If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, your doctor may have recommended a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine to improve your breathing during sleep. However, some patients may be concerned that the noise from a CPAP machine may affect their or their partner’s rest and sleep quality.
Don’t worry about the noise level of the CPAP machine. Most CPAP machines are not very noisy. The noise level of a common CPAP machine is about 30 decibels, which is actually quieter than snoring and even about the same as the sound of an air conditioner. If you are sensitive to noise, you can choose some quieter mini travel CPAP machines, which are usually quieter.
How Loud Are CPAP Machines?
CPAP machines have a decibel (dB) rating provided by the manufacturer. On average, most machines are around the 30dB level, which is roughly the same as the sound of raindrops. By comparison, 20dB is about the same as the sound of rustling or a whisper, and 40dB is about the sound of running water or the hum of a refrigerator. However, due to different perceptions and other room environmental factors, it may be difficult for us to measure the noise of the CPAP machine.
Most often, when a user switches to a new machine, the noise sounds more noticeable, which is not actually the case. Even though a new CPAP machine and an old CPAP machine may be identical in terms of volume level, the sound quality and noise pattern of each CPAP machine are different. After a few weeks of use, people get used to it and it no longer interrupts their sleep.
What Affects The Sound of A CPAP Machine?
Cleanliness: Changing filters can affect the noise level and performance of your CPAP machine. By preventing dust and dirt from accumulating on the motor by changing the filters regularly, you can keep the machine running more smoothly, which will help reduce the noise level of the machine.
Position: You do not need to place your CPAP machine directly on your bedside table. Placing the machine lower than the bed and ears may reduce vibration and audible sounds. If necessary, you can use an extended CPAP hose to position the machine further away. Note that if you use a humidifier, a longer CPAP hose will increase the potential for condensation.
Humidifiers: On some small CPAP machines that are often considered noisy, users choose to use a third-party stand-alone humidifier to provide a greater distance from the machine to reduce noise. In addition, using a third-party humidifier will reduce the sound as it travels through more tubing from the machine to the mask. A machine with an integrated humidifier can be a quieter option as it reduces some of the sound when connected.
Mask: The CPAP machine motor is not the only source of noise. Most of the noise you hear may actually be the noise of airflow passing through the tubes into the mask. So, the CPAP machine may be quiet, but your mask may not fit well. Since from the manufacturer’s perspective, there is no way to know which mask you are using, and therefore the actual noise level when using the machine, it is best not to pay attention to user reviews when buying a CPAP machine. It is recommended that, if conditions permit, the CPAP mask should actually be worn and tested before buying.
The material of the bedside table and the decoration of the bedroom: In actual application, we found that in some bedrooms with good sound insulation, the sound of the CPAP machine will be amplified; the different structures and materials of the bedside table will also resonate with the motor of the CPAP machine, increasing the noise of the CPAP machine. At this time, you can try to put the CPAP machine on a foam pad or towel to reduce the intensity of vibration, or directly put the CPAP machine on the floor, and the sound may be significantly reduced.
Pressure Level: CPAP machines have different pressure levels and different noise levels. Some users have more noticeable machine noise due to their pressure setting or breathing pattern.
CPAP Noise Considerations
Air leakage sound: In the early stage of wearing a sleep apnea machine, the most common source of sound is not snoring, but the sound of air leakage caused by the mask not fitting tightly during sleep. This will not only affect the sleep quality of people next to you, but also greatly reduce the effectiveness of auxiliary treatment. It may even be accompanied by uncomfortable physiological reactions such as dry eyes, dry and itchy throat, etc.
Note that if the silencer cotton on the mask exhaust hole is lost during cleaning and disassembly, it should be replaced in time. Although it does not affect the treatment effect, it may cause leakage and affect your sleep. When wearing a sleep apnea machine for a long time, remember to regularly pay attention to the pipes, humidifiers, and other accessories to see if they are aging or damaged. If found, replace them in time.
Wear and tear of silent motors: Almost all current sleep apnea machines are equipped with silent motors. In the first one or two years of use, there will not be too much airflow pressurization noise. However, the longer the machine is used, the long-term wear and tear of the motor may make the silent effect no longer as good as before. If you have concerns about abnormal noises when using the machine, you may wish to ask your CPAP manufacturer to inspect the machine for you to find out the cause of the noise leakage.
How to Reduce the Noise of Your CPAP Machine
To reduce the noise of your CPAP machine, you can take the following steps:
‌Choose a CPAP machine with a low noise design‌: They are designed and manufactured with noise control in mind.
Adjust the use environment‌: Place the CPAP machine away from the bedside, or wrap it with soundproofing material to reduce noise transmission.
Regular maintenance‌: Keep the CPAP machine clean and in good working condition to avoid additional noise caused by aging or blockage of the equipment.
Alternatives to CPAP Machines
Oral appliance treatment: Oral appliances are a simple, non-invasive, low-cost conservative treatment method, mainly suitable for patients with mild to moderate OSAHS, including tongue guides, palate actuators, mandibular advancement appliances, etc. Oral appliance treatment can reduce the AHI of OSAHS patients, improve hypoxia, relieve subjective discomfort symptoms, and improve the quality of life.
Surgical treatment: Surgical treatment of OSAHS is to remove the cause of upper airway obstruction at the source. Different surgical methods are selected depending on the location and degree of obstruction.
Nasal surgery can reduce the negative pressure in the airway during inspiration, but it cannot solve the actual obstruction of the upper airway. Therefore, it is difficult to treat OSAHS by nasal surgery alone. It can be tried in patients with mild OSAHS or OSAHS patients who have relieved pharyngeal obstruction. The main surgery for the velopharynx is the suspended velopharyngeal sac (UPPP), which is the most classic procedure for treating OSAHS. It is reported that the effective rate is 40% to 80%, but its long-term effect is lower than the short-term effect.
Drug treatment: There is no drug that can definitely treat OSAHS. However, you can try respiratory stimulants, agents to improve the function of the upper tongue nerve muscles, or metabolic drugs to improve the condition.
Finally, if you don’t know where the sound is coming from or what causes it, you might as well use your phone or recording device to record the situation when the sound occurs, and give it to relevant medical professionals for evaluation. They will help you analyze and identify the problem, making the use of a sleep apnea machine easier and less stressful, and improving your sleep quality at night.
