At first look, those not in the know about sleep disorders or respiratory ailments would look at the acronym CPAP and have no idea what it stood for. Those who are acquainted with these issues know that CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. It is a term used to describe the function of a certain type of sleep apnea machine. A CPAP machine is one that emits a steady air stream of unvarying pressure. Just how much pressure is decided by a medical professional that specializes in sleep disorders. Once a patient’s titrated pressure is configured, he or she simply turns on the machine and slips on their CPAP mask before calling it a night.

These days, it is believed that sleep disorders affect more people than presently acknowledged. Many individuals do not know they have such a problem and simply attribute a bad night’s sleep to a bad mattress or even stress. In truth, most will not realize they have a problem until something very serious happens. Then it can become very important for a patient to realize his or her options. A CPAP machine is the least invasive but most helpful way to effectively deal with sleep disorders in a way that brings positive results.