To Humidify or Not to Humidify?

If you use a CPAP machine, take this quick quiz – do any of these sound familiar?

My CPAP machine:

• Makes me sneeze.
• Gives me a dry mouth.
• Makes my nasal passages burn.
• Gives me either a stuffy or runny nose.
• Has an empty water chamber well before I wake up.

If you have answered yes to these questions at any time during your use of a CPAP machine, then there is one answer: you need a humidifier.

Your CPAP machine can only work if you can breathe easily through your nose or mouth. But if either your nose or mouth becomes too dry, then you could wake up early. If your body produces mucous to try and combat the dryness, then you could get a stuffed nose and wake up. If you have a cold or suffer from allergies, then these issues only become worse.

Your nasal passages and airways need a certain amount of humidity to work as well as possible. For example, if the humidity in your CPAP drops below about 30%, then your nasal passages will start to produce moisture to get to the amount it wants – but that leads to mucous and a stuffy nose. Then there is the opposite problem – too much humidity. This can cause condensation in your tubing and affect the functioning of your machine. That, in turn, will affect the quality of your sleep.

Breathing in adequately humidified air can minimize or even resolve these issues. While humidifying your room with a general household humidifier does have an effect, it will not effectively address this issue. Getting a CPAP humidifier is key.

Your CPAP machine has accessories, such as a humidifier, that can help you get the right amount of humidity. Consider CPAP with humidity and bring back better sleeps!

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