxygen into my system. It’s been fantastic. Within the first few days of using it, I noticed a positive difference.”
Before using a CPAP, Alliea typically woke up four to five times a night. Today, if she wakes up during sleep, it’s usually because of arthritis-related pain, not because of breathing problems.
She embraces the CPAP as an important component of her overall care plan, which also includes regular physical therapy, numerous medications, and home care for underlying autoimmune disorders. She watches her diet, exercises as much as she is able, and maintains a sense of humor and a positive attitude.
“Since I started using the CPAP, I’ve noticed that I don’t have the sinus issues and respiratory problems that I used to have all the time, especially during the winter when the air is so dry,” she says. “I used to be a mouth-breather, and now I’m not. I used to sleep with a glass of water next to the bed, and I don’t do that anymore. If you can get a full night’s sleep when you’re sick, that’s a huge benefit.”
He takes his CPAP wherever he goes
Doug Fiely remembers having occasional overnight stays at his grandfather’s house when he was a child. What he remembers most is the noise.
“Grandpa’s snoring was like a chainsaw running on idle,” says Doug, a 72-year-old artist and retired art teacher in Dayton, Ohio.
When he was in his 50s, Doug’s wife noticed that during sleep he would stop breathing and choke before taking his next breath.
“At that time in my life, I ignored it — just as I ignored many things I should have paid attention to,” he says.
Over time, however, Doug noticed that he was tired when he was driving to work in the morning. He struggled to stay focused while teaching. He yawned a lot and felt exhausted between classes.
Then, when he shared a hotel room with some fellow artists on an overnight trip, his roommates told him the next morning: “Fiely, you sound like a chainsaw when you sleep.”
That comment triggered memories of his grandfather’s labored breathing and snoring, so he decided to get tested at a hospital sleep lab. And that led to a recommendation that he get a CPAP machine.
“It took me one or two nights to adjust to sleeping with the mask, the straps, the hose, and noise of the airflow, but I immediately noticed a difference,” Doug says. “I woke up feeling less tired and less depressed. I felt 30 years younger. Ever since then, I haven’t gone a night without it — except for the night I ended up in the hospital with a broken wrist. And I missed my CPAP even then.”
Doug encourages anyone who experiences daytime sleepiness or other symptoms of sleep apnea to talk to their doctor and consider a CPAP machine.
“I know people who say, ‘I just couldn’t use something like that to sleep; it’s too cumbersome.’ And to those people, I just ask, ‘Have you tried it?’ Because, after just two nights, I kept using it,” he says. “Yes, it felt cumbersome the first time, but I still felt wonderful when I woke up.”
“How you feel the next day will help you get used to the machine,” he adds. “Now, I get concerned if I don’t use it. I take my CPAP wherever I go. If I fly to Florida to see the grandkids, it’s part of my luggage.”
Doug figures that he has convinced at least a dozen of his friends to undergo a sleep test because of symptoms that sounded familiar.
“People should know that sleep apnea is real,” he says. “If other people hadn’t noticed that my sleep was abnormal, I probably never would have gotten it checked out. I’m glad I did.”
What does the doctor say?
Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH
Medical Editor
There’s nothing like a good night’s sleep. As these stories show, many people with sleep apnea don’t even realize the impact the condition has on their sleep and, in turn, their overall mental and physical health.
If you have sleep apnea, getting a CPAP machine will help you get a complete night’s rest. Some people are really hesitant to try the device at first. Though, after a few nights of refreshing sleep, many are willing to revise their opinions.
That said, getting used to a CPAP machine isn’t always easy. You have to get used to sleeping with the mask or tubing. You may need to switch your sleep position. And the machine does make noise. Getting used to these changes can take time, especially if you’ve had the same sleep habits for decades.
If you’ve given yourself a week or two and still can’t get comfortable, talk to your healthcare provider, respiratory therapist, and medical equipment company. There are different types of masks, nose pillows, and support devices that can make using your CPAP machine more comfortable. And your healthcare provider can check to make sure your CPAP settings aren’t too high, which can lead to discomfort and trouble tolerating the machine.
You can also turn to social media groups for advice on everything from how to keep your tubing straight to which pillows to purchase.
If you share a bed with someone, remember that it may take a while for them to get used to your CPAP machine, too. It’s OK for them to sleep in another room if the machine makes too much noise for them. Or, if they want to stay in the same bed, ear plugs can help blunt the noise. Over time, many people get used to the consistent humming sound and start to tune it out.
Finally, make sure you know how to care for your CPAP machine. Learn how to check your tubing and parts so you know when it’s time to get replacements. Keep plenty of distilled water on hand so you can run your machine. And make sure to soak and clean parts so that mold and bacteria don’t build up. With good care, your CPAP machine can last for years, and you can keep getting a good night’s rest.
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