Central sleep apnea is a diagnosis that disturbs the pattern of breathing during sleep, so that breathing stops totally on recurrent occasions throughout the night. There are a number of causes, mostly as a result of problems in the section of the brain that controls breathing or weakness in the respiratory muscles. The most common central sleep apnea solutions involve using one or more of a range of options including: treating any rudimentary disease, medication to enhance breathing, and machines that force air into the respiratory passages during sleep. Central sleep apnea should not be confused with the more common disorder obstructive sleep apnea, which is caused by blockage of the airways.

As a number of diseases such as heart failure and kidney failure are connected with the problem, treatment of central sleep apnea often involves attending to these associated conditions. Treating heart failure with appropriate medication and kidney failure with dialysis may mean that normal nighttime breathing is restored and no further central sleep apnea treatment is mandatory. What causes sleep apnea and central sleep apnea are sometimes reversible; for example, traveling to areas at high altitude or taking opiates such as heroin can cause central sleep apnea. The treatment for central sleep apnea in the first case would involve descending to lower altitude and for the second case a gradual detachment of opiates would be implemented.

Continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, where pressurized air is pumped into the airways through a face mask, can be an effective central sleep apnea treatment. It may help to keep the airway open overnight and its use has been found to lead to better heart function in people with cardiac failure. CPAP is also used to treat obstructive sleep apnea.

A common central sleep apnea treatment is the use of medications such as acetazolamide and theophylline. These may be taken as a preventive measure before visiting places at high altitude. The drugs work by stimulating respiration and are also used as a central sleep apnea treatment for patients with heart failure. Other types of treatment involve surgery for snoring or apnea surgery.