Skip to content
Table of Contents
Can CPAP Improve Weight Loss?
Can CPAP improve weight loss? Then go to sleep. Yes, it can be that simple and easy because your CPAP will improve weight loss. This is one of the numerous ways that treating sleep apnea can benefit your overall health. Check out exactly how CPAP and weight loss go together.
Using Your CPAP For Weight Loss
Many people wonder whether CPAP can improve weight loss. Definitely yes.
Before we can get to the solution, we need to explain the problem, which is sleep apnea and weight gain. Obesity raises the risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) because when the fatty tissues around your throat increase, they become heavier, making them collapse on your throat. This can also lead to more sleep disruptions, increasing sleep apnea symptoms. However, even though being overweight upsurges the risk of sleep apnea, it affects individuals of all shapes and sizes. Some people simply have a narrow airway or large tonsils. But sleep apnea can attribute to weight gain. Decreased Oxygen Levels: When you experience an apnea or a duration during sleep when your breathing stops, your body is prevented from receiving proper restorative rest. This leads to crippling day time fatigue that can inhibit your schedule. You may not feel like you have the energy to stick to your workout routine or diet. It feels much easier to go home with fast food and lay on the couch. Hormone Effects: Lack of sufficient sleep also impacts crucial hormones for regulating appetites such as ghrelin and leptin. Sleep apnea decreases levels of leptin, which is responsible for signaling to your brain that you’re full and have had enough to eat. It also increases levels of ghrelin, the hunger hormone. So, you can’t seem to fill up and continue reaching for snacks all day.
Along with weight gain and obesity sleep apnea can increase the risk of:
- High blood pressure
- Type 2 diabetes
- Heart Disease
- Depression
- Increased traffic accidents
- Chronic fatigue
- Stroke
- Inability to concentrate
- Mood swings
weight loss and CPAP pressure
So, how exactly does a CPAP work? As a continuous positive airway pressure device, it delivers a continuous stream of oxygen to hold your airways open during the night. Therefore, you’re able to get the sufficient oxygen your body requires to mentally and physically rest.
CPAP benefits weight loss because using it for sleep apnea treatment restores your energy
More Energy: CPAP benefits weight loss because using it for sleep apnea treatment restores your energy and can improve your mood. This may help with workout routines and activities since you’ll feel positive and better motivated to be active. Suddenly, instead of falling asleep while using your smartphone or watching TV, you can play with your kids, go for a walk, have the energy to cook a healthy dinner, and more. Balanced Hormones: When people get enough sleep, levels of leptin are increased, and ghrelin is decreased for a more regulated appetite with a steady energy and fat burning. This helps to reduce cravings for junk food.
Is Sleep Apnea Reversible With Weight Loss?
Maybe. Weight loss can lessen the amount of fatty tissue around your neck. If enough fat is lost around the neck decreases the chance for the tissues to collapse and block your airways. Then if you don’t have an obstruction, you won’t need a CPAP. However, to get the motivation to work out and power to fight cravings, you may need to use your CPAP to help you lose weight until your doctor instructs you that sleep apnea treatment is no longer needed.
CPAP weight loss stories
Jim Uren lost 150 pounds over 7years with his CPAP. While he also started dieting and exercising to shed more pounds, he attributed the energy to do so to his CPAP. It’s essential to note that he continued to use his sleep apnea machine until he was medically cleared by his doctor. Jim explained, “For me, using my CPAP cleaner every night was a critical part of my weight loss journey. Without the CPAP, I would feel exhausted and very hungry throughout the day. However, by using my CPAP machine, I had the more physical and emotional energy to stick with my weight loss program. So ironically, in my case, using my CPAP was what helped me to finally get rid of my CPAP because I no longer had sleep apnea.” Damian Birkel also shared, ”I have used my CPAP for over ten years. Although it took a little bit of time to get used to, I could feel an instant difference in my ability to sleep. Prior to my CPAP, I was struggling with an overweight condition. I couldn’t drop below 250 pounds (and gaining), no matter what diet or exercise I took. As a matter of fact, my physician warned me to cut my weight to at least 225 pounds, with an ideal weight of somewhere between 200 and 210 pounds. After CPAP, I had more energy, was able to think clearly, and gradually began to lose weight. More energy allows me to begin gradual exercise. I dropped down to and maintained my weight at 225 pounds. I use my CPAP every night. As time goes on, more good news…I have dropped to a weight range between 200 and 215 pounds.” Check with your doctor to see if weight loss is a feasible treatment plan. However, you will still need to use your CPAP until you lose excess weight. If your sleep apnea is caused by another factor, such as having a narrow jaw or deviated septum, losing weight may not get rid of the need for your CPAP.
Does CPAP use cause weight gain?
Possibly, more studies are being carried out to either confirm or deny that CPAP machines lead to weight gain. One thing to consider with CPAP use includes the patient’s exercise habits and diet. It has been suggested that when you use your CPAP and no longer suffer from apneas during the night, your body doesn’t burn as many calories because it doesn’t have to work to restore your airflow. Can sleep apnea cause rapid weight gain? One study found that the weight gained during CPAP therapy was lean body mass (LBM), which in contrast to an increase in fat, is a positive weight gain. It’s associated with improving overall health and improved exercise compacity. Another study analyzed patients over the course of years to determine that there was no link to significant weight gain with long term CPAP use.
Shop
