Questions to Ask Your Doctor About CPAP Therapy - The CPAP Shop (2025)

A sleep apnea diagnosis comes with a lot of questions. You may have already researched sleep apnea online, which can sometimes lead to more questions than answers. Fortunately, your doctor is there to help with answers and guidance.

Never feel you are asking too many questions. The more you know about sleep apnea and how to treat the sleep disorder the better prepared you will be for CPAP therapy. Make sure to write a list of questions on your next doctor’s visit to help you understand sleep apnea, so you have peace of mind about your treatment. Here are a few questions that might be important.

Most of us may not think much about how and when we sleep. But with a sleep apnea diagnosis, your sleep habits become insights into managing the sleep disorder. When you go to bed and how much you sleep can inform your doctor and your treatment.

Your doctor may recommend that you follow specific sleep habits to help your sleep apnea. A more consistent sleep schedule and a bedtime routine can help reduce symptoms of sleep apnea and improve the treatment outcome. If you have a hard time going to sleep or wake up frequently at night, then more disciplined sleep habits may help.

A sleep apnea diagnosis is confirmed with a sleep apnea test. The test can be an at-home test that you take yourself, or an in-lab sleep study.

Your doctor will decide which test is best for you. In most cases, an at-home sleep apnea test is more affordable, more convenient and provides accurate results. At-home sleep apnea testing is performed primarily for obstructive sleep apnea or OSA, which is the most common type.

An in-lab study depends on technicians who monitor your sleep overnight. In some instances, an in-lab study may be required if your doctor suspects severe sleep apnea, central sleep apnea or if at-home sleep apnea tests were inconclusive.

There are three types of sleep apnea that can come from a diagnosis:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in which the throat muscle relaxes at night and interrupts breathing.
• Central sleep apnea (CSA) in which the brain fails to send signals to the muscles that control breathing during sleep.
• Mixed sleep apnea in which you experience symptoms of both central and obstructive sleep apnea.

If you are diagnosed with OSA, which is the most common type, your doctor will then need to determine the severity of sleep apnea for treatment. Your at-home sleep apnea test provides enough information for the doctor to determine severity and recommend specific pressure settings on your CPAP machine.

Obesity is a contributor to obstructive sleep apnea. Fatty tissue buildup around the throat due to weight gain can cause sleep apnea symptoms. Your doctor may recommend losing weight to help treat your sleep disorder.

However, there are numerous factors that contribute to sleep apnea. Family history of the sleep disorder or the structure of your throat muscles are preexisting factors that are beyond your control. But sleep habits and lifestyle choices are controllable factors that can improve CPAP compliance. Losing weight is another controllable factor that may also be helpful for treatment but may not necessarily end the need for CPAP therapy.

Learn more about weight loss and sleep apnea in this blog article.

Once you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, your doctor will most likely prescribe CPAP therapy for treatment. CPAP therapy using a CPAP machine takes getting used to and may require adjustments to pressure settings over time.

Follow-up visits to your doctor are an opportunity to discuss discomfort during therapy or problems with the CPAP machine. Your doctor may also recommend other treatment options like oral appliances.

At these visits, your doctor will continue to monitor symptoms and progress of treatment. If there are any side effects of treatment, your doctor can help make changes to therapy or recommend solutions to alleviate these side effects.

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CPAP therapy can be difficult, especially for new patients. Your doctor will try to make pressure adjustment to your equipment to help make CPAP therapy more tolerable. If this does not work, there are alternative technologies.

BiPAP machines can adapt to your inhalation and exhalation with automated changes in pressure, which can help make therapy more manageable.

Ramp technology, available on some CPAP machines, lets you begin therapy at a much lower and more comfortable pressure setting than prescribed. After you fall asleep, the CPAP machine “ramps” up to your prescribed setting, so you do not experience the discomfort.

If your sleep apnea is considered moderate, your doctor may also recommend oral appliances instead of CPAP therapy if you are having difficulties with typical CPAP treatment.

Maintenance of equipment is important for staying CPAP compliant. Accessories such as masks, mask cushions, tubing and filters need to be replaced over time. Most manufacturers will provide replacement guidelines that you can follow.

Your doctor will recommend that you get to know your equipment. Discomfort with a mask, leaks in the tubing or poor CPAP machine performance can all indicate the need for replacement parts.

There are some general guidelines for when equipment should be replaced.

• Mask cushions should be replaced monthly.
• Masks should be replaced every few months or if you experience discomfort or leaking with the mask.
• Tubing should be replaced every 3 months or sooner if you notice leaks or cracks.
• Filters for CPAP machines should be changed based on manufacturer guidelines.

Check out this comprehensive guide to CPAP supplies for more tips to properly maintaining CPAP equipment.