Are you sick of not being able to get a good night’s sleep? Do you find yourself particularly irritable in the morning or just nodding off at odd points during the day? Does your spouse complain about the noise you make when you sleep — dreadful snoring or choking sounds? If you answered yes to all of these things, you may be suffering from sleep apnea and you may need to invest in a CPAP mask and CPAP machine supplies to get your sleep schedule back on track. CPAP machines and CPAP machine supplies can do more than help your sleep immediately, they can also be instrumental to preserving your health in the long run, as sleep apnea is linked to cardiovascular disease as well. And everyone knows the detrimental effects of not having enough sleep — your immune system can suffer, your memory can take a hit, and it can even age your skin. It’s not called your “beauty sleep” for nothing!
What is Sleep Apnea? Should I Be Seriously Worried About It?
Around 18 million Americans have sleep apnea (whether they’ve been diagnosed or not) and is readily identified by pauses in your breathing or taking shallow breaths as you sleep. These pauses can be anywhere from seconds to minutes long and can occur up to 30 times an hour, if not more. After the pause, regular breathing begins again, but is often accompanied by a snort, strangled snore, or choking sound, which is probably what any roommates or partners complain about.
Between 2-4% of all Americans have sleep apnea that is not diagnosed. That’s about one in fifty people who haven’t been diagnosed with sleep apnea. While it’s unpleasant for those around you and you may suffer from being permanently exhausted, it’s not something a lot of people really do much about in many cases. It’s not terribly uncomfortable or life-threatening, right?
Well, you may want to rethink that. If you have an untreated case of sleep apnea, you may be four times as more likely to be at risk for a stroke than people without sleep apnea, or people who are taking appropriate measures to help fix their sleep apnea. You’re also three times more likely to have heart disease. The National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research reports that close to 40,000 people die from cardiovascular problems each year that are somehow related to sleep apnea. If you’re a man, you’re twice as likely to get it as a woman, and if you have asthma, a study showed that asthma patients had a 40% higher risk for getting sleep apnea than those without asthma.
What Can I Do to Help My Sleep Apnea?
Many doctors will recommend that you get a CPAP machine and CPAP machine supplies, like a nasal mask or a face mask to hook up to the CPAP machine. CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure and consists of a machine that provides the user with a constant and steady air pressure through a hose. The hose connects to a face mask or nasal pillow or mask that the patient wears as they sleep.
What Should I Know About Using My CPAP Machine?
While the CPAP machine and any CPAP machine supplies will keep the patient sleep apnea free, they can certainly take some getting used to. Many people get fed up — indeed studies hav shown that around 50% of all patients who started using a CPAP machine stopped using it in 1-3 weeks and around 80% of patients say they don’t use it enough to keep them safe, which is the entire point.
Your body will eventually adjust around the machine — you just need to give it time. For best results (and to maintain your insurance), doctors advise you should use the CPAP machine at least 70% over a thirty day period — at least four hours every night.
Don’t invite cardiovascular disease into your life by not getting your sleep apnea treated — or worse, by not using what the doctors prescribe you! Stay healthy and sleep better with a CPAP machine.