Nocturnal breathing disorders are rather frequently observed in patients with left ventricular failure. When an obstructive sleep apnoea is present, nCPAP therapy is the preferred treatment method; the treatment probably also positively affects the left ventricular failure itself. Central sleep apnoea and in particular, the special form Cheyne-Stokes respiration have an unfavourable prognosis with increased mortality in patients with left ventricular failure. The indication for either nCPAP therapy or adaptive servoventilation cannot yet be regarded as verified and is the subject of ongoing clinical studies.