What to look for in a CPAP

When I was first diagnosed with sleep apnea after my initial sleep study my Doctor at the time told me what my options were, surgery or wearing a cpap mask at night. I had done a little research before the visit so what he told me wasn’t a surprise. I also knew that the odds weren’t that good that surgery would fix the problem. As for the cpap I had a friend that just started to use one and he was having all kinds of problems getting adjusted to it. But I went ahead and started using the cpap anyway. If you have read any of my posts in the past you know that I tried cpap and bpap and neither one helped me much. But that was a long time ago and there has been a lot of changes to the design and comfort levels of the cpap, especially the mask. If you are going to use a cpap try find one prevents the problems that are usually associated with them.



Things to consider when buying a cpap

The most important thing to remember is that the mask has to be comfortable enough for you to wear it all night. One of the biggest problems that I had was air leakage in the side of the mask. So make sure that the mask is tight enough to prevent leakage but not too tight to be uncomfortable. Keep in mind that it will be strange at first to even wear a mask but preventing air leakage will definitely help.


The first cpap machine that I got didn’t have a humidifier and that was a big mistake! I would wake up in the morning and my throat would either be sore or irritated. A humidifier will keep the air moist going through the tube and will help you avoid having a dried throat in the morning.


Getting the setting right on the pressure of the air coming through the cpap hose will make sure that you are receiving the most benefit out of the machine. If you don’t think that the titration is correct check with your doctor.

If you have a beard you might want to shave it off because this sometimes prevents a tight fit on your face.

If you are worrying about paying a lot for cpap, especially if you don’t have insurance look into buying a used cpap, (You will still need a prescription!)

The most important thing to remember is try and make it work. It may take some time but it should be worth it.

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