Feel good about travel and socialising with sleep apnoea and CPAP

How do you feel about travelling or socialising with your CPAP device? Happy that you’ll feel well-rested and able to make the most of your time away? Or anxious that you’ll end up snoring and your travel companions will ask awkward questions about your equipment? We hope the answer is ‘happy’ but if it’s ‘anxious’, you’re definitely not alone. So, what could you do to feel more positive about bringing your CPAP equipment along for travel and social occasions?

What are the challenges?

You might have concerns about the practical aspects of travelling with CPAP equipment, such as finding a suitable place to plug in your device at night. You might dread the interpersonal aspect: being teased or having to fend off questions and unwanted advice from well-meaning friends and relatives. Maybe events that sound like fun – a weekend away with friends, a city break with a new partner or a family trip with shared accommodation – feel like your worst nightmare. How do you handle it? Ask for your own room and worry that everyone thinks you’re being precious and aloof? Agree to share and then lie awake half the night in case you snore and wake your roommates or your bed partner? Pretend you have a prior engagement and stay at home alone instead?

Your CPAP device should feel like a lifeline, not an anchor. It should give you the energy to do the things you want to do, not hold you back from enjoying other people’s company or being spontaneous and adventurous. There’s plenty of advice out there to help you handle practicalities, like this travel checklist, but there’s not so much on how to handle your family and friends, the person beside you on the plane or the cute guy from accounts. So here are our suggestions; we hope they will help.

Find ways to talk confidently about CPAP

First, remind yourself why you use a CPAP device and what it brings to your life. Without CPAP treatment, you’d be at higher risk of suffering serious illnesses like hypertension¹, stroke² or type 2 diabetes³. With it, you probably have more daytime energy⁴ and are less affected by symptoms like headaches⁵, low mood⁶, weight gain⁷, fatigue⁵ and night sweats⁸. It’s probably safe to say that CPAP is a positive force in your life.

Second, feel proud: establishing a regular CPAP habit is a real achievement. Most people find it difficult to start therapy and stick with it over the long-term but you have, so well done. You’ve taken an important step to improve your health and you’ve persevered, even when it wasn’t the easy option.

Third, try putting those thoughts together in words and saying them out loud (try practising in the shower!). Here are some ideas to get you started:

• “I use a CPAP device because I have sleep apnoea. Without therapy, I’d be exhausted all the time. Therapy isn’t my favourite thing, but I love that it gives me energy to enjoy life and time with friends.”
• “I have sleep apnoea and I need to use CPAP therapy to sleep well and stay healthy. I need to sleep now so I’m going to put on my mask and switch on my device. Goodnight!”
• “This is my CPAP device and my mask. I was diagnosed with sleep apnoea a few years ago and CPAP therapy has made a huge difference to my daily life. Do you remember how tired and grumpy I used to be? That’s because I would stop breathing dozens of times a night! I found it hard at first but I’ve got used to it now. Starting therapy was the right decision for my health and I’m pleased that I’ve stuck with it.”

Find a way to tell your CPAP story, because CPAP is part of your story and you should be proud of what you’ve achieved. And if someone asks more questions than you’re comfortable with, always remember that “No.” is a full sentence too!