My wife has pretty bad sleep apnea and has to use a CPAP machine, she can't sleep without it anymore.  Every time she starts to drift off she feels herself suffocating and wakes back up, even if shes dead exhausted.  So anyway, last week we lost power at 1700, and despite the power company saying it was a quick fix we didn't get it back till 0300.  Despite being physically and mentally dead, poor wifey couldn't sleep till the power came back on and she could put on the mask that forces air into her trachea.  This got me thinking, what would we have done in a permanent grid down scenario?  i mean, this isn't a toughen up and get used to it kind of thing, it's a severe medical issue.  Carrying around a generator to run the machine every night doesn't seem efficient, not to even think about the noise issue.  So I was wondering if anyone else had this issue, and what you've done to deal with it in the prepping sense.  So, thoughts anyone?

You could get a ups back up system.

How many amps does it draw? Pretty easy to calculate size of a battery needed and how long it would run. Eventually you could recharge the battery with a generator during the day.

I use a Tripp-Lite 1500 pure sine battery backup (UPS). We've lost power before and the CPAP unit I have kept right on going. I also have a deep-cycle battery that I keep charged up such that if a major storm was approaching, I'd pull that in the house and hook up an inverter.

Also, UPSs batteries can sometimes be dead at the most inopportune of times. It's a good idea to test them periodically by pulling the plug from the wall and see if your machine still works. If not, you may need to replace the battery in the UPS. Which reminds me, I haven't done it in a while. Thanks for the reminder, OP.

Lots of options

CPAP power

The goal zero system is something you should really look at.

Depending on the number of amp-hours you need for a night of use, you might consider a deep cycle marine battery, inverter, and some sort of charging system.  Solar?  A small quiet inverter generator (Honda-like)  might also be a reasonable power source.

Other non-power related ideas involve an understanding of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)  >>>

First, OSA has a tendency to be a weight related issue in that the more you weigh, the more likely you are to have OSA and also the more severe it is likely to be.  A year ago, I had an AHI (Apnea / Hypopnea Index) of 28 (normal is < 5).  This is classified as moderate OSA and I was given an auto-PAP device.  My homework assignment from my lung specialist (the guy who prescribed the auto-PAP device) was to lose 20 pounds by our next visit (1 year later)...  I saw him last month and had lost lost 32 pounds.  A recheck of my AHI showed it to be 1.7 (normal)!  He pronounced me "cured" and told me I could discontinue the auto-PAP.  The point here is that IF the wife is overweight, a long haul, big picture idea for her would be to lose weight.  It isn't a fast solution but it pays dividends in many areas of her health, not just OSA.

Second, OSA severity has a tendency to be positional - the direction of gravity relative to the patient's airway is important in production / reduction in degree of severety.  OSA is typically worst with the patient lying flat on their back.  Lying on their sides, is less bad.  Lying face down (not easy) is even better than lying on a side (usually).  And sitting up is probably the best position (again, usually).  The wife can probably sleep reasonably well sitting up (or semi-reclined) in a big comfortable recliner.  This might be a reasonable no power solution for her.  She should try this before the power goes out to see if will work for her.

OP I am in the sleep business and most of the time apnea can be reversed through lifestyle changes.
No talks about it as there is no money in it.

That said there are lots of 12v units a deep cycle battery works wheel.
For my father camping I use a honda generator sometimes but a battery works.

Also explore other OSA managament options.



Weight loss


 

I have witnessed about a 50% success rate with the different surgical options.
Lifestyle is the answer.

Thanks for all the advice.  I didn't realize there were so many options for power.  Changing the position she sleeps in doesn't help, and it's not an issue surgery can help.  Super bad car accident when she was younger, and a lot of weight on her chest caused by a rather substantial bust line.  Having said that, I think acquiring a multi night battery pack is in our future.

What's the most effective lifestyle change?  Weight loss?

Weight loss is always good but I have seen 2 people give up wheat and several go on a lectin free diet and once the inflammation went away so did the apnea.
My son just did the whole30 diet and his is gone!

Battery ( gel cells) backup. Gen power AND solar. Keep it affordable and remember one is none.

If you use a battery with your CPAP turn off the humidifier.  The CPAP air pump doesn't draw much but the humidifier will drain your battery down quickly.  I have a Honda eu2000i that runs most of the house at night (alarm, oil fired heat and hot water, a couple of lights) and my CPAP.  I also added an extra battery on my computer's UPS.  If the power fails in the night and may come back on soon I'll run an extension cord to the UPS for the CPAP.  I also got a 12v DC power supply for my travel CPAP.  If I need to run it off a battery it will be more battery efficient to go DC-DC rather than use an inverter and go DC-AC-DC.

A rechargeable battery pack is available for my CPAP.

cap

I use a computer style ups for my cpap and alarm clock.  Found that a 1500 VA will get me about 5 hours worth of sleep, when a 2600VA I can go an entire night. I keep a laptop (actually a netbook) beside the bed with a USB cable to disable the beep when the power does go out

That's good to know.
ETA..  Dont forget that some need O2 also and those can be another 300-400 watts.

harbor freight genny

 
Surgery is very individualized which is why the success rates are all over the place.  


Heck, you cant  docs to agree what 'success' is!  


I have seen excellent candidates suffer for years on ill fitted CPAP cured with a T/UPPP.


And I have seen poor candidates butchered over and over for no good reason.

My CPAP runs off of 12V DC.  If yours does too (look at the label on the power brick). see if you can get a 12V cable.  If so you can run it directly off a 12V battery which is much more efficient than battery --> inverter --> power brick --> CPAP (i.e., you can use a smaller, cheaper battery)

I use an 900w inverter powered by the house battery while on the boat. It runs all night and will start the engine in the morning. Also look into direct dc power. My CPAP runs off a power supply that is DC. I would see no problem feeding the appropriate voltage straight from a battery.

Just get a good deep cycle battery and a 12v power adapter. I used mine for 5 nights that way on a hunting trip last year on a Optima Yellow top battery.





These are the 2 items I bought plus a deep cycle battery (I had the Optima already).





https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00065L2D8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K5UVH0M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A lot has been said but get the 12v dc power supply for your cpap.  To use a marine deep cycle battery.  Don't use a converter back to ac.  The biggest power drain is the humidifier but depending on time of year it may not be an issue or just passing the air over the chamber may help.  You should be able to get a few days with this set up.    I have Honda eu2000 with conversion to run on LP.  With the Eco throttle on it is very quiet. Was at camp for 8 days.  Charged my battery and my buddies and a bunch of cell phones and just about went through one bbq cylinder and we were not being very conservative with running genny.

I have a Craftsman booster box in each vehicle and three UPSes. My unofficial testing indicates that I was able to get more than a full night's sleep.

I was thinking just that. Theres a good chance this could be an issue that can be fixed  with weight loss, in a way that it fixes not only the sleep apnea but a ton of other potential medical complications.
Maybe it doesnt, I'd bet it does but either way its worth trying, losing a few pounds and see if it gets better, even if you dont consider youreslf fat. For example I used to snore a lot, losing weight eliminated it. My wife tells me I dont snore any more. If I let go and gain a pound, its like clockwork I start snoring again.
FerFAL

check out the keto thread, injury causes an inflamation response, carbs and insulin compound that,  reducing inflammation may be her key

https://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1872921_Official_Keto_thread__Keto_dieters__step_inside_.html

I have found that sleeping on my stomach with my arm under the pillow but to the side of my head allows me to sleep all night. If that doesn't work I would buy a Honda 2000 watt generator. They are quiet and will last the night.


P.S. Don't run it in the room! I mean get an extension cord... :)

While not a cheap solution, it is a great one and more reliable and portable than deep cycle batteries or UPS.

I don't use a CPAP myself but I do own one of the following units and it's amazing!

Oh and it can be left plugged in and charging as required and you can still use it. So you would plug directly into it and if the power failed, she would never even notice.

For extended outages you can charge it from cigarette outlet in car, solar panels, wind generator, etc.

Lithium Backup Battery

I went camping some years ago, and needed to run my CPAP. I plugged it in to a 12 v- 115 v car inverter and it ran all night.



I ran the car the next day to be sure to recharge the battery.

I highly recommend an adjustable bed, similar to a hospital bed. Helps tremendously with snoring, acid reflux, elevating legs for circulation and relieving pressure on one's back.

Get a wedge pillow for her and have her try it out.

Look in to a mouth guard maybe to reposition her jaw.

A pillow for the right position and a mouth guard could enable her to sleep.

My uncle just hooks it up to the truck battery when we are camping during hunting season.