Modern CPAP machines do more than deliver pressurized air—they quietly monitor your breathing patterns throughout the night. One metric you might notice in your therapy data is respiratory rate, the number of breaths you take per minute while sleeping. This simple measurement can offer valuable insights into your overall health and therapy effectiveness.
Respiratory rate refers to how many times you breathe in one minute. It’s considered a vital sign, alongside heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature. Healthcare providers have long used respiratory rate as an indicator of overall health, since changes in breathing patterns can signal underlying conditions.
Your CPAP machine calculates respiratory rate by analyzing airflow through the device. Every time you inhale and exhale, the machine’s sensors detect the change, allowing it to count your breaths and record the data for later review.
For healthy adults, a normal respiratory rate during sleep typically falls between 12 and 20 breaths per minute. Most people average around 12 to 16 breaths per minute while sleeping, though this can vary based on age, fitness level, and individual physiology.
Children and infants breathe faster—newborns may take 30 to 60 breaths per minute, while toddlers typically breathe 20 to 30 times per minute. Older adults may also have slightly elevated respiratory rates compared to younger adults.
During different sleep stages, your breathing rate naturally fluctuates. REM sleep, in particular, can cause more variability in respiratory patterns as the brain becomes more active and certain breathing muscles temporarily relax.
When you review your CPAP data through your machine’s app or your provider’s software, respiratory rate appears alongside other metrics like AHI (apnea-hypopnea index), mask leak, and hours of use. While AHI gets most of the attention, respiratory rate tells its own story.
A stable respiratory rate within the normal range suggests your breathing is consistent and your therapy is working smoothly. Significant night-to-night variations or rates outside the normal range might prompt a conversation with your healthcare provider.
Some CPAP apps display average respiratory rate for each session, while others show trends over weeks or months. This longitudinal view can be particularly useful for spotting gradual changes that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Several factors can influence your nocturnal respiratory rate:
Illness often causes respiratory rate to increase. Research has shown that CPAP users experiencing infections—including respiratory illnesses like pneumonia or even COVID-19—may see their overnight breathing rate climb from a typical 14-15 breaths per minute to 20 or higher before other symptoms appear.
Medications that affect the central nervous system, including sedatives and certain pain medications, can slow respiratory rate. If you’ve started a new medication and notice changes in your CPAP data, mention this to your prescribing physician.
Physical fitness and weight changes can also influence breathing patterns. Improved cardiovascular fitness sometimes leads to slower, more efficient breathing, while weight gain may have the opposite effect.
Anxiety and stress, even during sleep, can elevate respiratory rate. If you’re going through a particularly stressful period, your breathing data might reflect that.
While both metrics appear in your CPAP data, they measure different things. AHI counts the number of apneas (complete breathing pauses) and hypopneas (partial airway obstructions) per hour of sleep. It’s the primary measure of how well your therapy is controlling your sleep apnea.
Respiratory rate, on the other hand, measures your overall breathing frequency regardless of whether events are occurring. You could have a normal respiratory rate but still experience apnea events, or you could have an elevated respiratory rate with a well-controlled AHI.
The two metrics complement each other. Together, they provide a more complete picture of your nocturnal breathing than either could alone.
For most CPAP users, respiratory rate is background information rather than something requiring daily attention. A glance at your data now and then can confirm that things are running smoothly, and that’s usually enough.
However, if you notice a sustained change in your respiratory rate—especially an increase that persists over several nights—consider whether you might be getting sick or whether something else in your health has changed. Early detection of respiratory changes has helped some CPAP users catch illnesses before symptoms fully developed.
Your sleep specialist can help interpret your respiratory rate data in the context of your overall health. If you’re concerned about what you’re seeing, bring it up at your next appointment or reach out to your provider’s office.
The fact that your CPAP machine tracks this information is a reminder of how much technology has advanced in sleep medicine. What was once only measurable in a clinical setting now happens automatically on your nightstand, giving you and your healthcare team more tools to optimize your health.