As we already know, the most effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea is considered to be continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. This therapy can work wonders and provide plenty of benefits. However, not every person will enjoy the benefits of the CPAP therapy. If you’ve been wondering why you or someone close to you doesn’t feel better after using the continuous positive airway pressure therapy for sleep apnea, keep reading.

Reasons Why You Might Not Feel Better After Using CPAP Therapy for Sleep Apnea

Not Feeling Sleepy

The major sign of sleep apnea is excessive daytime sleepiness. However, not every person has this symptom. In fact, if you haven’t been feeling sleepy before starting the therapy, you might not notice any dramatic difference or improvement after using CPAP therapy.

You Don't Have Sleep Apnea

Even though this is rarely the reason, it can happen that a patient is misdiagnosed with sleep apnea and thus, CPAP therapy offers no difference. Sometimes, the sleep testing doesn’t show the correct results and isn’t accurate. Hence, if you feel that your therapy offers no improvement and you question the diagnosis, consider being tested again and always opt for home sleep testing.

Not Using CPAP Long Enough

Adjusting to CPAP therapy can be a challenging task and thus, many people use the therapy only for a short time period. Not using the therapy long enough, such as removing the mask before morning can’t provide benefits. Instead, try to use the mask as much as possible, from the beginning to the end of each night.

Having Only Mild Sleep Apnea

People dealing with mild sleep apnea might not experience too much improvement from CPAP therapy as it works best with severe sleep apnea. People with mild sleep apnea only experience 10 events per hour and this number can be reduced to five with the use of CPAP. Thus, there is no point in using this therapy for such a mild condition.

Dealing with Insomnia

One of the most common symptoms of sleep apnea is insomnia. However, continuous positive airway pressure therapy doesn’t help to fight this sleep disorder. What’s more, wearing a mask while sleeping can only worsen the condition as you’re likely to wake up even more often. So, instead of CPAP, opt for cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.

Facing CPAP Problems

We already mentioned that getting used to wearing the mask can be an arduous task. However, there are many other reasons and issues you’re likely to experience which will make the CPAP therapy not as effective as it should be. So, you might experience problems with the mask, especially if it’s not properly sized or adjusted as it can cause pain, sores, and air leak. Moreover, the humidity, excessive pressure and temperature of the air may have to be adjusted. This can be easily solved simply by contacting your health provider.

Improper Settings of the CPAP Machine

If the CPAP machine isn’t set properly, you might not get the maximum from the therapy. Thus, it’s crucial that the settings are adjusted and set by a physician. Having the machine set to default settings might not be a good idea.

You Have Developed Complex Sleep Apnea

Using CPAP therapy might cause various other conditions, especially complex sleep apnea. Even though many people feel alleviated with the therapy, others seem to hold their breath against the pressure and are prone to making the condition worse. If you suspect that this is what might be happening to you, make sure you consult your physician as you might need bi-level therapy.

You Are at the Beginning

There are many people who expect instant results with this therapy, but that’s quite rare to happen. In fact, a quick dramatic improvement might only happen is the sleep apnea was quite severe. In other cases, you need to give it time to see some results. It might even take several weeks to actually notice improvements.