What is APAP?
An abbreviation of automatic positive airway pressure, APAP is one of the three main forms of positive airway pressure, or PAP therapy. Like CPAP machines, APAP machines work by taking in air through a filter (often with heating and humidification), and then using a motor to push the air through a tube that is connected to a face mask.
PAP Therapy
Continuous positive airway pressure.
BiLevel positive airway pressure.
Auto-titrating devices.
AutoPAP machines are continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices that deliver effective sleep therapy catered to the individual patient’s immediate needs. What sets AutoPAP (APAP) machines apart from standard CPAP machines is that APAP therapy automatically adjusts pressure levels in real-time.
Auto-titrating continuous positive airway pressure, or AutoCPAP therapy, is useful for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. It is delivered via a face mask and tubing that attaches to a device that generates a pressurized flow of air that increases in response to measured airway resistance.
An auto-adjustable positive airway pressure (APAP) machine increases or decreases the level of positive airway pressure in response to a change in airflow.
It works on a range of 4 to 20 centimeters of water column (cmH2O) pressure settings, which can offer flexibility to help you find your ideal pressure range.
These different pressures allow the machine to automatically adjust to your varying pressure needs throughout your sleep as you change sleeping positions or go through various sleep stages. The APAP machine increases automatically as needed to allow normal breathing during sleep.
When you have OSA, the APAP machine increases pressure just enough to return breathing to normal. The air pressure from the machine rises and falls while you sleep as needed to keep the airway open.
While CPAP delivers one continuous pressure level of air, APAP automatically adjusts to meet each specific person’s breathing needs, which often change throughout the night as we move in and out of different stages of sleep.
By constantly measuring how much resistance is present in your breathing on a breath-by-breath level, APAP technology knows whether to decrease pressure when your upper airway is stable and increase pressure when it senses an airway event (such as an apnea, a hypopnea, flow limitation or snoring).
Unlike a CPAP device, APAP machines only deliver the amount of pressure that’s necessary at any given moment. Physicians sometimes find that patients with more complex sleep apnea conditions (such as REM-related apnea or positional apnea), or who simply cannot get used to standard CPAP therapy, may experience better results with APAP therapy.
What Are the Benefits of an APAP Machine Over a CPAP Machine?
A CPAP machine administers continuous positive airway pressure, meaning it doesn’t adjust based on your breathing. As you cycle through different stages of sleep throughout the night and your breathing changes, the highly intuitive APAP machine will adjust to your changing needs. One benefit is that you will be able to have the machine set on a lower pressure when you are falling asleep, which many find more comfortable and easy to adapt to. Your APAP machine will ensure you are always receiving the lowest required pressure, which many users prefer over the constant rate of flow of a CPAP device.
APAP machines are highly advanced, and offer data that you can download and review to examine your breathing, and see how the APAP machine responds to changes in your breathing.
People with sleep apnea know how important it is to continue their sleep therapy every night, even when away from home. We stock small, transportable APAP machines you can take on the road for when you’re travelling or staying with family.
Automatic Pressure Machines (APAP) are set with a minimum and maximum pressure window to operate within. APAP machines start off at a comfortable pressure to go to sleep with. Once the patient is asleep and the airway starts to obstruct, the automatic device uses an algorithm to continually adjust the pressure throughout the night with the aim of holding the airway open through all different sleep stages and conditions.
For example, you may have noticed that having alcohol at night can make snoring and OSA symptoms worse. An automatic machine with more than two pressure settings is a great option in these cases as it will respond to always give enough air to hold the airway open and help retain oxygen levels in the body. This often also takes the edge off a hangover and has many other health benefits!
