Everyone wants a good night’s sleep. It is what can make all the difference in your morning meeting, or in the thick of traffic, or when you have an endless to-do list. Getting the right amount of sleep means having more energy throughout the day, being able to concentrate and focus when you need to, and not missing out on the important moments in life, whether they are big or small. Sleep is an essential aspect of a healthy lifestyle.
While some people struggle to get the right amount of sleep because they lead busy lives, they don’t make sleep a priority, or any number of other controllable factors, there are those who struggle to get a restful night because they suffer from sleep apnea. However, there are positive possibilities for these individuals as well, and it all begins with heading to a medical supply store that has CPAP supplies in stock.
Finding the right CPAP supplies for a better night’s sleep
Some medical conditions and sleep disorders are serious enough to warrant the use of medical equipment such as full home oxygen systems. There are different types of sleep apnea, and different people are affected in different ways. If you have trouble sleeping, often wake in the middle of the night from your own heavy snoring or shortness of breath, or otherwise suspect you have a sleep disorder, your first move should be to talk to your doctor.
If sleep apnea is indeed diagnosed, usually after an overnight sleep study, your doctor will work with you to figure out how long you should be wearing a CPAP machine and at what levels. Because of the nature of the condition, it could take some time to find the perfect system that provides you with the best levels of both oxygen and sleep.
Understanding sleep apnea and CPAP machines
Sleep apnea is a disorder in which there are repeated pauses in breathing, either because of an obstruction in the airway or because there is not enough effort being exerted to take in fresh oxygen. In some cases, the issue is a combination of the two. Head to any store selling CPAP supplies and the salespeople should be able to explain in detail just how the machines help to relieve the symptoms of your sleep disorder. While you will have likely already gotten directions from your doctor, it will help to visualize how it operates when it is actually in front of you.
“CPAP” stands for continuous positive airway pressure, and it is exactly what its name implies: a ventilator that supplies a gentle, steady stream of air that provides just enough pressure to keep your airways open, allowing you to avoid those awful apneas that prevent you from getting the sleep that you need.
Getting your life back
Many people who have been diagnosed with sleep apnea can attest to the fact that, before treatment, their lives were significantly affected by their sleep irregularities. About 42 million adults across the United States have breathing related sleep disorders. It has been estimated that the average amount of apneas experienced in a single hour for a person suffering from a typical obstructive sleep apnea disorder is about 60 apneas. That can add up to around 400 apneas each and every night, which is a significant amount of time not breathing. Not only can this affect your drowsiness and focus during the day, but it could also eventually lead to heart problems and high blood pressure as well.
The negative effects of the disorder definitely add up quickly. Think of all the sleep apnea sufferers who get behind the wheel of a car despite being overly tired from lack of rest during the night. If every single person who suffered from sleep apnea could be properly treated with the right CPAP supplies, resulting in full nights of sleep and less drowsy driving during the day, an astonishing $11.1 billion in collision expenses could be saved every year. And that is not even taking into account the nearly 1,000 lives that could be saved every year if sleep apnea was taken out of the driving equation.
Your health is important, and that means getting good sleep. Talk to you doctor today.