Sleep apnoea and CPAP at home
Sleep apnoea can cause breathing pauses and daytime sleepiness; learn how to get assessed, use CPAP and follow the correct driving advice.
How this guide was prepared
Purpose: urgent guidance · Level: detailed
Checked by: Does Your Duck Quack. Sources are linked below; seek professional advice for individual circumstances.
The short answer
What to do first
Sleep apnoea can cause breathing pauses and daytime sleepiness; learn how to get assessed, use CPAP and follow the correct driving advice.
Start here: Tell your GP about loud snoring, witnessed breathing pauses, choking or gasping at night, unrefreshing sleep, morning headaches or daytime sleepiness. Explain whether sleepiness affects driving, work, falls or concentration. A sleep service may arrange testing at home or in a clinic.
Do not wait: Do not drive if you feel excessively sleepy. Severe breathlessness, chest pain, collapse or difficulty waking needs emergency help: call 999.
Visual guides
See the decision at a glance
- 1. Describe symptomsTell a GP about snoring, breathing pauses, gasping and daytime sleepiness.
- 2. Ask about assessmentA sleep service may arrange testing at home or in a clinic.
- 3. Report fit problemsContact the sleep team about mask leaks, discomfort or dryness.
- 4. Plan travelAsk the service about packing, power and equipment advice.
- 5. Follow driving adviceDo not drive if excessively sleepy; follow DVLA or DVA guidance.
- At homeFollow the NHS sleep service instructions for cleaning and storage.
- Away from homePlan power and safe transport of mask, tubing and supply.
- Driving in Great BritainDVLA handles licensing and relevant sleep-apnoea notification.
- Driving in Northern IrelandDVA handles licensing; do not drive when excessively sleepy.
Scope of this guide
This guide helps you understand the options and questions to ask. It is not personal medical, legal or financial advice. Check the official sources for your nation and seek qualified help for high-stakes decisions.
Call 999 for a life-threatening emergency. For an urgent problem that is not clearly life-threatening, use the official NHS urgent-care route for the UK nation you are in. Have the address, symptoms, onset time, medicines and allergies ready.
Who this guide is for
People using or being assessed for CPAP because of obstructive sleep apnoea, and household members supporting safe treatment and driving decisions.
Obstructive sleep apnoea happens when the airway repeatedly narrows or closes during sleep. A person may snore loudly, gasp or pause breathing, wake often and feel very sleepy in the day. A partner may notice the pauses first. Assessment matters because untreated sleepiness affects daily life and road safety. A GP can explain referral options and the local sleep service can help with treatment problems.
What to do now
1. Recognise symptoms and ask for assessment
Tell your GP about loud snoring, witnessed breathing pauses, choking or gasping at night, unrefreshing sleep, morning headaches or daytime sleepiness. Explain whether sleepiness affects driving, work, falls or concentration. A sleep service may arrange testing at home or in a clinic.
2. Give CPAP time and report fit problems
Continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, gently pushes air through a mask to help keep the airway open while you sleep. If the mask leaks, feels uncomfortable or causes dryness, contact the sleep team before giving up.
3. Clean and store the equipment as instructed
Follow the cleaning instructions supplied by your NHS sleep service for the mask, tubing and water chamber if one is used. Let equipment dry fully and replace parts through the service’s arrangements. Keep the device away from spills and protect it during travel.
4. Plan travel before taking the machine away
Ask the sleep service what to pack, how to protect the machine, whether you need a travel letter and what power arrangements apply at your destination. Keep the mask, tubing and power supply together in hand luggage if travelling by air, and confirm any airline arrangements yourself.
5. Follow DVLA or DVA advice about driving
Sleep apnoea with excessive sleepiness can affect fitness to drive. GOV. UK says drivers with relevant sleep apnoea must notify DVLA and must not drive until excessive sleepiness has resolved or symptoms are controlled while following treatment.
Warning signs and checks
- Sleep-service contact saved
- Mask fit reviewed
- Cleaning method understood
- Travel and power plan made
- Driving advice checked
- Persistent sleepiness reported
- Night-time symptoms and daytime effects are described to the GP.
- Sleep-service contact details are easy to find.
- Mask fit or dryness problems are raised before stopping CPAP.
- Cleaning and equipment-failure instructions are understood.
- Travel and power-cut arrangements are checked with the service.
- DVLA or DVA advice is followed if excessive sleepiness is present.
- Medicine changes are agreed with a GP, pharmacist or specialist team.
Common questions
What are the signs of obstructive sleep apnoea?
Common signs include loud snoring, pauses in breathing noticed by someone else, gasping or choking during sleep and marked tiredness during the day. Some people also wake often or have morning headaches. These symptoms do not prove sleep apnoea, so ask a GP about assessment, especially if sleepiness affects driving, concentration or safety.
Do I have to tell DVLA about sleep apnoea?
GOV. UK says drivers must tell DVLA about obstructive sleep apnoea when it causes excessive sleepiness. Do not drive until you are no longer excessively sleepy or symptoms are controlled and you follow required treatment. In Northern Ireland, contact DVA.
What should I do if CPAP feels uncomfortable?
Contact the sleep service that supplied your equipment. A mask leak, sore skin, dryness or anxiety can often be discussed and the team can check fit or suggest suitable adjustments. Do not change pressure settings yourself or simply abandon the treatment without discussing risks and alternatives.
Can I travel or manage a power cut while using CPAP?
Ask your sleep service what equipment and power arrangements you need for your destination and what to do during a local power failure. Keep the machine protected and follow its instructions; never improvise electrical connections. If the equipment stops working, contact the service for advice.
Differences across the UK
Sleep-clinic pathways and equipment support vary among UK nations and local services. Sleep-service pathways vary across the four NHS systems. A GP can explain local referral. DVLA handles Great Britain; DVA handles Northern Ireland. Contact your local sleep service for treatment and equipment advice.
Do not drive if you feel excessively sleepy. Severe breathlessness, chest pain, collapse or difficulty waking needs emergency help: call 999.
Primary sources
The publisher checked this guide against the 11 official sources below. This is an editorial source check, not approval by a clinician, lawyer or benefits adviser.
- NHS: Sleep apnoea
- GOV.UK: Sleep apnoea and driving
- GOV.UK: Excessive sleepiness and driving
- nidirect: Obstructive sleep apnoea
- nidirect: Medical questionnaires for drivers
- NHS England: CPAP and sleep apnoea guidance for carers
- NHS: When to use NHS 111
- NHS 24 Scotland: When to phone 111
- NHS 111 Wales
- nidirect: GP out-of-hours service
- GOV.UK: Emergency numbers
Related guides
- Power cuts, floods, heatwaves and severe cold
- Stopping driving and planning alternative transport
- Sleep in later life: practical steps and warning signs
- Driving confidently and safely in later life
Editorial note: By Does Your Duck Quack.