The CPAP Guide Sleep apnea, explained plainly

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Wherever you are in this, there's a path

Sleep apnea information tends to arrive in the wrong order — deep technical detail when you needed the basics, or a sales page when you needed a diagnosis explained. Pick the description that fits you and read in order.

01

I think I might have sleep apnea

Nothing is confirmed yet. You're tired all the time, or someone has told you that you stop breathing at night.

  1. What Is Sleep Apnea? A Plain-English Explanation Sleep apnea means your breathing repeatedly stops while you sleep. Here is what's actually happening in your airway, why it matters, and what happens next.
  2. Home Sleep Test vs Lab Sleep Study: Which One Do You Need? Home tests are cheaper and more comfortable. Lab studies measure far more. Here's what each one can and can't tell you about your sleep apnea.
  3. What Is a Good AHI? Making Sense of Your Sleep Apnea Number AHI is the number your diagnosis, your severity, and often your insurance coverage hangs on. Here is what it measures, what the bands mean, and where it misleads.

02

I've just been diagnosed

You have a result, a prescription, and a box on your nightstand. This is the order to read things in.

  1. What Is a Good AHI? Making Sense of Your Sleep Apnea Number AHI is the number your diagnosis, your severity, and often your insurance coverage hangs on. Here is what it measures, what the bands mean, and where it misleads.
  2. CPAP vs APAP vs BiPAP: What the Difference Actually Means for You Three machine types, one job — holding your airway open. Here is what separates them, who gets prescribed which, and why you don't simply pick.
  3. How to Choose a CPAP Mask (Without Ordering Three Wrong Ones) Mask choice decides whether you stick with therapy. Here is how to narrow it down by how you sleep, breathe, and what has already annoyed you.
  4. Your First 30 Days on CPAP: What's Normal and What Isn't The adjustment period is the hardest part and most people are told nothing about it. A realistic week-by-week guide to getting through it.
  5. CPAP Compliance Rules: The 4-Hour Rule, Explained Properly Insurers require documented CPAP use before they'll keep paying. Here are the actual Medicare rules, what the clock is, and what happens if you miss it.

03

I'm struggling and thinking about quitting

Something specific is making this unbearable. Almost all of it is fixable, and usually it is the mask rather than the machine.

  1. CPAP Side Effects (And What Actually Fixes Them) Dry mouth, red marks, bloating, rainout, sore eyes. Every common CPAP side effect, why it happens, and the fix — ordered from cheapest to most involved.
  2. How to Fix CPAP Mask Leaks (Start by Loosening the Straps) Leaks wake you up, dry your mouth, and wreck your therapy. Here's how to diagnose where yours is coming from and fix it properly.
  3. CPAP Dry Mouth: Why It Happens and How to Actually Stop It Waking with a mouth like sandpaper usually isn't a humidity problem — it's a leak problem. Here's the fix ladder, cheapest first.
  4. CPAP Aerophagia: Why You're Swallowing Air and How to Stop Bloating, belching and stomach pain from CPAP have a name and a set of fixes. Here's what causes aerophagia and what to change first.
  5. Alternatives to CPAP: What Actually Works and Who It Works For Oral appliances, positional therapy, surgery, nerve stimulation, weight loss and new medications. An honest look at the options beyond a mask.

04

I've been doing this a while and want it to work better

Therapy is tolerable but you suspect it could be better, or cheaper, or both.

  1. How to Read Your CPAP Data Without Driving Yourself Mad AHI, leak rate, usage hours, event types. What each number on your CPAP app means, what's normal variation, and which numbers warrant a phone call.
  2. CPAP Pressure Settings Explained (And Why You Shouldn't Change Yours) What cm H₂O means, how your pressure gets chosen, what ramp and EPR do — and exactly what to ask your clinician if your pressure feels wrong.
  3. CPAP Replacement Schedule: What to Replace and When Cushions, hoses, filters and chambers all wear out — and most people replace far fewer than their insurance covers. Here's the schedule.
  4. Does Medicare Cover CPAP? The Rules, the Rental, and What You Pay Medicare covers a 12-week CPAP trial, then rents the machine for 13 months before you own it. Here is what qualifies you and what it costs.
  5. How to Clean Your CPAP (The Way Manufacturers and the FDA Actually Recommend) Soap, water, and a routine you'll keep. What to clean daily, weekly, and never — plus why the FDA warns against ozone and UV sanitisers.