Wednesday, December 6, 2006

How To Treat Sleep Deprivation Using CPAP

Treating sleep deprivation using CPAP is considered as an effective treatment strategy. Sleep derivation is the condition in which the patient cannot experience a continuous sleep. Sleep deprivation is considered to be one of the serious disorders since it may lead to many other risky medical conditions.


The usual sleep deprivation treatment methods focus on the cure of the underlying cause of the disorder and its associated symptoms, to give a permanent cure for the patient. However, the discovery of the sleep deprivation cause will not be easy most times, hence, the medical field has been constantly searching for a solution for sleep deprivation. Today, CPAP is considered as one of the best solution for sleep deprivation.

CPAP, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, is a treatment method for sleep deprivation mainly for the types caused because of breathing problems such as sleep apnea and hypnoapneas. The breathing problems while sleeping may be due to obstructions such as relaxed muscles in the air passage while normal breathing pressure will not be sufficient to overcome these obstructions.

The principle of CPAP is based on this fact and it is designed in such a manner to provide compressed air with necessary pressure, which will be sufficient to induce the normal respiration.

In CPAP treatment, a mechanical device is the main part, which can control the air pressure. The CPAP apparatus includes the machine and air outlet, which looks like a mask. The modern versions of CPAP are designed in convenient shapes such as pillows.

While lying on the bed, the mask has to be put on the face and air path will be directed straight into the nostrils. During the sleep it will provide the air in the required pressure continuously, as its name indicates, and avoids the disturbances in the sleep.

The amount of pressure to be used for air supply, called titrated pressure, is the most important factor in the CPAP treatment. It has to be determined from overnight sleep studies in the laboratory. Sleep technician can program the particular titrated pressure value in the machine and the machine will deliver air in the particular value every night.

There are different types of machines available in the market. In automatic CPAP machines, the usually recommended pressure values will be already recorded in it and the sleep technician has to just choose the value. In some models humidifiers are integrated in CPAP apparatus to avoid the dryness of the compressed air.

CPAP is considered as a successful treatment method for sleep deprivation since in most cases, patients can completely recover from their sleep problem. However, it will be uncomfortable for some patients to start the treatment as the masks will be disturbing for them.

In conclusion, the evidences show that they will soon get ride of the uneasiness and will become comfortable with it. CPAP in sleep deprivation treatment can thus, attribute a good quality sleep to many people and save them from the danger of serious risks.

In addition to sleep treatment in adults, it is also useful to treat premature infants.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Overall, I would say your article is "somewhat right". CPAP treatment is primarily used to treat sleep apnea, NOT sleep deprivation. Although sleep deprivation can often be caused by sleep apnea there are many other conditions, such as insomnia, that can cause sleep deprivation. A CPAP will not help in those cases.

Also your description of an auto titrating CPAP, commonly known as an APAP, didn't sound right. In the case of a CPAP, during a CPAP Titration sleep study, the doctors determine a good nominal pressure to set a CPAP to such as 7 cm H2O. The CPAP is set to the constant pressure ordered by the doctor, and the CPAP maintains that constant prssure. In the case of an APAP, a doctor may order a pressure range such as 6 - 12 cm H2O. The APAP machine has techniques to determine if the patient is having Apneas or Hypopneas and can automatically adjust the pressure during the night to compensate.

In any case if a person has suspicions that they may not be getting the needed rest, they should consult with their doctor.

Hope this helps.

Anonymous said...

This is a strangely worded post. CPAP is used to treat sleep apnea. Sleep deprivation is often caused by sleep apnea. So if you treat the sleep apnea the sleep deprivation may go away.