Chronic Insomnia

PAP (positive airway pressure) is a technique of respiratory ventilation that is used mainly in the treating of sleep apnea. A CPAP machine (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure)  is a low-pressure portable air generator that is connected to the nose or face by tubing and is worn while resting. This system was developed in Sydney Australia in 1981 by Professor Colin Sullivan and is now used in many intensive care units as a type of ventilation. A CPAP treatment can be very effective in treating of both central and obstructive sleep apnea. Many patients tend to see an improvement in the quality of their sleep and life due to the treatment after just the first night’s use.

A CPAP machine is typically the size of a shoebox but is sometimes even smaller. It works by forcing air in the airway passage at a high enough pressure to prevent apneas. It can be prescribed for use in both central and obstructive sleep apnea. The pressure of the machine is adjusted according to the sleep apnea of the patient. The machine increases the pressure of air in a person’s throat so the airway does not collapse as breathing.

Obstructive sleep apnea begins as the upper airway starts to narrow as muscles relax while sleeping. This causes the reduction of oxygen in the blood which in turn causes a person to awake from sleeping. The CPAP machine stops this from happening by providing compressed air through a hose so breathing becomes possible again, thus reducing or even preventing hypopneas and apneas.

Central sleep apnea is something that occurs much less and is associated with the central nervous system function. The body repeatedly stops breathing while sleeping because the brain stops sending signal temporarily to the muscles that control the body’s breathing. The CPAP machine is the most common treatment for sleep apnea.

It must be understood that the air pressure and not the air movement is responsible for preventing the apneas. Before putting on the mask and while the machine is on, air flow is circulating into the mask. As the mask is placed on the head, it becomes sealed to the face as the air flow stops. From then on it is only the air pressure that provides the needed results. This also tends to help with loud snoring that is many times associated with sleep apnea.

A CPAP machine is simple to use as long as the user completely understands how it works and keeps it very clean. The pressure needed is normally determined by a doctor after thorough review of the patient after having been supervised by a sleep technician overnight. A complete machine will have one of the following:

~a mask covering the nose only, called NCPAP (nasal continuous positive airway pressure)
~a mask covering the mouth and nose
~prongs that slide into the nose

Because a CPAP machine is a medical device, it must have approval from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) before than can be made available for sale. Because of this, a CPAP machine can only be obtained with a doctor’s prescription.

There are many different CPAP manufacturers that provide several types of machines with various features. Once someone has been diagnosed with sleep apnea and has been prescribed the CPAP as therapy, he or she can choose a machine among the several that are offered. A CPAP machine is usually covered under insurance as a durable medical equipment benefit. It most often bought or purchased with a home health care company.