What Are the Benefits of CPAP Machines?

Written by Natalie Grigson, Writer

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In This Article

Ever curious as to why CPAP machines are becoming more common and impactful? There are several benefits to CPAP machine, check out what our sleep experts think.

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CPAP therapy is a popular treatment for those with sleep apnea, a disorder that causes the sleeper to experience periodic breathing gaps¹, often due to an airway obstruction. A CPAP machine provides a stream of pressurized air to help keep the airway open for more consistent, healthy breathing. 

Using a CPAP machine regularly could lead to substantial benefits for your physical and mental health, as well as your quality of life. In this article, we’ll go over some of the key benefits of CPAP machines. We’ll also review how to get a CPAP machine and help you determine if CPAP therapy is right for your particular case of sleep apnea. If it’s not, we’ll discuss some alternative treatments.

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CPAP Benefits

Research shows that CPAP therapy can be an effective treatment for sleep apnea², reducing the risk of various health complications³ such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and accidents, as well as improving blood pressure, alertness, mental health, and even relationships. 

Reduces Risk of Heart Problems

Those with sleep apnea can experience sudden drops of oxygen because they stop breathing multiple times a night. This puts a considerable strain on the heart and cardiovascular system, and, if you already have heart disease, this consistent drop in oxygen levels could even lead to sudden death from an irregular heartbeat.¹ 

Fortunately, regular use of a CPAP machine should stabilize your oxygen levels during sleep, which means protection from heart problems like congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, and irregular heartbeat.³ 

Lowers Risk of Stroke

A stroke occurs⁴ when blood flow in a specific region of the brain is disrupted (ischemic stroke) or when there is sudden bleeding in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). In both cases, a stroke can result in severe brain damage or even death.⁴ 

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, people with untreated sleep apnea are two to four times more likely to experience a stroke.³ However, consistently using a CPAP machine has been shown to reduce the risk of stroke⁵ in sleep apnea patients. 

Improves Blood Pressure

Your blood pressure typically dips 10-20 percent⁶ throughout the night. However, less than a 10 percent dip in blood pressure during sleep occurs during sleep apnea, putting them at a higher risk for high blood pressure and other cardiovascular issues.⁶ Using a CPAP machine, though, has been shown to reduce blood pressure⁷.

Lowers Risk of Accidents

If your oxygen levels plummet during sleep, your body responds by waking you up so that you can catch your breath and increase your oxygen levels. Sometimes, these awakenings are so short that you won’t even remember them the next day, but people with sleep apnea can experience these micro-awakenings multiple times a night. These repeated disturbances impact the amount of quality sleep you’re able to get and can lead to increased fatigue the next day.¹

This sort of fatigue can result in trouble concentrating while driving, and people with sleep apnea have an increased risk of motor vehicle and workplace accidents.¹ For those with sleep apnea who consistently use a CPAP machine, their chances of such accidents are much lower⁸.

Boosts Alertness and Cognitive Function

It may seem obvious that not getting quality sleep because of untreated sleep apnea would decrease your alertness the next day. However, did you know that this also has a huge impact on your brain’s ability to learn new information⁹ and remember those details in the future? 

Using a CPAP consistently can improve your quality of sleep, which means a boost in alertness, concentration, and cognitive function during the day.³ 

Cultivates Better Mental Health

People with sleep apnea are at a higher risk for depression¹⁰, and, the more severe the sleep apnea, the more severe the depression. 

However, CPAP therapy seems to be a sound treatment for depressive symptoms. In one study, 73 percent¹¹ of sleep apnea patients showed clinically depressive symptoms, but after three months of CPAP therapy, this number was reduced to 4 percent of patients. Even those with suicidal thoughts at the beginning of the study reported a complete cessation of these thoughts after three months of consistent CPAP therapy.¹¹  

Helps Prevent Diabetes 

Untreated sleep apnea increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.¹ This is because consistently waking up through the night – no matter how briefly – leads to glucose intolerance and insulin resistance, both of which are factors in type 2 diabetes.³ 

Treating sleep apnea with CPAP therapy has been shown to reduce the fluctuation of blood glucose levels¹², helping to prevent diabetes and improving abnormal glucose metabolism in patients who already have type 2 diabetes. 

Reduces Snoring 

One of the most common side effects of sleep apnea is loud snoring.¹ In people with obstructive sleep apnea, this is caused by the airway narrowing so much during sleep that the tissues vibrate together, which causes snoring¹³. 

A CPAP’s job is to keep the airway from collapsing by providing a continuous flow of air pressure. With this, snoring should be reduced, if not eliminated.³ 

Could Improve Romantic Relationships 

If you or your partner snores, it probably won’t be a surprise to learn that snoring can negatively impact romantic relationships by “instigating stress and strain¹⁴” between partners. Snoring and gasping for air are two symptoms that could be more noisy and bothersome for the other person. This could lead to sleep deprivation and tiredness during the day. 

As one study discovered¹⁵, though, introducing CPAP therapy could be the key to a healthier romantic relationship between partners. The researchers cited that the reason for this is likely due to feeling less tired and having more energy to be active.¹⁵

Do I Need a CPAP Machine?

People with moderate to severe sleep apnea will likely benefit the most from a CPAP machine. In contrast, those with mild sleep or occasional apnea may be able to use alternative treatments.¹ 

How do you know if you have sleep apnea in the first place? Some of the most common sleep apnea signs include¹: 

• Loud snoring
• Episodes where you stop breathing during the night
• Insomnia
• Gasping for air during sleep
• Waking with a dry mouth or headache
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Irritability
• Trouble concentrating

Additionally, your chances of having sleep apnea are higher if you are overweight, male, elderly, if you smoke, drink alcohol, use sedatives before bed, or have a family history of sleep apnea.¹ If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms – and especially if you are a higher-risk person – you should speak to your doctor. 

Your doctor may recommend a sleep study where they can determine whether or not you have sleep apnea and how severe it is. Depending on its severity, your doctor may prescribe CPAP therapy.

How to Get a CPAP Machine

Once your doctor has diagnosed you with sleep apnea and determined CPAP is the best form of treatment, they can write you a prescription for a CPAP machine. You cannot access a CPAP machine without a doctor’s prescription. 

With your prescription, you can either get a CPAP through your insurance provider, who will likely partially cover the costs, or you can purchase one directly from a local medical supplier, online, or from your sleep clinic. 

Read our guide: Best CPAP Machines

CPAP Alternatives

Depending on how severe your sleep apnea is, you may be able to use other treatments in place of or in addition to CPAP therapy. These CPAP alternatives include a mix of lifestyle changes and medical options. 

• Change your sleep position – Experts recommend those with sleep apnea avoid sleeping on their backs, as this position can cause the tongue to collapse to the back of the throat, worsening symptoms.¹³ Sleeping on your side or stomach may be enough to improve symptoms, especially for those with less severe apnea. 

• Elevate your head – If sleeping on your side is uncomfortable, try elevating your head with a higher pillow or an adjustable base bed. Studies show that sleeping at an incline¹⁶ can improve snoring and sleep apnea. 

• Try an oral device – Some people opt for an oral device (or mandibular advancement device¹⁷) rather than a CPAP machine. These devices, which are custom-made for your mouth by a dentist, move your jaw and tongue into a position that could reduce sleep apnea symptoms.

• Lose weight – Excess weight and obesity increase the risk of obstructive sleep apnea, as fatty tissue around the upper airway can restrict breathing, especially when the throat muscles are relaxed during sleep.¹  Weight loss is considered an effective long-term treatment¹⁸ for sleep apnea. If you’re overweight, talk to your doctor to find a weight loss plan that will work for you. 

• Avoid alcohol – Alcohol relaxes the muscles in the back of the throat, which can either cause or worsen sleep apnea.¹ If you have sleep apnea, it’s recommended that you avoid drinking alcohol, especially before bedtime.¹³  

• Avoid certain medications – Like alcohol, certain sedative medications¹⁹ can cause or worsen sleep apnea because they relax the muscles in the back of the throat. Additionally, any medications that can increase your risk of weight gain or boost your testosterone levels can worsen sleep apnea.¹⁹ 

• Clear up congestion – Congestion caused by allergies, a cold, or even pregnancy can increase snoring and worsen sleep apnea.¹³ However, there are several options for clearing up congestion²⁰, including nasal sprays, allergy and cold medications, saline solution nasal rinses, humidifiers, and staying hydrated throughout the day. 

• Quit smoking – Smokers are three times more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea than those who don’t smoke, as it increases the amount of inflammation in the upper airway.¹ 

• Surgery – There are different surgical options to treat snoring and sleep apnea, and which one you choose will depend on what is causing your sleep apnea in the first place. 

For example, if enlarged tonsils or adenoids are causing it, you can get a tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy.¹³ Thermal ablation can reduce the amount of tissue in the airway, and there is a surgical procedure that stiffens the soft palate.¹³ A more recent surgical option is called hypoglossal nerve stimulation, in which a pacemaker-like device is inserted. This device detects when you’re breathing and then stimulates the muscles in the tongue to move out of the airway when you inhale.¹³

• Try a different positive airway pressure (PAP) device – If you have tried CPAP therapy and it doesn’t work for you, you may want to try a different type of PAP device. Some other options include bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) devices, automatic positive airway pressure (APAP) devices, and a newer technology called nasal expiratory positive airway pressure (Nasal EPAP). BiPAP and APAP devices look a lot like CPAPs but provide different air pressure levels, whereas a nasal EPAP²¹ involves placing smaller, disposable valves inside the nostrils just before going to bed.

Learn more: 10 CPAP Alternatives

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of using a CPAP machine?

Using a CPAP machine is one of the most effective treatments for sleep apnea. Staying consistent with CPAP therapy can reduce your risk of various health complications like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and accidents, as well as improve blood pressure, alertness, mental health, and even your relationships.³

Should I use my CPAP machine when I am awake?

You can use your CPAP machine while you are awake when you are first getting used to your machine. Try wearing it for short periods while watching television, reading, or doing some other passive activity; this way, it won’t feel so foreign when you’re wearing it to sleep. Other than that, there is no need to use your CPAP machine while you are awake unless your doctor tells you otherwise.

How long before I see CPAP benefits?

Some people notice benefits after just one or two nights of CPAP therapy²², while others take more time to adjust. Experts are mixed in their estimates here, but one earlier study²³ showed improved sleep, reduced fatigue, and more energy after three weeks of consistent CPAP use.

Natalie Grigson

Writer

About Author

Natalie is a content writer for Sleep Advisor with a deep passion for all things health and a fascination with the mysterious activity that is sleep. Outside of writing about sleep, she is a bestselling author, improviser, and creative writing teacher based out of Austin.

Combination Sleeper