CPAP product reviews and other helpful tips for CPAP users!

CPAP therapy is incredibly common these days, but it’s not your only option when it comes to dealing with sleep apnea. If you’ve been struggling with CPAP therapy or you’re looking for a milder form of sleep apnea treatment, keep reading to find out everything you need to know about sleep apnea and alternatives to CPAP therapy.

What is CPAP Therapy?

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is one of the most common treatments for those suffering from sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a type of sleeping disorder that affects breathing throughout the night, causing you to start and stop breathing periodically. It can range from mild to severe and can affect everything from your sleep quality to your heart health.

Mild sleep apnea might cause disruptive sleep and fatigue the next day, but severe sleep apnea can lead to a range of health risks, including diabetes, high blood pressure, liver problems, and more.

Types of Sleep Apnea

There are three main types of sleep apnea and understanding which type you might have can help you take the right steps to improve your sleep and overall health.

Central sleep apnea

This happens when your brain doesn’t send the right signals to your muscles that control your breathing, causing you to stop and start breathing while sleeping. This type of sleep apnea doesn’t cause snoring, but can lead to those suffering from it to suddenly wake up feeling panicked or short of breath.

Obstructive sleep apnea

This is a more common form of sleep apnea that occurs when there’s an obstruction in the mouth or throat that makes breathing more difficult during sleep. This obstruction is typically when the tissues and muscles of the airway relax, making it harder for air to flow through. It often leads to snoring and difficulty sleeping.

Complex sleep apnea

This is a combination of both central and obstructive sleep apnea, and may require multiple forms of treatment.

What is Positional Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Positional Obstructive Sleep Apnea (POSA) is a form of obstructive sleep apnea that can be mostly attributed to sleep position. It generally occurs when sleeping in the supine position, meaning flat on your back. This position affects the shape of the airway, and makes it harder to breathe while sleeping.

POSA can not only make it tough to get a good night’s sleep, but can also have more serious effects, including stroke, diabetes, heart attack, and more. The repeated low oxygen levels combined with elevated blood pressure and heart rate can be incredibly hard on the body. It’s critical to treat any form of sleep apnea, including POSA, to maintain good health and prevent more serious conditions from developing.

Alternatives to CPAP Therapy

It’s important to treat sleep apnea, but treatment isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Some people might struggle with CPAP therapy, or find that it doesn’t work effectively. This is where alternatives to CPAP therapy come into play.

These two options are great for those who are looking for a less intense form of sleep apnea therapy that helps them get the rest they need while keeping their sleep apnea in check.

ZZoma Positional Sleep Device

This medical device is a great solution for those suffering from positional obstructive sleep apnea. It’s an FDA-cleared device that helps treat mild to moderate POSA by helping you stay in the side-sleeping position throughout the night. By preventing you from rolling onto your back, which is where POSA affects most people, the ZZoma device can help alleviate sleep apnea symptoms. It’s also incredibly comfortable, so you can get the undisturbed sleep you need, night after night.

OptiPillows EPAP Mask

Another great option for alternatives to CPAP therapy is the EPAP mask. It works just like CPAP therapy, but without any tubing or machines and you don’t need a prescription for it. If you have mild obstructive sleep apnea, you’re going to want to try this FDA-cleared mask: it uses Expiratory Positive Airway Pressure (EPAP) therapy to keep airways open and improve sleep quality. It’s lightweight and comfortable, making it sleep while wearing, and is reusable. Plus, the OptiPillows EPAP mask is the only one on the market that lets you adjust the pressure to your unique needs.

Improved Sleep on Your Terms

If you’ve tried CPAP therapy and haven’t found success, or if your sleep apnea is mild, alternatives to CPAP therapy can help you sleep better and reduce your sleep apnea symptoms. Everyone’s needs are different, so exploring your options can help you find what works best for you and your sleep, so you can get back to feeling like yourself.

Buying the perfect CPAP mask isn’t easy. A lot of times, you might think you’ve picked the right one, then you take it home and find it sucks. It happens. More often than you think, actually. Masks are made to fit the average face, but that doesn’t mean they’re always a perfect fit. But with a little bit of research and some insider information, not only can you find yourself the best fitting mask, you might be able to return that ill-fitting one you can’t bear to wear another night.

 Do plenty of research

There are 3 general styles of CPAP mask. Which style mask did you get? Nasal pillow? Nasal mask? Full face mask? Each one of them caters to a specific type of sleep position and facial structure. So, for example, if you’re a side or stomach sleeper, you probably won’t be too comfortable in a full face mask. If you haven’t already, click here for a description of the different styles of masks.

Go back to your CPAP store/provider 

Armed with some knowledge and a list of questions you now have, go back to your CPAP provider and ask to see if they can exchange it for you. Make sure you follow each CPAP vendor’s exchange policy as they all have various timeframes for exchanges (standard is about a month). Be prepared: some sellers won’t take it back if the mask has been used or the packaging has been opened. (But between us, if you make a good enough case, they might bend that rule. Just remember to be polite and not lose your cool).

Ask a lot of questions

This is a major purchase. If you’re the kind of shopper that asks a million questions about the cheese you’re about to buy, why wouldn’t you be extra curious about something you’ll be wearing for a third of your life?! Ask which mask style is best for your sleeping position, and ask to try on a bunch of them before you decide. Wear it for a while. Try lying down with it. Does it smush your face? How does it compare to other masks? A lot of people expect to try on a mask and have it fit like an old pair of slippers - this will likely never happen. What you’re looking for is a mask that feels the most comfortable to you compared to other masks. Remember: CPAP masks are made to be as unobtrusive as possible, but that doesn’t mean they’re fun to wear.

Does the clinician know what they're talking about?

A good CPAP Clinician is a God-send! These people are professionals, but a good, patient one is a keeper. A knowledgeable clinician can tell you all the pros and cons of any given masks and let you try them on and test them out.

Returns & exchanges

It's important to note, if you’re buying your mask online, KNOW WHAT YOU WANT BEFORE YOU ORDER. Online stores can offer deep discounts - especially on masks. But a lot of them don’t accept returns or exchanges. You want to shop online for a deal - when you already know which mask is best for you, or if you’re replacing a mask that you’ve already used and love.

Get loads of recommendations 

If you have friends and family who are on CPAP, ask them what they like. There’s nothing better than asking someone who’s already gone through the process and learned a thing or two. Look into that recommendation while you shop and see if those masks are right for you. The process can take a bit of work, but anything good in life requires some heavy lifting. Just know that at the end of the process, you've learned so much more about CPAP masks and more importantly you'll be much more successful with therapy and sleeping.

Educate yourself

There is a wealth of information online waiting to be tapped. Read reviews on CPAP blogs and forums where people share their experience based on their own differences: machine pressure, if they have facial hair, have a big nose or sleep on their sides. Watch YouTube videos on product and user reviews that can guide you in making the right selection. Once you know which style may work for you, you can narrow down your search. We recommend looking for newer masks compared to ones that may be out for a couple of years. Technology is improving masks by the day and the newer ones are being designed with better materials that fix a lot of comfort and performance issues.

And when you find something that works - stick it with! Consider buying one or two back-ups. Because you never know when a mask will be discontinued. Sleep tight!