Sleeping with Continuous Flow Oxygen Concentrators (2024)

Your ability to get adequate sleep directly influences your cognitive health. If you require a continuous oxygen concentrator throughout the night, the last thing you want is an obstacle to a good night’s sleep. In this blog post, we’re going to discuss continuous oxygen concentrators that are optimized for sleep.

To assist you in choosing, here is a list of common concerns that patients, caregivers, and clinicians have when choosing a concentrator that won’t disrupt sleep:

  1. Noise Level
  2. Continuous Oxygen Flow
  3. Power Source
  4. Energy Consumption
  5. Weight of Unit
  6. CPAP Compatible

Eliminate Sleepless Nights with the Right Oxygen Concentrator

Before we start the comparison discussion, there were a few guidelines we followed to narrow down the list. Each concentrator has at least two of the following features:

  • Continuous oxygen flow
  • 2 liters per minute (LPM) of oxygen output or more

Every concentrator in the list below meets these guidelines:

  1. CAIRE Eclipse 5 Concentrator (Portable)
  2. Philips Respironics SimplyGo Concentrator (Portable)
  3. Oxlife Independence Concentrator (Portable)
  4. GCE Zen-O (Portable)
  5. O2 Concepts Oxlife Liberty2 (Portable)
  6. CAIRE Companion 5 Concentrator (Stationary)
  7. Inogen At Home Concentrator (Stationary)
  8. Philips Respironics EverFlo Concentrator (Stationary)

Noise Level

The most obvious concern is the noise level it can produce while you’re trying to fall asleep. Fortunately, most manufacturers have built their concentrators with low ambient noise levels. The average sound emitted is between 37 and 48 decibels. Every other unit on this list is either 40 or 45 decibels. In the larger context, anything below 48 decibels will be quiet.

The video below will show you the side-by-side difference between gradual decibel changes. Start the video at (0:35) to hear the difference of a 5 decibel sound reduction and at (0:50) to hear 10 decibels of sound reduction.

The most dramatic difference is certainly the 10 decibel sound reduction.

The CAIRE Eclipse 5 Portable Concentrator comes in at 40 decibels on continuous flow. That’s quieter than a library or birds chirping outside your bedroom window. One reviewer for this concentrator stated, “My friends and family have mostly commented on how much quieter it is…”

Continuous Oxygen Flow

For most people, continuous oxygen flow is the easiest way to manage daily oxygen needs. When you fall asleep, your breathing pattern is generally slower and shallower. But depending on how frequently you wake up (and if you have other health issues like obstructive sleep apnea), your oxygen needs may fluctuate throughout the night. And because you’re asleep, it’s hard to know how much your oxygen needs fluctuate throughout the night. Using a continuous oxygen flow setting will safely get you the oxygen you need with minimal sleep disruption.

Another important reason that continuous flow is recommended for sleep is many of us breathe from our mouths while sleeping. Pulse-dose concentrators will not be able to detect a breath from the nose while breathing from the mouth thus the unit will malfunction. So, using a continuous flow concentrator that supplies oxygen steadily regardless of breathing pattern is important while sleeping.

Amongst portable concentrators, Eclipse 5 and Oxlife Independence can reach a maximum of 3 LPM and SimplyGo can reach 2 LPM. If this covers your requirement you can use a portable unit for your nighttime continuous flow oxygen needs.

However, if you need up to 5 LPM of oxygen, all of the stationary concentrators listed above are capable of meeting your needs. Since stationary concentrators are larger and equipped with a stronger compressor, they can supply higher levels of oxygen at slightly higher noise levels.

Power Source

Another thing to consider when purchasing an oxygen concentrator for sleep is the source of power. If your power goes out and you’re asleep, you may not even notice it. For this reason, it’s essential to have a backup plan for your oxygen unit in case this happens to you.

All of the portable oxygen concentrators listed above have AC (wall outlet), DC (car charging), and battery power sources.

Sleeping with Continuous Flow Oxygen Concentrators (1)

The stationary oxygen concentrators all run on AC home outlet power. Of these concentrators, only the CAIRE Companion 5 has a power failure alarm. That is an important feature in the event of a power failure. If your power were to go out while you were asleep, you’d like to know right away so you could get a backup oxygen tank or a battery-powered concentrator.

Intro to Continuous Flow Portable Concentrators Video

Energy Consumption

Across the board, portable machines consume less power. That’s because their maximum oxygen-flow output is 3 LPM. In general, the more oxygen flow you use, the more power your concentrator will consume. The average power consumption is 145 Watts. Let’s see how that compares to the stationary concentrators.

The Inogen At Home Concentrator (Stationary) is the only stationary concentrator that beats all the portable concentrators on power consumption at 120 watts, even at higher liter flows. The other stationary concentrators use anywhere from 250–350 watts of power. But again, lower liter flows will always require less power, even on the stationary concentrators.

Weight of Unit

The portable concentrators are the obvious choice here because they’re made to be transported easily. Every portable concentrator is under 20 pounds, with the Philips SimplyGo coming in with the lightest weight at 10 pounds.

The Inogen At Home Concentrator (Stationary) is also very competitive with portable units when it comes to weight, coming in at only 18 pounds. Most stationary concentrator weighs anywhere from 31–36 pounds. If you want the lightest unit, your best option includes any portable concentrators or the Inogen At Home Concentrator.

CPAP Compatible

If you also use a CPAP machine for sleep apnea, it’s crucial to select a model that supports continuous flow oxygen delivery. Only continuous flow POCs are compatible with CPAP machines because they can provide a steady stream of oxygen that integrates seamlessly with the CPAP’s constant air pressure. This integration is essential for maintaining the effectiveness of sleep apnea treatment, ensuring that you receive both adequate oxygenation and airway pressure throughout the night. Choosing a continuous flow POC enhances the therapeutic benefits, supports your respiratory health, and promotes better sleep quality by ensuring that both treatments work effectively together.

Final Thoughts

There are undoubtedly many things to consider when choosing an oxygen concentrator for your best night’s sleep and having a quiet and energy-efficient concentrator (that can safely meet your oxygen needs) will help you sleep better at night.

If you have any questions about the concentrators on this blog post, please feel free to contact us directly at 877.774.9271

Updated: April 12, 2024
Published: April 10, 2017

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Scott Ridl

Website

Scott joined American Medical Sales and Rentals in 2008 as a Web Manager and Content Writer. He is a writer and designer. He is extensively trained on oxygen therapy products from leading manufacturers such as Inogen, Respironics, Chart, Invacare, ResMed and more.

Scott works closely with respiratory therapists and oxygen specialists to educate the community about oxygen therapy products, COPD, asthma and lung diseases. He writes weekly columns and is passionate about educating the community on oxygen therapy and respiratory issues.

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Sleeping with Continuous Flow Oxygen Concentrators (2024)

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