When airflow through the mouth and nose is blocked, a person will begin to snore. However, not everyone who snores suffers from sleep apnea.
If your doctor has prescribed a CPAP treatment to treat your sleep apnea, you may sleep through the night without any issues. Some patients may still have sleep apnea related symptoms even after having used a CPAP machine.
You may need to make some adjustments to your CPAP treatment if you are still snoring. Snoring causes sleep disruptions which may make you tired and irritable in the morning.
Untreated, snoring may also lead to life-threatening diseases and conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Here, we will provide some helpful solutions if you’re still snoring with CPAP.
Common Reasons You May Still be Snoring With CPAP
The pressure settings may be too high to too low for you. Everyone is different, so you may need to adjust the pressure of the machine to help you sleep properly. The machine setup may also be wrong for you.
Please speak to your sleep specialist, as they will help calibrate the settings of your CPAP machine to optimize its benefits.
Your sleeping position may also be the cause of your snoring. For example, if you like to sleep on your back, you may be preventing the air pressure in the machine from opening up your airways. You can try sleeping on your side in order to solve the problem.
Moreover, if you breathe through your mouth when you sleep then it can exacerbate your snoring. When you sleep with your mouth open, the air will leave via your mouth instead of travelling through the airway.
If you are a mouth breather, we suggest that you switch to a full face mask if you haven’t already. In some cases, snoring may be caused by a leak in the CPAP mask. Air may escape through the leak, contributing to your snoring problem.
There may also be some air gaps around the mask, nose, and mouth that may need to be remedied as well.
Why is It Bad to Snore While Sleeping?
Snoring may cause you to wake up many times during the night, which will affect your REM sleep. Light sleeping may prevent your body from repairing itself as intended. You may have trouble concentrating at work, or you may fall asleep while on the job.
Productivity losses may lead to job termination, and your anger and frustration levels may also go up. A lack of sleep will also begin to place a significant strain on your heart. Left untreated, a lack of sleep may lead to diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
In addition, if you are married, then incessant snoring may anger your partner, causing marital issues down the road.
Ways to Stop Snoring With CPAP
The straps on your mask may need to be adjusted. Having the fit of your cover adjusted is easy and will only take a few minutes when you talk to your sleep specialist. Air leaks around the mask may also be the cause of your snoring.
Avoid using worn-out cushions, and silicon works best for CPAP cushions. Silicon cushions provide a flexible and soft surface and are also very easy to clean. However, even silicon cushions will not last forever, so remember to replace them before they become worn out.
The air pressure on the device may also not be high enough for you. The ideal setting may change if you gain or lose weight in the future. Also, please do not try to modify the pressure of your CPAP machine on your own.
Instead, make an appointment with your sleep specialist to have the settings changed. Your sleeping posture may also be the cause of your snoring. We would suggest that you try sleeping on your side instead of on your back if possible.
Check the fit of your mask. If it fits properly, then it should not fall off, even if you roll over in the middle of the night. Mouth breathing while sleeping can also make snoring worse.
Your sleep specialist may teach you methods or techniques that can help you if you breathe through your mouth. They may also recommend that you switch to a full-face mask to help solve the problem.
The proper CPAP setup is a must if you want to enjoy quality sleep and a comfortable and pleasant sleeping experience. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for snoring.
Every person is different, and your height, weight, age, gender, and general health may impact the setup you need to optimize your sleep and eliminate your snoring.
Your sleep specialist will have an open and candid discussion with you to help determine the type of CPAP machine and mask you need to improve your quality of life and overall well-being.
Quality Sleep for Life
When you sleep well, your heart will thank you. Studies have linked heart disease to poor quality sleep. Many sleep issues can be treated with medical intervention. However, they will usually not resolve on their own.
Quality sleep can even help you lose weight and reduce depression, stress, irritability, and anxiety. You will concentrate at work, and your partner will also be thankful that you no longer snore.
Those with diabetes will also be able to manage their chronic condition better when they eliminate their snoring. Interestingly, even hearing loss has been linked to lack of sleep, so sleeping properly may even save your hearing down the line.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, then a CPAP machine and the proper CPAP setup may not only allow you to sleep optimally, but it may even save your life. Please speak to your doctor or a sleep expert to determine if CPAP therapy is right for you.
