Sleeping with Continuous Flow Oxygen Concentrators

Sleeping with Continuous Flow Oxygen Concentrators

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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

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. CAIRE Companion 5 Concentrator (Stationary)
  5. Inogen At Home Concentrator (Stationary)
  6. 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 CAIRE SeQual Eclipse 5 Continuous Flow Oxygen Concentrator

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.

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: August 5, 2022
Published: April 10, 2017

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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.

About Scott Ridl:

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.

14 thoughts on “Sleeping with Continuous Flow Oxygen Concentrators

    • Dear Marie,

      We suggest having your father see a physician. They can determine if he requires supplemental oxygen while sleeping.

      Sincerely,
      The AMSR Team

    • Hello Jim,

      Yes there a few that can do 4 or 5 LPM on pulse setting. As with any medical device your prescription and needs will influence which machine would be best for you. If you call our specialists at 888-616-6423 they can walk you through the different models their benefits beyond the liters per minute such as battery life, weight and ability to be either pulse or continuous oxygen. Good Luck.

  1. I am currently on bottled medical oxygen and with the package I can run a continuous making oxygen machine to use for sleeping, but I don’t need this machine that often. This is being paid for by workers comp from my former employer thru a lawyer. Rather than carrying bottled oxygen I want to get the Inogen One G4 unit.that is light weight.
    if I return the bottles and machine back to the supplier I will just have Inogen G4 unit. What can I use if I need to for oxygen.

    • Thomas, I am unsure of your question. Moving from both a concentrator and oxygen, you have 2 sources of oxygen. If you stop bottled oxygen, your G4 does deliver O2. But you will need to know if the G4 is the right machine for you based on your oxygen prescription. Best thing to do is give us a call at 888-743-0156 and walk one of our oxygen specialist through your situation and they can properly align your needs to the right machine. Good Luck.

  2. i have the Inogen G5 and when I plug it in my car to charge, it blows the fuse. Does anyone else have this problem ? I am very upset because thats one of the reasons I bought this so I could stay out longer and charge it in my car.

    • Hi Henni, sorry to hear about that. Inogen G5 is compatible with a minimum of 10 Amp (15 Amp recommended) power from your cigarette lighter. Nevertheless, replacing a fuse in the DC power cable is quick and easy. Please learn more by clicking here: Road Trip with Inogen G5.

      • Please be advised, it may not be safe to put a 15A fuse in a 10A receptacle. It could cause a short, overheat, or cause an electrical fire that can damage your vehicles electrical system. For a minimal cost, you can have an automotive electric expert install a 15A receptacle or higher, if needed, that will meet your needs. Be safe and good luck! JGM

        • Respironics SimplyGo is the lightest continuous flow unit. It weighs 10 lbs with a battery and 8.5 lbs without it. The unit comes with a convenient cart to carry the unit effortlessly. It’s important to note that the actual weight of the concentrator may vary depending on the battery and accessories included. It’s recommended to consult with a medical professional to determine which portable concentrator would be most suitable for an individual’s specific needs. Talk to our Oxygen Specialist for a free consultation, please give us a call at 888-909-1477.

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