Sleep Resource | CPAP Setup Tips

While most guidance for your setup should be provided by your physician and/or durable medical equipment (DME) provider, there are a few tricks of the trade we've gathered that might make your therapy a bit more comfortable.

I. Set Up Your Machine for Success

II. Position Your Hose for Flexibility and Comfort

III. Establish a Routine

‍Set Up Your Machine for Success

Avoid "Rain-Out" by making sure your head is level with or above your CPAP - "rain-out" is when water droplets drip down your hose and into your mask.
Prevent Airflow Issues by giving your hose a clear path to your head and prevent any folding that might affect the airflow in your hose.
Protect your machine and hose from household pets, perhaps using a protective box/case for your machine and/or hose cover (search our Remedies and Accessories page for links to examples of each). Some users have also used odors to prevent their pets (primarily cats) from tampering with their CPAP.

Position Your Hose For Flexibility and Comfort

Save your shoulders! Put your machine within arms reach of your ideal sleeping position in your bed.
Protect your neck! Suspend the hose, eg with a clip-on crane (example here) to prevent strain on your neck during the night. When you set it up, first ensure that you can comfortably move through each of your normal sleeping positions.
Reduce skin irritation - Use barriers between your machine's components and your skin (for example, a mask liner for a full-face mask) and/or using skincare products (for example, lanolin cream). See our Remedies and Accessories page and select "Skin irritation" from the Remedy/Product Area dropdown.
Consider Humidification - While the humidifier is not necessary to run your machine, many CPAP users find that it's more comfortable to inhale humidified air and prevents your nose from getting dried out.
- Note for camping: Use of the humidifier requires additional power - make sure your battery can provide enough power to accommodate a full night's rest. Check out our Battery Guide for info on different types of batteries and Remedies & Accessories pages to find batteries that other users have found helpful.
- Battery notes for in-flight use:
  - Batteries large enough to power a full night's use of a normal-sized CPAP with humidifier may exceed your airline's limit on the size of batter one can carry on.
  - Be sure to check your airline's policy before traveling. You can find more info here. When you set it up, first ensure that you can comfortably move through each of your normal sleeping positions.

Establish a Routine to Manage Any Side Effects

Adding CPAP-specific to-do's to your daily routine will help you get the most out of your therapy. Check out our Remedies and Accessories page to find products sorted by the Side Effect areas they can address.

Examples could include:

Ayr Nasal Gel to lubricate the nostrils before nasal gel pad use or Vaseline to protect your face during use of a full face mask
Biotene to relieve dry mouth upon waking

Skin care products to alleviate skin irritation from your mask

If you use a humidifier, which many patients prefer but is not required, fill your tank on a regular cadence with distilled water - ResMed and Phillips Respironics tanks are generally about 380mL and a gallon is ~3800mL, meaning a gallon of distilled water should be good for about ten full tanks.

For info on cleaning and replacing your components, check out our post here.

Observe General Sleep Hygeine

Prepare to sleep each night by practicing the 10-3-2-1 rule:
- Avoid caffeinated drinks 10 hours before bed
- Avoid food and alcohol 3 hours before bed [WHAT ABOUT THC]
- Avoid work 2 hours before bed
- Avoid screen time 1 hour before bed
Ensure you sleep in a sufficiently dark space - an investment in an eye mask or even blackout curtains will pay dividends
Before bed, there are a few supplements that some users have found benefit from taking:
- Magnesium - a beneficial nutritional supplement that makes users sleepy. Suggested range is 300-500mg/day (link).
- L-Theanine -
- Melatonin - Do we want to list this?? Not truly beneficial right?
- [WHAT ELSE]
If you live in a noisy area, you may benefit from a noise machine like this or this one that includes brown noise

If there are parts of your routine that we don't have here, let us know! A key part of our mission is ensuring that patients benefit from each other's experiences and learnings.

Setting yourself up for success is critical to making the most of your CPAP Therapy - the above elements can get you started on your journey, but as always if you have questions about your health, please consult your physician directly.

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