If you have sleep apnea and live in an area prone to storms and other severe weather, you need an alternative way to keep your CPAP machine running in case the power goes out in your home.

Thunderstorms Can Worsen Sleep Apnea

Storms will mostly affect the power source supplying your CPAP machine, but they can also make you feel more uncomfortable while you sleep.  When the weather changes in certain ways, it can decrease the barometric pressure. In research studies, changes in barometric pressure has been shown to affect how severe someone’s sleep apnea was at any given time. A significant decline in barometric pressure could make your sleep apnea worse. If you live in high altitudes that naturally have a low pressure level, it could make your sleep apnea worse as well.
While studies show that storms could affect your sleep apnea’s severity slightly, it is unlikely to cause a major difference. If you are already diagnosed with sleep apnea, you should keep using any oral appliance or machine like you normally would. The machine will continue to work to keep you breathing whether you are dealing with a high or low barometric pressure.

Preparing Your CPAP Machine for Blackouts and Power Surges

Your CPAP machine needs electricity to run. If the electricity goes out during a thunderstorm or blackout, you could be stuck without your CPAP therapy. Thankfully, some CPAP machines can run on battery power. Before a thunderstorm hits, make sure to prepare by having extra batteries charged and ready for use. You can also use Transcend batteries in line with your AC power supply to power your machine.  If power goes out, the battery acts as a failover power source and will seamlessly continue to operate the CPAP.

If you use an electrical outlet during a storm, use a surge protector to prevent your machine from getting damaged. Electricity levels can fluctuate during a storm and lead to power surges, which can damage the CPAP machine if it’s not plugged into a power surge protector.  It’s recommended to switch to battery power if you know a severe storm will occur at night.

In the case of extreme severe weather that can leave areas without power for several days, a Solar Battery Charger or DC Power Adaptor can come in handy.  The Solar Battery Charger can recharge the P4 or P8 batteries with the power of the sun.  The DC power adaptor can recharge Transcend P4 and P8 batteries, as well as power the Transcend 3 miniCPAP from a 12-volt outlet, such as one in a car or RV.

Before the next storm rolls in, make to have a surge protector and charged batteries to ensure you can sleep through the night.

Shop for batteries and other CPAP accessories at the MyTranscend Store.