“Everything’s in the Clear” – 37 Years with CPAP.
A Personal Account by Sleep Apnea Patient Arno Zillig
Arno Zillig has been a CPAP patient with Löwenstein Medical since 1988. He has been living with the diagnosis of sleep apnea for nearly four decades and has an active and fulfilling professional and personal life to look back on.
We visited Mr. Zillig at his home in Bensheim, the largest city in the Bergstraße district, nestled between the Odenwald and the Hessisches Ried. There, we spoke with him about good sleep, sleep apnea, his experiences, tips and recommendations for sleep apnea therapy, and his long-standing loyalty to Löwenstein. Currently, Mr. Zillig uses the Joyce sleep breathing mask and a white Prisma device.
Mr. Zillig is an educated, friendly, and open-minded individual with a wide range of interests. He celebrated his 88th birthday in July 2025. He actively shares his extensive knowledge of sleep apnea therapy in lectures to self-help groups totaling 1200 members. In addition, Arno Zillig is politically active at the district and state levels, as well as in the Bensheim Business Association.
Originally from Zwingenberg a. d. B., he completed training as an industrial clerk and as a concrete engineer at technician level. For many years, he worked as Managing Director for Dyckerhoff & Heidelberger Zement, where he played a key role in numerous major construction projects, such as bridges and high-rise buildings.
During his career, this job involved long driving times to oversee the seven plants under his responsibility.
In his private life, Mr. Zillig was married to Ursula, a woman from Heidelberg, who passed away six years ago. The marriage produced three children: Ralf, Dagmar, and Bettina.
An interview with Arno Zillig.
What does good sleep mean for your quality of life?
A structured daily routine is very important to me. After workdays lasting up to 16 hours, I placed special importance on restful sleep to start the next morning refreshed and ready to perform. A well-functioning balance between work, rest, and recovery was a fundamental requirement for my physical well-being and my professional resilience.
How has your life changed since you started CPAP therapy?
On April 6, 1989, after being diagnosed with severe sleep apnea, I received the prescription for my first CPAP device. The therapy led to a significant improvement in my quality of life: For the first time, I was able to sleep continuously without nighttime breathing interruptions. At that time, the devices were very large, loud, and had limited comfort – comparable to a vacuum cleaner. The mask material was very rigid compared to the material they use today. Out of consideration for my wife, we slept in separate bedrooms. For me, wearing the mask was indispensable despite all the discomfort, as I would not have been able to work otherwise. Before starting therapy, my condition was so critical that I regularly had to pull over on the right during car trips to take short rest breaks. It was only through CPAP therapy that I was able to fully resume my work as a concrete engineer. Within nine months, I was able to resume my work with up to 16 hours per day, as I was accustomed to. At that time, I was 51 years old.
Sleep apnea therapy restored my energy to cope with both my professional routine and family life.
What were the biggest challenges when starting the therapy?
At one point, I found myself in a state of health in which I could no longer help myself. Neither my general practitioner nor the specialists I consulted were familiar with the condition of sleep apnea, which made finding a suitable treatment significantly more difficult. It was only with medical advancements and the increasing establishment of sleep medicine research in Germany – especially by the clinic in Marburg – that new prospects emerged for me.
In this context, I met Dr. med. Ulrich Brandenburg (Medical Director Diagnostics & Homecare), who was able to provide me for the first time with comprehensive information and further support in managing my condition. This contact marked a decisive turning point in my medical care and contributed significantly to stabilizing my health.
How did you get used to the device? Was there a moment when you thought, “Now it really works”?
For me, there was no typical adjustment period to CPAP therapy. Due to the severity of my sleep apnea and the associated limitations in daily life, I immediately adopted the solution offered. I used the device without hesitation – not as an option, but as a necessary measure to combat my condition. Immediate application led to a noticeable improvement in my sleep and overall endurance.
You have experienced many developments in medical technology – what impressed you the most about CPAP technology?
Since the beginning of my therapy, I have followed the development of CPAP technology with great interest. I am especially impressed by the advances in device features and functionality. While the early models only had a fixed pressure level which could only be adjusted by authorized personnel using a special key, modern devices offer significantly more flexibility.
The white Prisma model I currently use allows variable adjustment of the therapy pressure in the range of 1 to 14 mbar. This adaptability provides a smooth, individually tailored airflow that better meets my nighttime breathing needs and significantly enhances comfort. Technological advancements have thus not only improved the effectiveness of the therapy but also greatly increased my quality of life.
As a patient, what do you hope for in future devices – comfort, design, functionality?
I am very satisfied with the current state of CPAP technology. In my opinion, the devices are fully equipped, comfortable to use, and technically mature. I even find them nice to look at and especially appreciate the low noise level and high user-friendliness. For me, there’s nothing better at the moment. Improvements are only possible in the details at most.
I am also very satisfied with the various masks and humidifiers, including JOYCE and LENA.
Are there certain functions or innovations that you particularly appreciate?
I particularly appreciate the technologically improved CPAP masks, which fit comfortably on my nose and are made of soft material. They offer great wearing comfort and are very well made. In my experience, the masks last about a year – and even after this time, they still look like new. For me, this is a clear indication of the high quality and durability of the current products.
Is there a personal story or a special moment that you associate with your therapy?
A pivotal moment for me back then was a chance encounter: A man from Lampertheim told me that he urgently needed a CPAP machine – and we received the device at the same time. For me, this was an important motivation to seriously begin the therapy. Also, the first meeting with Dr. Brandenburg was a guiding influence for me at that time.
Without CPAP therapy, I would have had to give up my profession. The treatment was not only medically necessary for me but also crucial for my professional and personal quality of life.
Thank you very much, Mr. Zillig, for the interview.