If lifestyle changes do not help reduce your apnea, doctors usually recommend a treatment called CPAP. CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP). The CPAP machine blows air into your nose. This helps keep the airways open. There are different models of CPAP machines, but many have a mask that you put on your nose before you sleep. CPAP has been a very successful treatment for sleep apnea and is now the most common way of treating this medical condition.