Sleep Apnea & CPAP: Honest Help From 11 Years on Therapy
I’m Jeremy. Diagnosed with severe sleep apnea at 46, on a CPAP every night since. This is the blog I wish someone had handed me at the start.
Take a look through the sections below and pick whichever one matches what you are dealing with.
There is no wrong place to start. Everything here is written from my own experience as a patient, not from a manufacturer’s brochure or a faceless blog.
Your Toolkit for Sleeping Better
After being diagnosed with severe sleep apnea, I’ve made it my mission to share everything I’ve learned about managing the condition. From CPAP therapy to lifestyle changes, I offer real advice based on personal experience to help you get a better night’s sleep.
Just Diagnosed? Start Here
The first month after a sleep apnea diagnosis is the most confusing one. These are the posts I wish I’d had on my phone the day my GP gave me the news.
- What is sleep apnea? Symptoms, causes, and treatments
- Do I have sleep apnea? How to read the signs
- How a sleep apnea diagnosis actually works
- Should I take a home sleep apnea test?
- Understanding the AHI: what your numbers really mean
- How to actually use your CPAP machine
For a broader medical context, the Sleep Foundation’s overview of sleep apnea is a good Saturday morning read.
Mask Trouble, Leaks, and Fittings
The mask is where most CPAP problems live. It is also where most fixes come from, once you understand why your particular face is being unreasonable.
- Why does my CPAP mask leak (and how to actually stop it)
- Nasal vs. full-face: which mask should you choose?
- Nasal pillow vs nasal mask: the real difference
- How to choose your first CPAP mask
- Best CPAP masks for mouth breathers
Living With Your CPAP
Dry mouth at three in the morning. Aerophagia. Anxiety. Strap marks. Water in the hose. All of it has answers, and most are simpler than you would guess.
- How to fix CPAP dry mouth (five different causes)
- How I overcame CPAP anxiety in the early months
- Aerophagia: why CPAP gives some people gas
- CPAP rainout: stopping the water in your hose
- Staying consistent with CPAP therapy
If you are seriously thinking about quitting, Harvard Health’s piece on CPAP intolerance is worth reading first. Most reasons people quit are fixable.
Treatment
Machine Reviews and Equipment
What I actually sleep with, what I tried and didn’t keep, and how to read the data your machine is quietly collecting on you.
- ResMed AirSense 11 review
- ResMed AirSense 10 review
- Best CPAP machines this year
- Best BiPAP machines
- How to interpret your CPAP data
Travel, Camping, and Real Life
Sleep apnea does not have to mean the end of adventure. I have CPAP’d my way across continents, deserts, and one regretted weekend in monsoon weather.
- How to camp with a CPAP machine
- My ResMed AirMini travel review
- Best CPAP travel bag
- Solar charging your CPAP battery
- Using your CPAP when you are sick
Beyond CPAP: Other Treatment Paths
CPAP is the gold standard, but it is not the only option, especially for milder cases or for patients who genuinely cannot tolerate the machine.
- Alternative treatments for sleep apnea
- Inspire (hypoglossal nerve stimulation)
- Can you reverse sleep apnea naturally?
Helping you to get a good nights sleep and Wake Up Refreshed!
Ready to get a better night’s sleep?
My blog is dedicated to helping you learn everything you need to know about CPAP therapy and the options available to you.
Get In Touch
If you are stuck on something specific, my contact page has my email. I read every message. The questions readers send are often better than the questions I think to write about, and many of my best articles started life as a reply to somebody emailing me at one in the morning, frustrated, wondering whether anyone else on the planet was going through the same thing.
You are not alone in this. Welcome to the blog.