Chronotherapy - Treatment of a circadian rhythm sleep disorder by systemically changing sleeping and waking times to reset the patient's biological clock. Circadian - Any periodicity which is near but not necessarily exactly 24 hours. Compliance - Conforming with or adhering to a regimen of treatment such as CPAP therapy. Machine - Medical device used to treat sleep apnea. An apparatus that provides a highly effective, non-invasive therapy that eliminates blockages and prevents collapse of the upper airway by generating a prescribed level of air pressure that maintains airway patency during sleep.
Air pressure is delivered through a hose to a mask that fits over the nose or the nose and mouth.
The mask is secured on the face by headgear that is worn over the head. The complete system consists of a programmable pressure generator, tubing, mask and headgear. The positive pressure may range from 5 to 20 cm H20. Different patients will require different pressures. This value is determined in a CPAP titration study.