Is Sleep Apnea Killing Your Marriage?

Sleep Apnea or Obstructive Sleep Apnea as it is sometimes called usually involves loud snoring as one of the symptoms.  Anyone that has ever slept with a snoring partner knows that it can be seriously disruptive to one’s own sleep. But what effect, long-term, does it have on a marriage? It is a common situation in many marriages and apparently has more impact than many couples think.

Obviously, the experience of sleeping with a loud snoring partner is not positive, but what can be done?  This is the question that The Sleep Disorders Center at Rush University Medical Center recently set out to ask and hopefully solve. In doing so, they hope to save marriages that might be in danger of divorce due to this chronic, ongoing struggle to get enough rest at night….and all the interpersonal implications of not achieving a balanced level of sleep.

The Center is currently evaluating ten couples in which the male has been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. The couples begin by completing surveys about sleepiness, marriage satisfaction and quality of life.  After this step, the couples spend the night in the Center’s sleep lab where technicians determine each partner’s quantity and quality of sleep.

Two weeks after these tests, and treatment, the couple repeats a night’s sleep in the sleep lab for comparison purposes. The results have been very interesting and mostly positive.

According to press releases from the Center, the early results show that there is indeed a significant impact on the wife’s quality and quantity of sleep. It is termed a serious problem that does indeed lead to a hostile and tense situation within the marriage.

In one example cited, the husband’s snoring was arousing the wife out of sleep over eight times an hour.  Her sleep efficiency rating (the percentage of time she was actually asleep) was 73%. The average person’s sleep efficiency is closer to 90%.

In this example, the wife had attempted to use earplugs, earphones and had finally given up and started to sleep alone.

To treat the husband, the Center used a device known as a continuous positive airway pressure machine (CPAP). This machine is non-invasive and the flow of air it delivers prevents the upper airway from collapsing during sleep, allowing the lungs to perform normally.

In this particular case, the wife’s quality of life measure jumped from a 1.2 to a 7.0, indicating that the snoring had been alleviated and was no longer significantly bothering her. Her sleepiness scale (how tired she felt) dropped from 12 to a 6. Marital Satisfaction scores improved from a 3 to 5.8 and the wife’s sleep efficiency moved up from 73% to 82%.

Obviously, on every level, this treatment had made great strides for the couple and showed promise in other situations.

The Rush Center is continuing tests on sleep apnea. The Center will evaluate the results and expand on the information being provided to the public.

Their press release is very specific about the measures are taken as each couple enters the program. As stated “…both the husband and wife undergo simultaneous polysomnography, a sleep test that monitors brain activity, eye movements, muscle activity, heart rate and rhythms, breathing patterns, blood oxygen level and body movements and respiratory sounds. All sensors are noninvasive and do not cause pain or discomfort.

The study involves first diagnosing the sleep apnea. The husband will sleep alone in the center as technicians monitor his sleep. If he has sufficient sleep apnea, he will undergo a split-night study to determine the appropriate CPAP treatment.

Sleep apnea is a serious health problem that should be treated. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the tissue in the back of the throat collapses and blocks the airway. The breathing pause lasts at least 10 seconds and can occur 10 or more times an hour. Apnea lowers the oxygen level in the blood leaving the patient vulnerable to hypertension, stroke and other cardiovascular problems.

Obstructive sleep apnea can occur in men and women of any age; however, it is most common in obese, middle-aged men. The most common signs of sleep apnea are loud snoring, choking or gasping during sleep, and fighting sleepiness during the day. In addition to continuous positive airway pressure, treatment includes losing weight, sleeping on your side instead of your back, avoiding alcohol and tobacco.”

If you think that you or your spouse might have sleep apnea please consult your physician immediately.

The team at Advanced Sleep Therapy will be there to assist you along your path to a better night’s sleep.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

4 Weight Loss Diet Myths

Sadly, there are multiple weight loss diet plan myths that keep lots of from approaching their weight reduction goals correctly. These misconceptions will direct individuals to diet plans that do not work and will keep individuals from doing the important things that they have to do to drop weight.

These four dieting misconceptions will help you to understand the actions that you have to take to drop weight. Understanding the truth behind these misconceptions will help you to make lifestyle changes that will enable you to keep the weight off for great.

Liquid Diets Work
People promote the advantages of liquid diets. They talk about how they cleanse your body, and how they help you to lose weight. These claims are misleading at finest. Your body might lose a couple of pounds on this type of this diet. The weight reduction truly originates from the fact that you are not consuming any real food. As quickly as you add food back to your diet, you will acquire the weight back. The liquid diet plan is just helpful for short-term, short-term weight reduction.

Consume Less to Lose More
Some individuals will try to starve themselves as a way to drop weight. If they significantly cut their calories, they believe that they will reduce weight rapidly and effectively. While this technique will assist you to slim down, it is incredibly unhealthy. Your body requires the vitamins, nutrients, carbohydrates, and calories that originate from food to run. While you do have to cut your caloric intake, you ought to not drastically cut these numbers.

Diets with a Timeline are perfect for keeping the Weight Off
Any diet with a timeline is going to impede your overall weight-loss goals. While the diet might assist you to slim down for a week or two, you will get the weight back as soon as you leave the diet plan. This can quickly leave you disheartened with the general weight reduction process and can hold back your total development.

Healthy Foods are Boring and Tasteless
Society is used to foods with high sugar material and high-fat content. While these foods may have interesting and popular flavors, they are unhealthy at best. Individuals tend to think that healthy foods are dull, dull, and unappetizing due to the fact that they lack the flavors used by these unhealthy foods. This is regrettable, as a lot of healthy foods can, in fact, be both nutritious and tasty. By adding spices and herbs to healthy foods, you can add taste to meals.

Most of these weight loss diet misconceptions come from companies that are attempting to make money. They want to sell you the most recent and biggest diet craze so that they can take your cash. You understand that they are in fact destructive to your health and can keep you from accomplishing and maintaining your weight loss objectives when you comprehend the fact behind these myths. Neglect the myths and approach your weight loss diet plan properly. It will assist you to reduce weight and keep a healthy way of life.

As quickly as you add food back to your diet plan, you will acquire the weight back. The liquid diet plan is just great for short-term, short-lived weight loss. Any diet plan with a timeline is going to hinder your general weight loss goals. While the diet plan may help you to lose weight for a week or two, you will acquire the weight back as quickly as you get off of the diet. Ignore the myths and approach your weight loss diet properly.

If your physician has ordered CPAP therapy for you please know that we are here to help.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Rheumatic Fever, Heart Disease and Sleep Apnea

Before antibiotic medicines became widely used, rheumatic fever was the largest cause of valve disease. Rheumatic fever is a condition that is a complication of untreated strep throat. Strep throat is caused by a group A streptococcal infection found in the throat.

Rheumatic fever can damage body tissues by causing them to swell, but its greatest danger lies in the damage it can do to your heart. More than half of the time, rheumatic fever leads to scarring of the heart’s valves. This scarring can narrow the valve and make it harder for the valve to open properly or to close completely. In turn, your heart has to work harder to pump blood to the rest of your body. This valve damage can lead to a condition called rheumatic heart disease, which, in time, can lead to congestive heart failure.

The connection between CHF and sleep apnea is that one often follows the other. If you treat your sleep apnea with CPAP Therapy then you may just help to combat the heart disease. There is good evidence to believe that there is a correlation between heart disease and sleep apnea.

Rheumatic fever is not an infection itself, rather the result of an untreated strep infection. When the body senses the strep infection, it sends antibodies to fight it. Sometimes, these antibodies attack the tissues of joints or the heart instead. If the antibodies attack the heart they can cause the heart valves to swell, which can lead to scarring of the valve “doors.” (The doors are called leaflets.) The scarred leaflets make it harder for the valve to either open or close properly, or both.

The symptoms of rheumatic fever usually begin 1 to 6 weeks after a strep infection. The symptoms are fever, joint pain or swelling in your wrists, elbows, knees, or ankles. Small bumps under the skin over elbows or knees (called nodules). Maybe a small raised red rash on the chest, back, or stomach, experience stomach pain or feeling less hungry. Weakness, shortness of breath, or feeling very tired. Please remember that Rheumatic Fever needs immediate medical attention!

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP who is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Home Gym: Cardio Exercise Equipment In Your Spare Room?

Doing regular cardiovascular exercises has its numerous benefits. Aside from weight loss and prevention of diseases, it could also help in promoting overall health like better sleep, improved mood, less stress, etc. This is very beneficial to CPAP patients who need to get that cardio exercise in regardless to their schedule.

Most of us have fast-paced lifestyle which makes it difficult to insert physical activity into our busy schedules. Having cardio exercise equipment at home could resolve that issue.

Signing up for an expensive gym membership may not be good idea if you are a person who dread walking to a room full of people and wait for you turn on the next machine. Aside from that, some people just do not have enough time to drive themselves to the gym.

Working out within the comfort of your home is getting popular over the years. In fact, in 2000 about $6.7 billion were spent on fitness equipment. The popularity of purchasing personal exercise equipment is increasing, making it possible for homeowners to find low-cost cardio exercise equipment without sacrificing the quality.

Generally, there are several questions that would be able to help you set-up your home gym.

• What are your goals in setting up your home gym?

• How much space would you need to setup your equipment?

• Are you the only one who would be working out? How many people would be using the gym?

• How much are you willing to spend on the equipment?

Determining your goals would help you identify what equipment will be purchased. For example, if you are after total cardio workout, then definitely a treadmill, elliptical, or stationary bike is needed. If you plan on building more muscle, then you would probably need pull-up bars, push-up stands, weights, etc.

Once you have decided to set-up a home gym, then you should consider where in the house you could set it up. You need to consider the space, since there are cardio equipment which cover a lot of space, like treadmills or the stationary step climber. The good news is that there are exercise equipment which can be folded or stored easily.

The home gym should also be in a room where it is properly ventilated and with enough sunlight. Working out in a dark room is never inviting. You would like to have your home gym look engaging, keep it organized and functional. Keep towels in the room. Make sure that there are water bottles in the room making it convenient for you to get a drink after a workout.

Cardio exercise equipment are mostly stationary equipment. For example, if you are on your stationary bike, then you will be pumping those pedals for the next half hour. Boredom is one reason why people stop working out. You could have a television in your home gym, so you could still catch up with favorite shows while sweating it out.

Setting up a home gym is not just about working out. You would also need to consider maintenance of your equipment. Not taking good care of them could cause you problems or worse, accidents. Be cautious when using them. Don’t just drop weights or shove things around. When storing you equipment, make sure that they are not exposed to excessive sunlight, dampness or other factors which may damage the equipment.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP who is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Abnormal Heart Rhythms (arrhythmia’s)

Abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia’s) are sequences of heartbeats that are irregular. They are too fast, too slow, or conducted via an abnormal electrical pathway through the heart. Heart rhythms differ from one person to the other. Health, age and fitness are often key factors.

The heart is a muscular organ with four chambers, designed to work efficiently, reliably, and continuously over a lifetime. The muscular walls of each chamber contract in a regulated sequence, pumping blood as required by the body while expending as little energy as possible during each heartbeat.

Contraction of the muscle fibers within the heart is controlled by electricity. This flows through the heart in a precise manner, along distinct pathways and at a controlled speed. The electrical current that begins each heartbeat, originates in the heart’s pacemaker, located in the top of the upper right heart chamber (right atrium). The rate at which the pacemaker discharges the electrical current determines the heart rate. This rate is influenced by nerve impulses and levels of certain hormones within the bloodstream.

The heart rate is regulated automatically by the autonomic nervous system, which consists of the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions. The sympathetic division increases the heart rate through a network of nerves called the sympathetic plexus. The parasympathetic division decreases the heart rate through a single nerve, the vagus nerve.

In an adult at rest, the heart rate is usually between sixty and one hundred beats per minute. However, lower rates may be normal in young adults, particularly those who are physically fit. A person’s heart rate varies normally in response to exercise and such stimuli as pain and anger. Heart rhythm is considered abnormal only when the heart rate is inappropriately fast (known as tachycardia) or slow (known as bradycardia), or is irregular, or when electrical impulses travel along abnormal pathways.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP who is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Benefits of Early Blood Pressure Monitoring

Did you know that your blood pressure increases as you age? By taking control of your blood pressure at an early age you can have the benefit of a longer healthy life. In this article you will find ways to monitor your blood pressure and the benefits that come with it.

If you are unable to have regular checkups at your doctor’s office, you can purchase a blood pressure monitoring device. If you have a history of having high blood pressure a monitor is a great way to keep an eye on it.

Since blood pressure increases with age it is best to start monitoring it as early as possible. Many young people do not worry about things like this, but if your family history involves high blood pressure, it is best to start now.

The first thing when monitoring your blood pressure is to know what makes it increase. The following are just a few things that can cause it to increase.

Smoking and Alcohol
Tobacco use and alcohol can drastically increase your blood pressure. The best way to prevent this is to sustain from using tobacco or drinking alcohol. If you do not desire to do this, you can try limiting your use of tobacco and alcohol consumption. If you have tried quitting either before there are many available resources to help aid you in completely quitting.

Overweight
Being overweight will also drastically increase your blood pressure. If you can try to lose at least ten pounds this will help significantly.

Physical Inactivity
Do you exercise regularly? If not, you might want to start doing so. Exercise can help lower your blood pressure. Try doing at least thirty minutes of physical activity every day. If you cannot set aside thirty minutes at one time, try doing ten minutes at a time. As long as you get thirty minutes a day you will see results.

Stress
Yes, stress can raise your blood pressure. If you find yourself stressed every day, consider doing something to help you relax and de-stress. Meditation or a similar relaxation technique will do wonders with dealing with stress.

Your Diet
If you have an unhealthy diet, this could be the cause of your blood pressure increase. Try to limit your salt intake and introduce more fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet. Read nutrition labels and try to eat less fat, etc.

Sleeping Disorders
Sleeping disorders can raise your blood pressure because your breathing is interrupted while you’re sleeping. You can fix this by talking with your doctor about medication to help you sleep. There are many available medicines that have proven to be effective in helping sleeping disorders.

Over-the-counter drugs, substances and supplements
Some over the counter medicines and other supplements can trigger high blood pressure. Specifically antidepressants, cold medicines, oral contraceptives and nasal decongestants. If you are worried about a certain medication you are currently taking, consult your doctor. Ask any and all questions you may have concerning your blood pressure.

By watching all this you can stay away from the risks of high blood pressure including stroke and heart or kidney disease. It is never too late to start taking care of your health.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP who is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Liver Home Remedies – Keeping the Filter Healthy

Your liver is essentially the filter for your body and keeping it healthy using liver home remedies will help make sure that you stay healthy or can get healthy. If you think of the air filter for your car and all the things that get trapped in it just from driving around, you might get an idea of how your liver looks. Your air filter has to be able to allow clean air to run through your car to help it keep peak performance. When it gets clogged up your car won’t work as well. Your liver acts in much the same way and using liver home remedies will help you get and keep your body at peak performance.

Your liver acts as a filter for your blood. It takes all the impurities that your body has absorbed and filters them out so that your heart can keep pumping right. The toxins get into your bloodstream through a few avenues. It gets in through digestion, respiration, and the skin. What it filters out is viruses, bacteria, and other things that act as poisons to our bodies. The liver’s job is to get these things out of our bloodstream before it has a chance to do some damage to us. It detoxifies our bodies by filtering the blood.

The liver also helps filter and detoxify the body by creating bile that is necessary for proper digestion. It also changes the toxins into a form that is easily removed from the body through urine or stools after it has also neutralized or decreased the potency of the toxins. The liver has to be helped so that it can run smoothly making your body run smoothly.

Many liver home remedies, that you will find can keep that filter running well, use different foods such as certain fruits and vegetables.

Mix fresh papaya juice with lime juice and drink it with some regularity. For those who have cirrhosis of the liver mixing tablespoon of papaya juice with about 10 drops of lime juice and taking it twice daily. This has been shown to be one of the better and more used liver home remedies.

Carrots are also known to provide some great cleaning benefits for your bodies filter. Mix carrot juice with spinach juice and possibly cucumber juice and beet juice to help also with other liver problems including cirrhosis of the liver.

One of the most powerful among those foods that are liver home remedies is the cabbage. It aids the breakdown of toxins in the liver and helps reduce the congestion that takes place in the liver.

Another thing that is going to be the biggest part of keeping your liver clean is using water. Water is great for flushing out the impurities and should be drunk frequently.

Your liver is one of the hardest working and most important parts of your body. Do what you can to make sure that the filter is healthy and is able to do its job by taking advantage of these liver home remedies.

Just as you work hard to keep your liver clean, your CPAP filter also needs to be taken care of.

Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear, and all cleaning and CPAP accessories. Best of all you can order the Hypoallergenic Filter for the AirSense 10 and ResMed S9 Series without any prescription being required from our online store at Breathe Easy.

As always, it is always prudent to consult with your professional health care provider, to make sure there is no conflict between the home remedies and any medications you are taking.

Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear, and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

All About Amnesia

Amnesia is a disorder of the brain that affects the remembering aspect of once memory. It is caused by severe head injury or thru intake of a toxic substance that affects the brain. Thought the disease can also impact those who suffer from paralysis or heart stroke. Those who suffer from Amnesia have a tough time remembering previously learned information such as their name or language.

Amnesia victims never remember their past or anything associated with it such as people, place etc. They are often seemed to be feeling confused or disoriented. This disease, unlike Alzheimer, can occur at any age. And this can lead to a partial or full Amnesia disorder. In few cases, patients are never left unsupervised too as they may harm themselves. If the person remembers recent events then it is partial amnesia. The recovery process involves remembering the previous or past memory before the most recent memories.

Another factor that is very important to the disease besides partial and full is the term of Amnesia as to whether it is temporary or permanent.

Support of caregiver is very important for a person suffering from Amnesia though references from past can help them recover soon if those references are disturbing to them than one should restrain from discussing them in their presence. Generally, such cases are people who have been thru some kind of mental shock or agony. Such as accident victims, trauma patients or those who had to deal with a sudden death of someone close.

Another form of Amnesia is psychological Amnesia where someone takes on a new life for a few months or days and once the anxiety induced amnesia attack is over no memory remains of that period. Most of the amnesic patients recover on their own not requiring much medical interference. Change of work and activity can bring along a good change along with family therapy. Hypnosis also acts as a great tool to bring back the memory of the patient. Amnesia patients not only lose their memory but also the ability to generate any memory in the time span of disease.

Stress is a major cause of concern for today’s generation. Life is so fast-paced that it calls for a halt to think for oneself. We have so many things to worry about in today’s world and remembering things forms a major part of our life today. Be it electricity bill payment or client appointment. As the value of time has gained importance so have the getting work done on time has. Every day in our life we are faced with so many deadlines that we are stressed out completely by the end of the day. If you are having issues with stress and are not sleeping through the night, please consult your Doctor who will order a sleep study to determine if you suffer from Sleep Apnea or what the root cause of your health situation really is from.

 We seldom have time to meditate, exercise, engage ourselves in light activities such as games or clubbing the more our life is technologically influenced the more we are running into the danger of acquiring one or more neurological disorders. In order to wade thru the stress that we face in our day-to-day life, we must follow a healthy diet pattern along with adequate physical exercise and supplement intake.

In earlier times the work timings were fixed and there were limited resources of available technologies that make us sit like couch potatoes. People would interact and share their problems and worries that would act as a stress buster. Hence fewer people suffered from diseases such as Alzheimer and Amnesia. But now all these sufferings are becoming evident as we barely lay emphasis on improving our lifestyle and switching to a more relaxed life.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP who is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

High Blood Pressure in Obese Diabetics

High blood pressure is a concern for anyone but people with diabetics are more likely to suffer from it than others. If you are obese and diabetic, a high blood pressure can be deadly leading to a fatal heart attack. Like many health risks associated with diabetes, good control of your blood sugars, a healthy diet and physical activity can help to keep your blood pressure in check.

If you are suffering from a headache, your vision is blurry and you feel light-headed or dizzy you may have high blood pressure. These symptoms are not just indicative of high blood pressure though and you should seek medical attention to determine the cause. Other times there may be no symptoms at all when you have high blood pressure or it may be slightly elevated. It is smart to have your blood pressure routinely checked at your doctor’s appointments.

When you are obese, the most effective way to reduce your blood pressure is to lose weight. Follow a meal plan that works for your diabetes, making sure you are consuming enough food, and can still allow you to lose weight. Other changes that you can make that will improve your blood pressure are:

* An exercise routine that is followed on a regular basis
* Reducing stress in your life – meditation, yoga, letting go of some responsibilities
* Quit smoking
* Lessen the amount of salt you use for cooking or on your food

While you are making lifestyle changes to lower your blood pressure your doctor may decide to put yours on medication. If you have to take blood pressure medication it does
not have to be forever. You can look at it as a short-term fix while you make the changes necessary to lower your blood pressure on your own.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP who is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

What Is Chronic Airways Disease and How Can Physiotherapy Help?

Chronic airways disease is a group of diseases. These diseases are also called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Chronic airways disease can cause a major change in the quality of a patient’s life. However, physiotherapy can help.

Diseases included in chronic airways disease are chronic bronchitis and emphysema, for example. Many other diseases that restrict or limit breathing are included. It is most often caused by cigarette smoking but also can be caused by inhaling other irritants such as those in the workplace. Chronic airways disease is more common among the elderly.

Along with having shortness of breath, the patient is likely to wheeze and cough frequently. He will produce sputum in copious amounts, and sometimes that will be streaked with blood. The lips and fingers can take on a bluish tint because he is not getting enough oxygen, and heart trouble may follow for the same reason.

Physiotherapy can help with chronic airways disease in many ways. One is in breathing retraining. This is just what it sounds like. A physiotherapist works with the patient to teach him ways to breathe that will draw the most air while eliminating the most wheezing. This can be a great help for those with chronic airways disease.

Another method used by physiotherapists for those with chronic airways disease is called clapping and postural drainage. The postural drainage part is done by positioning the body so that the affected lung is above the trachea.

Many people do this at home by lying on a bed and bending the top half of the body over it. The physiotherapist teaches one how to do this so that the lung will drain. Before long, the patient with chronic airways disease will be doing this procedure on his own.

The other part of the help for chronic airways disease patients is called clapping. This is done by cupping the hand and clapping the back to loosen secretions in the chest. It is also called chest percussion. The physiotherapist will do this procedure and will teach it to a family member or caregiver.

People with chronic airways disease often have a problem with weakening legs. This is because, as they have trouble breathing, they avoid walking or doing the physical exercise of any sort. The goal of physiotherapy, in this case, is to strengthen the legs through treadmill-walking or stationary-cycling. This can only be done, however, if the patient is well enough to start out.

Conditioning the arms of chronic airways disease patients is just as important. Most daily jobs rely heavily on the arms to do the work. Exercises which focus on the arms not only strengthen the muscles of the arms. They also help the patient start breathing better.

Chronic airways disease is a condition that can benefit from physiotherapy. The physiotherapist treating the patient must have specialized knowledge for this type of treatment. Simple methods can be overlooked as modern treatments come to the forefront. Yet, physiotherapy personnel who know this technique can make a big difference in patients’ lives.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP who is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

What is Acupuncture?

What is acupuncture? It is a form of holistic healthcare that is used to prevent and treat certain diseases as well as relieve pain and anesthetize patients for surgery. Research shows that this began in China and has been practiced for more than 5,000 years.

The earliest account of this is found in the book called Nei Jing which in English means the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine. The contents of this book date somewhere around 200 BC. Back then, they did not use metal needles and instead used those made out of stone, moxibustion, and herbs to treat a patient.

Acupuncture prevents and treats diseases by inserting very fine needles into the skin specifically at the anatomic points of the body.

The principle behind this concept is that illnesses occur because there is an imbalance in your life force otherwise known as Qi. It is believed that this flows in 14 channels in the human body known as meridians which branch out to bodily organs and functions. If there is a blockage or obstruction in any of them, this is when you succumb to a disease or an illness.

The imbalance in the Qi may go one way or the other because of Yin and Yang. The person can only be normal if there is harmony between the two which is what acupuncture is trying to achieve. This can only be restored by stimulating these acupuncture points so your Qi can be adjusted, balanced and harmonized.

Apart from using needles, practitioners also use friction, heat, impulses of electromagnetic energy and pressure to stimulate these points in order to balance the movement of energy in the body to reduce one’s health.

An example of this is sonopuncture where an ultrasound device that transmits sound waves is applied to these points in the body. Some use a tuning fork and other vibration devices.

Acupressure is another example and here, the fingers are used to relieve the pain. This can be used by itself or with other manual healing techniques.

Impulses of electromagnetic energy are used because our bodies generate tiny but electrical discharges which influence the function, growth, and maturity of certain types of cells. By inserting the needles in these areas, it stimulates and alters the neurotransmitters in the body thus making the patient feel better after treatment. This is also sometimes used for diagnosis and testing.

According to the World Health Organization or WHO, here is a list of some illnesses where acupuncture is used. These include acute bronchitis, the common cold, cataract, toothaches, gingivitis, hiccups, ulcers, constipation, diarrhea, headache and migraine, Meniere’s disease, osteoarthritis and a lot more. In the US, acupuncture is often used to treat chronic pain conditions and mind-body disorders.

But acupuncture is not risk-free. Hematoma may develop if the needle punctures a circulatory structure. It is also possible that pneumothorax may occur if the needle is inserted too deep. There is also the risk of HIV and hepatitis if the needle was not properly sterilized.

Now that you know what acupuncture is, you must not forget that it is merely an alternative and not a proper form of medical treatment. This means you should still be examined by a professional in the medical field who can determine the severity of your illness or disease.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP who is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Juice Fasting — Clean Your Insides

A wise man once said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst, for they are sticking to their diets.”

What a fit description of the seemingly endless battles that we fight to lose weight and to stay healthy and vital for as long as humanly possible!

Up and down, up and down, your metabolism bounces between walking pace and light speed; you have nightmares about celery sticks; you can work out the exact calorie count of every meal in 2.5 seconds, and the wheels on your exercise bike spontaneously combusted months ago.

In short, you wear yourself out and end up landing on a bottom that, despite all your best efforts, still looks like a pair of bowling balls.

Juice fasting is a great way to get off the dieting roller-coaster and see real results quickly. Safe and effective when carried out correctly, juice fasting benefits your entire being:

Your physical well-being increases as the body is rid of toxins and excess fat.

Your mind benefits because fasting creates a stillness that brings mental clarity and helps you to develop will power and to better control your senses.

As you lose weight and feel much better about yourself, self-esteem improves and sets you on the road to what could be a life-changing experience, connecting you to your spirit and helping you to achieve balance in your life.

Juice Fasting and Weight Loss

CPAP users looking for a fast, great way to shed some extra pounds, juice fasting may be for you, especially when you’re in a hurry. During the fast the body uses its own stored substances and, at the same time, detoxifies. A healthy combination of juices squeezed from fresh fruits and vegetables adds vitamins, minerals and trace elements to the body.

Because your only source of nourishment during the fast is water and the juices that you drink, it’s imperative that the juices you drink contain the maximum possible amounts of enzymes, vitamins and other nutrients in the fresh produce.

Many of the juicers on the market process the fresh fruits and veggies in a way that destroys many of the nutrients in the food. A top quality juicer such as the Oscar VitalMax juicer is an excellent tool for the job because it serves up living juices. The food is processed in such a way that it retains as many nutrients and essential enzymes as possible.

Juice fasting is a much better diet option than fad diets. Fad diets literally starve the body of nutrients. On the other hand, juice fasting provides the body with the nutrients it needs for vibrant health, helping to fix any chemical imbalances in the body – even those created by fad diets.

Juice Fasting and Detoxification

Juice fasting for detoxification is probably the most well-known usage of this particular type of fast. Juice fasting allows the organs of the body to rest, cleansing and revitalising them. The organs’ functioning is much better, which in turn aids in the digestion of food and production of energy for day to day life.

Juice fasting may also be helpful for the treatment and prevention of fluid retention.

Juice Fasting: How To

Before launching into a fast, it’s a good idea to begin preparing the body a week ahead. Cut out or reduce nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and wheat. Ideally, the diet prior to fasting should consist mainly of fruits, vegetables, and beans.

If you’ve never fasted before it might be a good idea to limit your first fast to three or four days. Sometimes abstaining from food entirely is a bit much, so it’s ok to eat fresh fruit or veggies if your stomach is complaining.

Now it’s time to get juicing! If you can’t make your own juices buy them from a health food shop – the fresher, the better. The GreenPower Kempo juicer is another excellent juicer that produces high quality juices to help you to get the best possible result from your fast.

Mix between one and three parts of pure water with your juice of choice. To get you started, here a few tasty recipes courtesy of Fasting to Freedom, by Tom McGregor:

Jogger’s Paradise

3 oranges
2 hard pears
1 small yam

Mix and add a little-crushed ice. Great for energy.

A Taste of Heaven

2 carrots
1 sweet potato
2 apples
A thin slice of Spanish onion
Pinch of Dulse powder

For energy and endurance.

Red Ice

1 beet
1 sweet potato
2 apples
1 lemon
1 tomato
A thin slice of Spanish onion
1 garlic clove
1 can of frozen apple concentrate

Sit back and relax!

With the aid of a good juicer or fresh juice from a health shop, give yourself a power-up and try a juice fast. Better than any fad diet, you can stop running yourself ragged. It’s a great way to remove toxins from the body, to lose weight, and to improve your health and well-being.

Look better, feel better, and be healthier than ever before!

Please note: Its always safest to get the advice of a health care professional before making drastic changes to your diet, particularly if aren’t well to start with. Even natural juices can interfere with medication and you should consult your doctor before fasting.

Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear, and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Obesity in Adolescents

Obesity and overweight are the second most major reasons of preventable deaths in America. Stagnant lifestyle and junk food is to be blamed for more than three hundred thousand deaths per annum. The sad thing is that this problem is on the rise. Obesity is a chronic disease which poses serious health risk to the health of an individual. Also, obesity is the easiest recognizable medical problem, but is very difficult to deal with.

People usually confuse obesity with overweight. Overweight is gaining a few extra pounds. A person is considered obese when the total body weight is minimum ten percent more than the recommended weight for his/her body structure and height. According to an estimate, every year hundred billion dollars are spent on the obesity problem. It is very important to treat the problem as early as possible. Obese children between the age of ten and thirteen have eighty percent chances of growing into obese adults unless they change their ways and adopt a healthier lifestyle. The obesity problem starts from the age of five and continues till adolescence.

Obesity can be caused due to complex reasons including biological, genetic, cultural and behavioral factors. Usually, a person gets obese when he/she consumes more calories than the body burns. Also, there are fifty percent chances of becoming obese when both one of the parents is obese and when obesity has affected both the parents, the chances increase to eighty percent. One percent of obese people can have that fat because of health reasons, as obesity can be caused due to few medical disorders. The causes of obesity in adolescence are overeating, family history, bad eating habits, little or no exercise, medical illness, low self-esteem, medications, depression, emotional problems, stressful life, and family problem.

Obesity can cause many major problems. Some of them are diabetes, sleeping disorders, high blood pressure, breathing problems, emotional problems and an increase in heart disease risk. Teenagers are more prone to get emotional problems. Because of the weight, they develop low self-esteem. They get into depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety. If your child is diagnosed with sleep apnea, you can rest easily knowing that the team at Advanced Sleep Therapy is highly qualified in providing fittings and maintenance for your child’s CPAP therapy.

Adolescents who want to tackle the obesity problem should approach a pediatrician who will thoroughly evaluate the cause. If no physical disorder is to be blamed, the weight is reduced by limiting the calorie intake and increasing physical activity. The doctor can advise a weight management program and change the eating habits of the teenager, slowly. The patient must avoid oily, fatty, fast and junk food. The potions must be reduced in order to decrease the calorie intake. If the adolescent has developed emotional problems because of obesity, an adolescent psychiatrist can collaborate with the pediatrician in order to make a comprehensive plan for treatment. The plan includes reasonable goals, behavior modification, family participation, and management of physical activity.

Self-motivation is extremely necessary for losing weight. Because obesity is more a family problem and not an individual problem, the whole family can switch to eating healthy food and exercising regularly. This can make the weight control program a success. Parents can play a major role in boosting the self-esteem of their children by concentrating on their strengths and encouraging them, instead of targeting the weight problem. The whole family should eat meals together, instead of eating individually while watching a movie. This helps all the members to focus on the food and the quantity being eaten. If the teenager isn’t getting support from his family members, he/she can join support groups which can help towards the goals.

After the adolescent has lost weight, it is very important that he/she maintains it. In the majority of the cases, people shift back to their old eating habits after losing weight. That is the reason why obesity is more of a lifetime issue. So the main aim of any weight loss program must be to make the adolescent-like healthy food. He/she must also be made to exercise regularly, irrespective of the weight.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear, and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP who is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

There are many potent methods in the field of stress medication. It’s all too easy to feel that you need to reach for the pharmaceutical cupboard when stress hits causing headaches and fatigue. In fact, the better stress relief methods stem from meditation, relaxation and social activities. That said, if you wish to compliment your efforts to reduce stress with a supplement, there is one that does not require you to spend all your money on expensive drugs.

The best medication to relieve stress is Vitamin C.

You don’t need a prescription to get your hands on Vitamin C. If stress is affecting you adversely, I would advise consulting a doctor. Though, here are some ways to consume vital body requirements daily. Vitamin C has been proven to be effective in combating stress disorders. It has latent benefits too like preventing colds. It’s also been rumored to help fight cancer.

Vitamin C reduces both the physical and the psychological effects bestowed on people when stress attacks. Those who consume Vitamin C regularly do not exhibit the signs of mental stress so easily when subjected to challenges each day. Additionally, those people find themselves able to recover from any stressful encounter much more quickly than people who consume very little Vitamin C.

How can you be sure of your needed Vitamin C intake as part of your daily medication to relieve stress? Add these to your diet:

1. Uncooked vegetables such as broccoli, sprouts, tomatoes and parsley, spinach.
2. Fresh fruits such as strawberries, bananas, apples.
3. Red and Green peppers.
4. One glass of orange juice with breakfast.
5. Raw fish foods.
6. Almonds and walnuts.
7. Whole Wheat.

The other scientific fact on Vitamin C’s effect on stress is related to its effect on hormones. Stress produces a hormone called Cortisol released by our adrenal glands. This sends the stressed effects through the body; since the body and mind are in unison, soon the mind is affected too. The hormone is triggered by a reaction to an event that can cause stress such as a sense of worry or danger.

There are many herbal remedies available that you can ask your doctor about though Vitamin C remains the best medication to relieve stress. It’s important to recognize the early stages of stress so that you tackle it before it begins to degrade your health. Recognize very quickly any signs of depression and anxiety. Believe me, these issues can escalate into serious mental health problems. Don’t be susceptible to it, ensure you take care of your body and mind.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP who is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Better Your Memory by Leading a Healthy Lifestyle

As you age, you may feel like your memory is slowly losing its ability to store as much information like it used to. Although this is a natural occurrence, you can do things and various exercises to help yourself not easily lose its grip when it comes to remembering things and better your memory. Memory is defined in psychology as the mental ability of an organism to retain and store as well as recall information.

In the older days, the study of memory falls under the fields of philosophy. People even dig up on techniques to artificially enhance the memory. In the late 19th up to the early 20th century, the study of memory became part of the paradigms of the cognitive psychology. As of today, this is one of the major fields in the branch of science known as cognitive neuroscience.

How the Memory Works

There are three stages that happen when you form and retrieve information as part of your memory. First, the information is encoded or registered once it is received by your brain. After that, your brain tries to create a permanent record of the information and store as much as it could. Whenever the need arises, your brain will help you recall the stored information and retrieve whatever will help you in the circumstance that you are in.

Disorders Associated with Memory

The most common disorder that is being incurred in this regard is the loss of memory, also known as amnesia. There are many types of amnesia and studies are being done continuously to know more about the field as well as to solve the dilemma. Other known disorders that usually hit older people is Alzheimer’s disease. There is also a disorder that centers into one’s autobiographical memory or when they cannot dismiss even the littlest details. This is known as the hyperthymesic syndrome.

Better Memory

You don’t have to wait until a disorder hits you before you act on to improving your memory. When you are aware as to how your brain works in getting and storing the information that comes from various sources. You can compare your brain’s ability to store information to how a computer functions.

Your computer will eventually crash if you don’t do certain steps to take care of it. You must let it rest and cool off after you have used it for a long time. You must also do a regular checkup to see if it is still virus free and there are no potent errors that may lead to its crash. This is also what you must do on your brain to make sure that it won’t give in or gain lapses through time.

You must treat your brain right so that you will benefit from its superb performance as you age. By leading a healthy lifestyle, you will help your brain retain its usual performance. Even if you think like you are good at remembering things, you must not abuse such ability. You can help your brain to stay at the top of its game by leading a healthy lifestyle. You must not engage in drugs and other substance abuse. You must also refrain from drinking too many beverages.

Your brain needs a healthy supply of oxygen for it to function well. You can achieve such by exercising regularly and also by getting enough sleep. By resorting to these techniques, you will better your memory in the long run.

Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Dysthymic Depression-CPAP Reduces Depression Symptoms

Dysthymic Disorder is a low-grade and yet chronic depression characterized by feelings of sadness or depression associated with lack of interest to do things and including some physical symptoms such as lack of energy, sleep, and concentration.

This is a type of clinical depression that is supposed to be “milder” than Major Depressive Disorder because the symptoms don’t necessarily happen every day. Unlike patients who suffer from MDD, Dysthymic patients are not bed-bound, still able to work, and do not appear to be sick. But most of these individuals complain that they haven’t felt “normal” or “happy” for a long time.

Moreover, Dysthymic Disorder shows itself by lack of drive and motivation. Hence, relatives and friends tend to misinterpret the person’s mood. Some patients endure the stigma of being considered “lazy” or not “motivated enough” to do worthwhile goals.

As time passes by, patients with this disorder have difficulty functioning. But because they still appear normal, the illness is not recognized and patients don’t get treated early. A lot of times, they are not referred to a psychiatrist.

Patients experience considerable emotional turmoil. In fact, some dysthymic patients eventually develop a more serious depression called Major Depressive Disorder. When “double depression” (dysthymic disorder and major depression occurring together) happens, patients are so depressed that they become a threat to themselves and become functionally impaired. At this time, psychiatric hospitalization becomes necessary.

So Dysthymic Disorder is a serious health problem that should be recognized and treated promptly. It is an illness that somehow hides its existence from everyone including clinicians and patients themselves.

A study in the September 2015 Journal of Critical Sleep Medicine showed that CPAP patient’s depression lessened with CPAP treatment. Additionally, a different study of over 200 patients looked at a possible connection between sleep apnea and depression using data from sleep studies and other variables finding that over 50% of the patients with sleep apnea had depression and improvement with CPAP therapy.

Dysthymic disorder can be treated with antidepressants and psychotherapy. Most patients respond to treatment although some still suffer despite adequate treatment. Also, there are some individuals who only respond minimally. As such, this illness can be more challenging to treat than others.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP who is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear, and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Stress Management 101

There are a number of ways to manage stress, and ultimately eliminate it from your life.
Below are some hints to help you get started.

Acknowledge stress is good
That burst of energy will enhance your performance at the right moment. Use stress wisely to push yourself that little bit harder when it counts most.

Avoid people who cause stress
Shield yourself by recognizing stress in others and limiting your contact with them.

Learn from the best
Learn from the best stress managers and copy what they do. When people around are losing their heads, who stays calm? What do they do differently? What is their outlook?

Practice breathing
You can cause your body to relax by using deep breathing. Breathe in slowly, hold it until the count of five, the breathe out. Repeat this breathing until your heart rate slows and things start to feel more normal.

Give stress thoughts the red light
It is possible to cause yourself stress by worrying about things that may or may not happen. Often, the very thing we worry about is the one thing that doesn’t happen. Stop yourself when you start thinking negatively.

Know your trigger points and hot spots
Make a list of stress trigger points or hot spots. Be specific. Knowing what causes you stress is powerful information, as you can take action to make it less stressful. Do you need to learn some new skills? Do you need extra resources? Do you need to switch to decaf?

Burn the candle at one end
Lack of sleep, poor diet, and no exercise wreaks havoc on our body and mind. Take care of you and stress won’t be as quick to enter your life and harm you. A healthy person can deal with the stress in life much easier than one who isn’t healthy.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP who is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear, and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

7 Ways to Boost Your Energy

Everyone would like to feel more energetic during the day. You naturally go through periods of higher activity which contrasts with times of relaxation. The problem occurs when more energy and concentration is required than we can give. Or when we try to sleep and can’t. Follow these invaluable tips to a new you!

1) Stay on a regular sleep schedule. You can’t stay up late during the weekend and suddenly on Monday morning wake up refreshed. If you do enjoy later nights on Friday and Saturday vow to get to bed early on Sunday to wake up rested.

2) Avoid the sugar and caffeine roller coaster. Eat some protein and foods with a bit of fat in the morning. The brain needs protein and the body does not store it. You don’t have to eat very much- a glass of low-fat milk, a piece of cheese, or a handful of nuts will get you going instead of pure carbohydrates like a plain bagel.

3) Take a 5-10 minute power nap around lunch. Even if you just close your eyes and let your mind drift you will be refreshed for the afternoon. This is also effective anytime you feel yourself not concentrating, reading the same material over and over. Give in to the urge and completely relax for a few moments. This is very beneficial for Obstructive Sleep Apnea patients to find a balance.

4) Drink more water and liquids. I know, everyone says to drink more fluids. But most Americans are in a constant state of dehydration from filling up on coffee, tea, and sodas with caffeine. This is very stressful to the kidneys and can cause irritation to the bladder. Keep a sports bottle filled with your favorite flavored water or just plain and keep it with you at all times. Set a goal- empty by lunch, refill, empty again by the time work is over. Carry plenty of water in the car too for you and your family.

5) Exercise regularly. This is easier said than done with a busy schedule. A poor conditioning level causes you to be short-of-breath and your heart to race when just doing simple things like climbing a flight of steps or doing household chores. Park farther away when shopping and walk Dust off that exercise machine or get an exercise tape to play when the weather is bad. Set an example for the rest of your family and maybe they will join in too!

6) A joke a day keeps the doctor away. Seriously, laughter has many beneficial effects on the body. The brain chemicals for experiencing pleasure, happiness, and peace increase with good, hearty laughs. Live alone? Get a funny movie or watch a light-hearted comedy on TV. Nothing sarcastic or put-down, however.

7) Avoid confrontations and situations with negative people. You know who they are. They are not going to change but they will bring you and your mood down. The complainers, gossipers, and generally unhappy souls we all have to deal with on a day-to-day basis drain our energy if we allow them. Be polite but avoid arguing or getting hooked into listening to their constant problems.

8) Take regular, daily supplements of the highest quality. Our food and diets simply do not meet the amounts needed for maximum health. There is a difference between avoiding nutritional deficiencies and optimum performance.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear, and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP who is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear, and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Little Secrets Vegetarians Know

Most people who don’t know anything about the vegetarian lifestyle think that is must be pure misery being a vegetarian and giving up meat. That is a misconception because even though meat is not a part of a vegetarian diet, it isn’t about what you are going without, it is what is in your diet and in your life that makes a vegetarian lifestyle work so well. If you actually interviewed a vegetarian, the last thing they would say is that they are all about not eating meat. Instead, they are about living in a healthy way in a way that is at peace with the environment and with their own bodies.

The things about vegetarians that most people don’t know is pretty astounding. Most people know the basic three reasons someone becomes a vegetarian which are health, animal rights, and spiritual or moral reasons. But there are a number of side benefits and little secrets only vegetarians know that if they became popularized, the flood of converts to vegetarianism would be overwhelming. Some of those little secrets include…

. Vegetarians are not depressed as much as others because they know some secrets to overcome depression naturally.
. Vegetarians do not struggle with weight issues as much as others.
. Vegetarians are better informed about nutrition and know how to make the most of what they eat.
. Vegetarians sleep better, are more energetic and need less sleep than meat eaters.
. Vegetarians have a much-reduced incidence of cancer, heart disease, and digestive disorders.
. Vegetarians live longer than meat eaters.

One secret vegetarian’s know that gets almost no press is the power of walnuts. There is a little-known chemical in walnuts called serotonin that is a powerful antidepressant. Now you can get your doctor to prescribe an artificial anti-depressant which can cost you a lot of money and put you at risk for chemical dependency. Or you can make a nice hot cup of tea with walnut as part of the mix. About half a walnut shell mixed in with your regular tea brew fills the drink with serotonin. Taken regularly, you will feel the effects of a chemical pick me up that can combat depression very effectively.

Another little secret of vegetarians runs against the normal rules of dieting to get the full value of nutrients you might expect from eating a salad. Diet theory would have you use no salad dressing or at very least a zero fat or low-fat salad dressing. Vegetarians who are more in touch with the effects of foods in their bodies know that the real value of eating salad is the natural nutrients in leafy vegetables called carotenoids. But science has shown us that the best way to pull carotenoids from green vegetables is to use a higher fat salad dressing. So enjoy that fatty dressing because your vegetarian lifestyle will deliver plenty of weight loss value to you even with this small indulgence that can do you so much good.

Speaking of tea, green tea is often a staple of a vegetarian’s diet because of the little health secrets buried in this amazing drink. Green tea has powers to help your digestive system, help combat depression and to accelerate weight loss that ancient cultures like the Chinese and India have known for centuries. Vegetarians have caught up on this secret of health knowledge ahead of us so its time well learned from their wisdom.

These are just a few of the wisdom of the ancients that have been rediscovered by the modern vegetarian “craze”. But it really isn’t a craze because once you start living a healthy life cashing in on these many benefits a vegetarian lifestyle will give you, you will never want to go back.

Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear, and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Philips Respironics – DreamStation CPAP

DreamStation was designed with feedback from hundreds of patients to provide a simpler CPAP experience to help both new and experienced patients use therapy long-term. A suite of intuitive tools can be customized by healthcare professionals to choose the solution that’s right for each patient.

EZ-Start can help you gradually adapt to your prescribed level of therapy using an innovative pressure acclimation algorithm with automatic, personalized adjustments to CPAP pressure over the first 30 days. SmartRamp allows users to fall asleep to lower pressures than standard ramp mode. The air pressure remains low until the patient experiences an obstructive respiratory event. Then SmartRamp responds with our patented auto algorithm to resolve the patient’s apneas.

Each morning you are greeted with Daily Progress Feedback. The intuitive, color display shows a simple trend of your nightly hours of use, followed by a summary of your last 30 days of good nights with more than 4 hours of use.

Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories. Best of all you can order the Philips Respironics – DreamStation CPAP from our online store at Breathe Easy.

The Benefits of Solar Power for CPAP
The sun produces massive amounts of heat that are transmitted down to the earth’s surface. When the sun’s rays reach the earth’s surface the intensity of the heat directly from the sun is not as hot because some of the heat is rerouted before it reaches the earth’s atmosphere. When the sun is hot and it is summer time we think that it couldn’t get much hotter as the mid-day sun makes your run for shade, but it can get hotter if it wasn’t rerouted.

Solar power can be hot enough to power machinery and that is exactly what was discovered over one hundred years ago when a man working on machinery wondered if steam from the heat of the day could be used to power machinery. He was right and thus began a new form of production, heat and electricity. Today solar power is being used all around the world. The solar power is being concentrated into a solar source where the heat is used in a variety of ways. We still rely on our way of heating and powering our homes but in the future it may all be powered by the sun. It is cost effective to use solar power as the only expense you have is in your solar source.

In order to use solar power you will need to have something that can attract the sun and allow the heat to be concentrated where it can stay warm for a long period of time. This is fairly easy when you consider all the knowledge and resources that we already have access to. When you use solar power for heating and power electricity you cannot go wrong.

If you’re concerned about the environment and want to try your hand at utilizing solar for your next camping trip take along the Transcend CPAP Machine and try their Transcend Solar Battery Charger for the CPAP battery.

Solar power is entrusted in space shuttles as they know that this will help produce the most efficient energy with the least amount of complications. The solar panels are faced toward the sun at all times in order to be able to power the shuttle efficiently. There are fewer problems from solar power than with other methods. Even though there are days that there are clouds in the sky and rain, snow or other weather, it is still possible to produce enough heat in your solar source to create enough energy to last until the sun can come back down. Solar power is in our future we need to be ready for it. Right now solar power is only being used by those who are more aware and worried about our earth’s atmosphere when it is a concern that we should all be worried about.

We can learn a lot from the past and the way that solar power was used. Every minute of the sunlight was used doing everything that needed done because after the sun went down there was no more light. I don’t think we could do that now. Solar power has so many benefits for us that we don’t realize all of them and how it is more efficient to use the solar power than other ways.

Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories. Best of all you can order the Transcend Solar Battery Charger for the CPAP Battery from our online store at Breathe Easy.

Tai Chi Exercises Suitable for Arthritis

One of the best approaches in controlling arthritis is exercise. Next to it is a proper diet and so on. Almost all medical experts’ opinions are focused on the natural way of preventing arthritis which is through practicing Tai Chi. Furthermore, they concluded that Tai Chi exercises that are suitable for arthritis are those that are concerned with improving muscular strength, fitness, and flexibility. It is indeed one of the most effective programs ever to hit the medical scene.

Tai Chi has already proven a lot of things since its emergence during ancient China. Scientific studies proved that Tai Chi is not only a form of exercise for daily living but also a moving treatment for those who need medical help inside and out. Tai Chi implored many benefits aside from improvement of flexibility and maintaining fitness.

Some of these benefits are: integrating the mind to be one with the body and spirit, improving qi (internal energy), promote correct posture of the body, it is one of the easiest exercises to learn, inexpensive and it can be suitable for any age.

Battling Arthritis

Arthritis is the inflammation of bones most specifically, the joints. It can be caused by numerous factors like diet, age, obesity, etc. It can be very aggravating during parts of the day because the person who has this illness can experience stiffness and pain that somehow tends to discourage those experiencing it to move or engage in exercise.

But if that person will not try even the simplest exercise moves to battle out arthritis, it will get much worse every waking day because the joints will continue to “rust” and this will contribute to more pain. However, if you will participate in exercise programs such as Tai Chi, which is diagnosed to be very effective in preventing arthritis severity, it will keep your bones, joints, and muscles healthy.

It is irrefutable; exercise is indeed part of the therapeutic aspect to prevent arthritis especially in older people. By keeping the tissues and muscles strong, it can further protect and support the joints. Once the exercise is facilitated, it will promote proper circulation and provide body fluid and nourished blood to the tendons, muscles, and joints which are said to promote healing.

There are 4 kinds of the most suitable Tai Chi exercises that a person may perform.

1. Muscle Strengthening
Exercises like these increase and maintain the strength of the muscles. It will minimize further injuries that may occur and reduce the pain so as to improve muscle strength and give you the capability to do more than less.

2. Flexibility
This reduces the stiffness thus keeping the joints more flexible. Range-of-motion exercises can help you move joints that are affected in different directions. By doing Tai Chi, it will increase a person’s flexibility.

3. Posture
Promoting the correct posture through exercises has proven the ability to decrease the wearing of muscles and joints. This also helps excavate the positive emotions in you.

4. Fitness
Cardio-respiratory exercises or fitness exercises are those that help in strengthening the lungs and heart and increasing the person’s stamina that are all important in maintaining proper health. Tissues and joints always need the proper supply of oxygen for rejuvenation and healing. This is especially helpful for CPAP users.

Through Tai Chi, better blood and oxygen circulation is promoted which in return will keep the muscles strong and joints flexible.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company http://breatheeasycpap.com. Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Ayurvedic Home Remedies – Inner and Outer Health Balance

Ayurveda is a holistic approach to health that has been around for centuries and is now gaining in popularity after having been largely forgotten for hundreds of years. Ayurveda promotes a healthy lifestyle where you keep your body in balance and if an illness does occur you don’t just treat the symptoms, which is what most Western forms of medicine do, instead you attack the underlying cause of the problem so you can have a permanent fix to the problem. There are ayurvedic home remedies for many types of common illnesses that will assist CPAP patients.

Ayurvedic promotes a balance between the three energies that promote inner and outer health. These energies are called doshas and everyone has their own unique balance of doshas. Finding out your natural balance is part of determining the best Ayurvedic remedy for you and your situation.

There are herbal Ayurvedic remedies for many diseases of the nervous system, lymphatic system respiratory system, digestive and circulatory system. As you can see, there are a lot of different common medical issues that may be able to be resolved using this ancient knowledge.

Make sure, though, that before you start any type of alternative medical regime you talk to your doctor first. Being on CPAP, in dealing with your respiratory health, you don’t want to introduce anything not fully supported by medical advice. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that just because these are natural herbs that they are completely safe. There can still be negative side effects when you combine some herbal remedies with over the counter or prescription drugs you may already be taking.

It’s also important that you learn what you are doing and what part of the plant you need to use such as the roots, the leaves, or the stems. You also need to know exact quantities to use as well as the exact way to prepare the herb. If you choose to do it on your own, be willing to spend some time learning more about the various herbs and how best to utilize their power. This isn’t something you should try to do without carefully learning how to do it properly.

It’s also important to note that when you are using natural herbal remedies that they will generally take longer to work than other forms of medicine. This is actually a good thing since unlike many other drugs which only mask the symptoms, think of a cough drop, the natural remedies will actually help you fix the underlying cause. Even though it may take longer the result should be more permanent than when you just take a drug to mask the symptoms so you can feel better.

Before you go out and buy a lot of herbs to make your own ayurvedic home remedies you should consult with an Ayurvedic practitioner and let them know that you are using a CPAP machine nightly. There is a definite method to this practice and you don’t want to start taking a lot of herbs if you don’t know what the overall effect will be on your body. Take some time and find an expert in your area who can show you just what you need to do to get the maximum benefit from this form of medicine.

The Dream Team at http://advancedsleeptherapy.com consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear, and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP who is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear, and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

The Memory Foam Mattress

Technology is now helping us sleep better at night. One example of this is the memory foam mattress that has been in the market since the early 90’s. The reason why the memory foam mattress did not take off when it was first launched was that it was very expensive. The memory foam mattress is made from polyurethane with additional chemicals that increase its viscosity level which increases its density.

This material is called visco-elastic polyurethane foam. This is available in various sizes and weight and the denser it is, the firmer it is in cool temperatures and softer when warm. Also, higher density memory foam reacts to the body faster so it molds to the shape of the user after a few minutes. The lower density memory foam, on the other hand, will take some time but this produces the same results. When you are looking for a memory foam mattress, the best way to test it is to press your hand into the foam and remove it so you can the impression it leaves behind. After some time, the foam will go back to its original shape.

Despite its benefits, there are some people who are skeptical about the memory foam mattress. They say that some companies who sell these to the consumer give off a distinct chemical odor which smells like paint. But you can get rid of the smell with airing. Another thing that some people are concerned about is the emissions which the memory foam mattress produces may cause respiratory irritation. But these mattresses will never have mildew and dust mites so the chances of asthma attacks for those who have this problem will not happen regularly.

Memory foam is also combustible but there are now steps being taken to make this resistant to ignition if this comes into contact with a candle or a cigarette lighter. But is the memory foam mattress for everyone? This depends on who you ask but most people with Obstructive Sleep Apnea who have used this are able to sleep better at night because it provides you both comfort and luxury so you get the utmost support.

Best of all, it does not sag because it does not use innersprings that are still being used by conventional mattresses. This means you don’t have to flip or rotate your bed. If you think that a memory foam mattress can help you sleep better at night, you can look for these in stores and online. When shopping, check the density of the foam and make sure that the mattress is pressure sensitive.

Since this will cost almost a $1,000, you better check if they have a 30 day trial period or something similar to that so that you can get your money back if you do not like it.

However, if you are happy with your existing mattress and just want added support, you can buy a topper instead. This is smaller and you simply put this over your mattress. One thing you should keep in mind about the memory foam mattress is that it acts as a sponge so it can easily absorb the liquid. To prevent damage, you better get one that is waterproof. The memory foam mattress is the best thing to have these days as part of your CPAP Therapy as it reduces pressure points and helps to eliminate tossing and turning so you can get a good night’s sleep.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear, and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

How to Tell If You Have a Sleep Disorder

There are many people that have an un-diagnosed sleep disorder. They may feel very sleepy during the day. They may have trouble falling to sleep or staying asleep. Friends or relatives may tell them they look very tired. They may experience mood changes, irritability or become overly emotional. Often they have difficulty paying attention, concentrating, or remembering things that are important. These are all symptoms of sleep deprivation, and possibly of a sleep disorder.

A person that has an un-diagnosed sleep disorder will usually answer the question, “What is the problem with your sleep?” with one of five answers. Those answers will be; “I have trouble falling asleep,” “I have trouble staying awake,” “I can’t get up in the morning,” “I seem to do strange things in my sleep” or “I can’t sleep because of my partner.” The particular answer chosen helps to narrow down the possibility of a specific type of sleep disorder.

When someone says “I can’t fall asleep” it can mean several things. There could be a problem when first going to bed, after waking up in the middle of the night, or in the early morning hours.
Many people have the problem of not being able to fall asleep when they go to bed. This is called sleep latency. Sleep latency can be a very serious symptom of certain sleep disorders, including sleep onset insomnia, delayed sleep phase disorder, shift work, restless leg syndrome or paradoxical insomnia. Many times the problem is not being able to stay asleep, which is sleep fragmentation. Often a person with this complaint can fall to sleep easily when they go to bed, but wake up often throughout the night. Sleep disorders may include sleep maintenance insomnia, shift work. If a person wakes up very early in the morning and cannot get back to sleep, it could be a sign of advanced sleep phase disorder or sleep maintenance insomnia.

If the answer to the question is “I can’t stay awake” and the person is falling asleep at inappropriate times there may be a sleep disorder such as narcolepsy, obstructive or central sleep apnea, periodic limb movement disorder, restless leg syndrome, shift work or advanced sleep phase disorder.

If you find yourself or a loved one suffering from any of these symptoms your physician can order a sleep study to determine if you might benefit from CPAP Therapy. If your physician orders a CPAP machine, the Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy will be waiting by to assist you.

Those that say “I can’t get up in the morning” and take an hour or more to fully wake from their sleep may suffer from excessive sleep inertia. They are having difficulty making the transition from sleep to being awake. Sleep disorders that could be responsible for excessive sleep inertia are sleep apnea and delayed sleep phase disorder.

A person that answers the question with “I do strange things in my sleep” may find that their sleep is full of surprises. Sleepwalking, Sleep terrors, confusional arousals, REM sleep behavior disorder, nightmares, sleep-related eating disorder, and bruxism are all types of sleep disorders known as parasomnias.

If a person answers “I can’t sleep because of my partner” snoring, sleep apnea, bruxism, restless leg syndrome, or periodic limb movement disorder may be the sleep disorder to blame.

How would you answer the question of “What is the problem with your sleep?”

One of the most innovative CPAP Therapy machines are made by Fisher and Paykel, the ICON +NOVO CPAP machine with Smartstick Compliance Data because the ThemoSmart Technology ensures that your level of humidity is delivered throughout the evening prohibiting many of the CPAP use side effects which can include dry mouth, dry eyes, and sinus inflammation. The unit itself is lightweight and travel-friendly. Best of all you can order it online at Advance Sleep Therapy’s sister site Breathe Easy CPAP.

Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Sleep and Mood

Drugs, stressful situations, and even excessive noise can affect daily body rhythms and moods. An irregular living schedule can aggravate mood disorders. The old-fashioned sanitarium rest cure was effective with the “nervous” because it put the patient on a regular schedule of sleep, activity, and meals. Below are some kinds of sleep disturbances that can make mood disorder worse.

Insomnia

A person suffering from insomnia has difficulty initiating or maintaining normal sleep, which can result in non-restorative sleep and impairment of daytime functioning. Insomnia includes sleeping too little, difficulty falling asleep, awakening frequently during the night, or waking up early and being unable to get back to sleep. It is characteristic of many mental and physical disorders. Those with depression, for example, may experience overwhelming feelings of sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness, or guilt, all of which can interrupt sleep. Hypomanics, on the other hand, can be so aroused that getting quality sleep is virtually impossible without medication.

Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome

This is the most common circadian-rhythm sleep disorder that results in insomnia and daytime sleepiness or somnolence. A short circuit between a person’s biological clock and the 24-hour day causes this sleep disorder. It is commonly found in those with mild or major depression. In addition, certain medications used to treat bipolar disorder may disrupt the sleep-wake cycle.

REM Sleep Abnormalities

REM sleep abnormalities have been implicated by doctors in a variety of psychiatric disorders, including depression, post traumatic stress disorder, some forms of schizophrenia, and other disorders in which psychosis occurs.

Irregular Sleep-Wake Schedule

This sleep disorder is yet another problem that many with Bipolar II experience and in large part results from a lack of lifestyle schedule. Bipolar drug abusers and/or alcoholics who stay awake all night searching for similar addicts and engaging in the drug-seeking behavior, which results in sleeping the next day, usually experience the reverse sleep-wake cycle.

If you find that you are experiencing sleep/mood issues it is time to sit down with your physician. Your Doctor may order a sleep study to determine if you would benefit from CPAP Therapy. Advanced Sleep Therapy can provide all of your equipment and assist you along the way to a better night’s rest.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Nightmares and Night Terrors – A Frightening Sleep Disorder

At some time in their childhood, almost all children experience the sleep disorder of having a nightmare. They are common in children and can begin as early as two years old. They are most common in children between three and twelve years old and are considered part of the normal developmental process. However, only about 3 percent, experience night terrors, also called sleep terrors. Both of these sleep disorders can be very frightening to a child.

Nightmares are dreams that are so frightening that they wake the person up. Everyone has had nightmares occasionally throughout their life and they usually are not something to worry about.
Nightmares occur several hours after going to sleep during the REM stage of sleep when there are general body paralysis and active dreaming.

A child can remember the nightmare once they awake and they still remember it in the morning. Sometimes this nightmare sleep disorder can become a problem if the child has nightmares very often and becomes afraid to go to sleep or becomes sleep deprived. When a nightmare occurs it is important that the parent remains calm and reassuring.

There are several things that a parent can do to prevent nightmares. Discuss calm and comforting things with your child just before putting them to bed. Reading to them, or telling them a story can also be very comforting. Don’t let a child watch violent or scary shows on television, especially just before going to bed. Maintaining a relaxing bedtime routine is also important. Sometimes, nightmares indicate a more severe emotional problem within your child.

Night terrors usually occur during the first few hours of sleep, during deep non-REM sleep. They often occur at the same time each night. Night terrors are characterized by screaming, crying or moaning. It is not unusual for a child experiencing a night terror to sit straight up in bed and scream. Their heart rate is increased and they experience rapid breathing. An episode of this sleep disorder can last from 10 minutes to over an hour. Although the child’s eyes are open, they are actually still asleep and when they wake up in the morning there is no memory of what happened during the night.

Although night terrors can be frightening, they are not dangerous. They usually are not a sign of any type of mental distress. A parent should not try to wake the child or comfort them, during a night terror. The best thing for a parent to do when their child is experiencing a night terror is to make sure they are safe. Generally, most children outgrow this sleep disorder after a few months or years. You should discuss this with your pediatrician who might suggest a sleep study to monitor your child’s sleep.

Several of the factors that can contribute to night terrors include being overly tired, staying up extremely late, eating a heavy meal just before going to bed and taking certain medications.

Although nightmares and night terrors can seem like a very scary type of sleep disorder to both the parents and the children involved, they are generally harmless.

If your pediatrician orders CPAP Therapy for your son/daughter rest assured, the Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy has specialized training in respiratory and will assist you with all of your needs.

Your child will probably be set up with a ResMed Mirage Micro Nasal Mask Frame System which has a mask that provides a personalized fit and 24 settings so that you can adjust this to your child’s face for a firm hold that doesn’t pinch or bother them while wearing. This will help to keep your child well-rested and healthy.

Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

What to Expect at a Sleep Disorder Overnight Sleep Center

If you may think you might have a sleep disorder, your primary doctor or perhaps a doctor that focuses on insomnia issues may send you to the sleep center for diagnosis. You will find a great many of sleep centers located in the United States and their numbers are increasing. Sleep centers within the United States should be accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Whenever a person travels to a sleep center, it’s usually for the overnight stay. Costs involved for many sleep study tests vary from one to three thousand dollars and sometimes sleep studies will be repeated twice. The very first visit is, of course, to diagnose the sleep problem and a second visit back after in order to get accurate settings for every type of CPAP machine that could be needed. Medical insurance generally pays all or the majority of the amount of the tests were required to diagnose a sleep disorder.

Once a scheduled appointment has been received, many sleep centers send a sleep diary to the patient. The data beginning with the sleep diary is designed by the doctors to comprehend general lack of sleep.
Additionally, it is recommended that no caffeine or alcohol be consumed after 12:00 p.m. at the time of the scheduled test.

Usually, the patient packs an overnight bag similar to how in the event that they were going to stay at a hotel overnight. In the course of the sleep study you have on your own personal nightclothes and you may make use of a favorite pillow. It’s possible to bring a book or magazine in case you prefer to read before falling to sleep. Most sleep centers resemble a hotel accommodation and also have a television to look at if that’s exactly what the patient usually does before you go to sleep in your own home. As soon as you’re relaxed the sleep center technician starts anticipation of the apparatus that is required to keep track of your patterns of sleep.

Diagnosis coming from a sleep center study is made using polysomnography which records a continuous record of your sleeping. In an effort to have a specific reading a little more than two dozen small thin electrodes are pasted to specific areas of the body. They’re placed underneath your chin, using your scalp, near your eyes and nose, using your finger, chest, and legs, and likewise within the rib muscles and upon the abdomen. These electrodes then record various types of readings in the course of the night. Often an audio and videotape are likewise generated to monitor sleep noises and movement.

Once all of the equipment is present and set up the sleep technician leaves you alone to nod off. In spite of all of the equipment, it’s not uncomfortable. It is effortless to move or turn onto your side. Each bedroom within a sleep center has also an automatic intercom that’s why it’s very simple to call the technician if it is required for such things being a bathroom break. Whenever the sleep study is completed, the technician may wake you. Most studies which are used to identify a sleep disorder take seven to eight hours.

The reading is collected on any computer file called a polysomnogram and are also monitored and analyzed from the sleep technician in the course of the night. The outcomes subsequently sent further readings to discover in cases where there is a sleep disorder.

Even though sleep study might not sound comfortable, it is extremely vital that you determine and treat any sleep problem. If your Doctor orders a CPAP machine please know that the Dream Team will be standing by ready to assist.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP. Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Shut off the electronics in the bedroom for a healthier night’s sleep!!

Do you find yourself counting sheep trying to knock off?  Does it seem that an evening’s sleep appears far from your reach?   If you’re going through issues sleeping, then there are a number of basic changes that you can do to make your sleeping environment more conducive to sleep.

The first thing you should do is to make sure that you keep all electronics out of the sleeping area or at least shut off at bedtime as magnetic and light intrusions will ruin your sleep along with your health.

Lack of sleep is a significant problem in our modern society. Missing out on sleep will leave you with shadowy circles underneath your eyes, an exact apparent indicator you are not obtaining plenty of rest.

Obtaining seven to nine hours of sound sleep will assist you to manage your weight as well as shed a few pounds if you are looking to reduce.  Avoid eating heavy meals ahead of bedtime to sleep soundly.

Another idea that might help aid in a fruitful night’s rest is to include tryptophan or cortisol in your diet on occasion, accessible at many drug stores and several wellness foods retailers.

Choose a mattress at which you feel comfortable with sleeping in. Go ahead and splurge on that mattress as you want to be certain you are going to be given an amazing nighttime’s slumber.

Instead of watching television or surfing the internet, shut the electronics off. Try to spend some time outdoors engaged in activities as the fresh air and exercise will also relax you and put you in a restful mood. Recharging our bodies is crucial for our performance. Start everyday life with serenity and also a sense of happiness, and setting that tone will very likely assist you to have a great day.

It’s critical to take note that should sleeping problems persist due to attainable PTSD or Stress disorders that you wish to become in contact a therapist or physician to find expert help.  They will order a sleep study to determine if you suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). If necessary they will order a CPAP machine for your treatment.

CPAP takes time to adjust to everyone. Give yourself a few months and you should be sleeping soundly. Sticking to a schedule for “winding down” before bed will help your body as it adjusts. The dedicated Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy will be with you every step of your treatment.

The Dream Team at http://advancedsleeptherapy.com consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP. Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Should CPAP Users Allow Their Cat and Dog in the Bedroom ?

What the In-Crowd Won’t Tell You About Should CPAP Users Allow Their Cat and Dog in the Bedroom?

Aaaaaaachoo!

Sneezing? Wheezing? Nose runny, eyes itchy? You may be suffering from the common cold. But if the condition has been hanging on for two weeks, or more, you may be suffering from an allergy as opposed to a cold. Your doctor may be the only one who can conclude if you are experiencing an allergic reaction.

There are many types of allergies but being allergic to animals is quite common. What happens if you discover you are susceptible to pet allergies?

Does this mean that your faithful dog, loving cat or beautiful rabbit has to go?

Some people that have allergies can continue to live with their pet. It depends on the severity of your allergies and whether or not you are prepared to make some changes and live within a few rules.  If your allergic reaction to your pet is on the moderate side, you may be able to reduce your suffering by reducing the number of animal allergens you come in contact with. That means keeping them out of the bedroom, your sanctuary, the one place you rest your head at night.

Up to 15% of the population is allergic to domestic animals and approximately one-third of those continue to live with their pet. For many, the pleasure of owning a pet outweighs the burden and discomfort of pet allergies.

If your allergies make life miserable for you but are non-life threatening, you may be able to reduce the symptoms by taking the following actions.

If you suffer from allergies and share your living space with an animal, it is extremely important to keep dust and dust mites to a minimum in your home. The microscopic skin particles that are cast off by dogs, cats, hamsters and other pets are known as dander, and can quickly spread throughout your home and cause allergic reactions for anyone who has a pet allergy.

Never sleep with your pet. You would be breathing in dander for the whole time that you are asleep. Best make your bedroom a no-go area for your pets, keep your bedroom door closed and don’t allow your pet in. Although you cannot completely prevent dander from getting into your bedroom, keeping the animal out will greatly reduce the level of pet allergen in that room. Buy a low-cost vinyl encasing for your mattress, this will keep down the dander that resides in your bed. Wash blankets, sheets and pillowcases frequently.

Where you can replace your carpets. A non-porous flooring such as hardwood, tile, vinyl or linoleum will contain far less allergen than carpeting. Where you do have carpets have them cleaned regularly and vacuum frequently – and use a HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) vacuum filter.

Consider replacing fabric furniture covered with leather or vinyl furniture and replacing your curtains with plastic blinds, an expense but doing so will help reduce the effect of your pet allergies.

Bath your pet frequently, at least once a week and you will greatly diminish the amount of dander residing in your pet’s fur (by up to 80%). Contrary to popular belief cats can be bathed, get someone to help and ask your veterinarian for advice on how to do this properly.

Damp wipe all surfaces once per week, pet allergens are airborne and will stick to most anything. Don’t forget to wipe down your pet’s toys they will be harboring allergens.

Washing off or changing the filter in your heating cooling system will help. Consider purchasing a HEPA air cleaner, they can reduce allergens in the home and increase comfort for those who suffer from pet allergies.

Likewise, cleaning your CPAP will help you in your goal of keeping things allergy free.  You can easily do this with the SoClean 2 CPAP Cleaner and Sanitizer available for purchase online at Breathe Easy CPAP. If you are on the go you can also have a canister of Sunset CPAP Cleaning Wipes in your travel gear.

Talk to your doctor about your commitment to keeping your pet. If he/she considers that your pet allergy is not life-threatening he/she may understand your reluctance to part with your animal companion. Allergy shots (immunotherapy) may be prescribed and may help you, together with the steps above, to continue to enjoy the company of your cat, dog, hamster or rabbit. Just remember the bedroom is a “NO GO ZONE” for your beloved animals.

Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Sleep Deprivation Causes Anxiety, Weight Gain, Depression and Often OSA

Some individuals suffer from weight gain with mild to severe depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue, and stiffness in the joints and tendons. While weight gain is dangerous on its own, combined with sleep deprivation it can be horrible and here is why.

Fatigue from sleep deprivation can lead to Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), not to mention, fatigue has severe results on the skin, and makes it appear dry and pale, thus, adding years to your appearance.

When your sleep deprived you might tend to get up in the middle of the night and eat without consciously realizing that you are doing this, thus adding to your weight gain.

Depression can be due to the anxiety in your everyday life causing the deficit within your sleeping pattern leading up to OSA. Your mind will perform better after a good night’s sleep. Reasonably sleep-deprived patients show increased activity in the parietal lobe of the mind which is accountable for memory. Studies have been carried out that present that for sleep-deprived patients, music soothes them back to sleep. Keeping a strict workout routine is also an excellent way to redirect the thoughts from disastrous pondering towards creating an extra calm and optimistic perspective.

Sleep deprivation can also affect interpersonal relationships. Certain treatments such as counseling are quite expensive and undesirable possibility for many people. Practicing meditation techniques for CPAP newcomers can help them with getting some deep sleep, which will, in turn, help the relationship.

If we find ourselves waking within the wee small hours and we battle to get again to sleep we’re better off getting up and performing some light reading in a delicate lit room with a warm glass of milk but limit yourself to the milk!

Brief time period sleep deprivation causes little bodily hurt because the body compensates for the lack of sleep by rising its adrenaline levels in the course of the day. It is because such people have abnormally low levels of melatonin (a hormone that induces sleep) and excessive levels of stress hormones.

Sleep deprivation is a common situation due to the truth that all of us reside in a society that’s on the go twenty-four hours a day.

Recognizing you’re sleep deprived is step one.  If you think you are having issues with sleep please visit your physician who will order a sleep study to determine if you require CPAP therapy. The team at Advanced Sleep Therapy will be waiting to assist you with setting up your CPAP machine and supplies so that you can get back to enjoying life.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

“10 Tips to getting a good night’s sleep”

 To sleep better, you need to know a few tips to get rid of bad habits, improve your sleeping environment and taming the “outside stressors” that cause you anxiety.

 Here are our 10 tips for sleeping well and improving the quality of your sleep!

1- Do not drink coffee or tea in the afternoon

To sleep well, it is better to avoid the caffeine early: the last coffee after lunch, no tea or Coca-Cola after 4 p.m…

2- Do not engage in strenuous sport activities at night

Physical exercises wake up your muscles and prevent you from sleeping well.

3- Take a hot bath-sleep well

Our body lowers its internal temperature to program sleep, it is a warm bath (98.6 ° maximum), which will soothe you.

4- Stop using your electronics at least an hour before going to sleep

Television, computer, smartphone broadcast a very exciting blue light, close to the light of day: to avoid exposing it at night. No screens, of course, because of the blue light, nor any “awakening” activity: no suspense movies, video games, do not worry about your online calendar for the next day.

Your sleeping environment: The perfect room to sleep well 

5- Keep a cool temperature in your room

Always to help our body to reduce its internal temperature and prepare for sleep, be careful to ensure that your bedroom is sufficiently ventilated.

6- Herbal tea

Before bedtime, enjoying a small soothing ritual such as a cup of herbal tea will facilitate the transition to sleep.

7- A bed dedicated solely to sleep, to love, and to the night

To sleep well you must absolutely remember: apart from cuddling and sex, use your bed only to sleep. Even activities that relax you, such as reading, listening to music, are to be practiced out of bed! Do not stay in bed when you cannot sleep, which can increase anxiety, nervousness, and sleep. You must be well in your bed, and not assimilate it to a negative thought.

8- Long live darkness and silence in your room

Get rid of unwanted noises (such as ticking watches), and insulate your room in a protective cocoon. Feel free to try ear plugs if your spouse snores. Close the light with shutters and curtains: a dim light, then total darkness, stimulate the secretion of melatonin, the sleep hormone.

 False beliefs and negative thoughts about sleep

 9- Do not count your sleep 

Give importance to the quality of sleep rather than its quantity. Do not be convinced that lack of sleep will create an irreparable tiredness, never force your sleep by forcing you to go sleep over your schedule the next day. The long naps can disrupt the balance of sleep.

10- Listen to the signals of sleep in order to go to sleep

You begin to blink, to yawn, and to have heavy eyelids? It’s time to go to sleep without waiting. Your internal clock likes regular sleep patterns. Listen to your body rather than your head when it comes to sleep.

If you think that you might be suffering from issues such as snoring or lack of sleep it is time to see your physician. Your physician will order a sleep study to determine if you have Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Your Doctor will order a CPAP for you if it is determined that you would benefit from CPAP Therapy. A starter CPAP machine that has been known to give excellent treatment results is the ResMed AirSense 10 Elite CPAP Machine available at Breathe Easy CPAP.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP. Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Set Your Self Up For a Restful Night’s Sleep

Your bedroom should be a sanctuary for restorative sleep and set up for the proper use of your CPAP machine and CPAP supplies. More and more we are surfing our iPad’s and working on our laptops creating a “make-shift” office, taking away from the meaning of “rest”. Picking out your bedroom flooring, window coverings to the type of mattress you sleep on and your ultimate choice of the nightstand. The setup of your bedroom greatly contributes to the quality of your sleep health.

When shopping for your bedroom flooring you want to make sure you use a material that is complementary to the bedroom’s style but more importantly is comfortable to bare feet. For a safe landing pad, we suggest a soft area rug to provide warmth when exiting the bed. Make sure the rug extends at least eighteen inches longer than the size of your bed if you are placing the bed on top of the rug. You may choose to place it at the foot of the bed, or next to the bed to set the tone for a separate sitting area.  Experts suggest if you have a queen an 8’ x 10’ rug will work, for a King try a 9’ x 12’.

Choosing the right window coverings are also important for your CPAP and respiratory health as you want to keep allergens at bay and aid in keeping your CPAP machine running smoothly.  A nice window film is decorative, provides privacy and reduces UV rays. It is important to remember to clean it by gently wiping it down once a month. You can also install a PVC roll-up blind with a pleated fabric shade for extra privacy. Thermal insulated blackout curtains will help asthma and allergy sufferers and darken the room. Exposing yourself to outside light, even if it’s dim, interferes with the secretion of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin and will reduce your chances for a full night’s rest.

When it comes time to shop for your mattress you want to find one that accommodates your needs. Consider both your weight and size when selecting the type of mattress. Do you want an innerspring, pillow-top or specialty gel or foam mattress? Consider the height of your bed and how it correlates to your CPAP setup. Try to accommodate and make it blend in at the same time, all, after all, the CPAP machine is your ticket to a good night’s sleep. The Better Sleep Council recommends sitting on each mattress prior to buying to see how it accommodates you. I personally tried five mattress stores, over 20 mattresses and ended up purchasing online from a trusted source only after checking out the reviews and calling the manufacturer with my specific questions. A bit overboard, perhaps, but I have enjoyed this mattress for 6 years and would not buy any other type. Make sure of the retailer’s warranty and return policies before investing your mattress.  Our bodies are unique, our health concerns are each different but one thing we share in common is the need to be comfortable while sleeping with our CPAP.

The most important decision you will make for your bedroom is how to set up an area for your CPAP machine and supplies. Of course, having the right size nightstand is essential. However, with the CPAP Holders, CPAP Shelf  your CPAP machine can rest between your nightstand and bed freeing up more room on your nightstand for your personal needs. It is best to find a nightstand that has enough room for a lamp, clock, a drinking glass for water and a trinket or fun photo of a loved one.

You can purchase the CPAP Holders, CPAP Shelf without a prescription online at Breathe Easy.

Have fun planning your bedroom. Until next time, Better Sleep, Better Health, The Advanced Sleep Therapy Dream Team

The Great Underground Disorder

Many of us take a good night’s sleep for granted. We sleep peacefully through the night blissfully unaware that up to 10% of the adult population has their sleep disrupted by repeated episodes of upper airway collapse, otherwise known as obstructive sleep apnea or OSA.

It is approximated that over 20 million individuals in the United States alone struggle with OSA and also even worse still, approximately 90% of those are un-diagnosed. If you, a friend or family member has been diagnosed with OSA, you are not alone, However, you are well on your way to leading a better lifestyle.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the most common and effective treatment for OSA. It involves applying a gentle air pressure to the airway through either the nose, mouth or both the nose and mouth. This pressure keeps the upper airway continuously open allowing the user to breathe while sleeping, and in doing so provides a good night’s sleep. This therapy has been used to treat OSA sufferers successfully for over 20 years!

Fisher & Paykel offers a wonderful line of products that offer advanced data reporting features for your CPAP therapy such as the Fisher and Paykel ICON Premo CPAP Machine With Smartstick Efficacy Data available from Breathe Easy CPAP.

Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories. Best of all you can order the Fisher and Paykel online from the comfort of your home or the go via your mobile.

On many nights, new CPAP users begin their night with a good effort by using their CPAP. Sometimes, however, compliance is not continued throughout the night. The inability to use CPAP for the entire night is a huge problem. The greater part of REM sleep, the most restful part of sleep, is toward the end of the night between the hours of 4 to 6 am. REM sleep is often referred to as “Dream Sleep” and is essential to getting a restful night’s sleep.

There are five stages of sleep beginning with stage one and ending with stage five. Stage one lasts approximately one to seven minutes at the onset of sleep. It is a transitional stage between wakefulness and sleep. Stage two takes up the largest portion of your Sleep time. While it is a bit deeper than stage one, it is still considered to be a light shallow stage of sleep. Stages three and four are deeper slow wave sleep. Stage three is more of a transitional stage to four somewhere between two and four. REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement) or Dream Sleep is Stage five Sleep. During this stage, muscles are completely relaxed and slack. The most significant Obstructive Sleep Apnea events occur while on your back and in REM sleep due to the loss of muscle tone. While muscle tone is still present in stage one through four, it has disappeared during stage five and so it no longer helps to keep the airway open.

The first REM appears about 90 minutes after you go to sleep. Then the cycle begins again back to stage two as the night progresses. Stage three and four get shorter and your REM gets longer. At five a.m. your REM is at its peak lasting up to one hour long. By this time of the night, your stage three and four are almost non-existent. A normal sleep pattern has between four and five REM cycles. What sleep apnea does is to disrupt the natural sleep cycle. The deeper the Sleep cycle, the more OSA you’re going to have. When you obstructed and need air, you have to come out of those deeper stages. Once back to stage one to two you can now take a breath. This fragments your Deep sleep and REM by not allowing you any deep sleep, or very little real restful sleep and you will never feel refreshed. An OSA person will get a lot of stage two light sleep and very little Deep (Slow Wave) or REM sleep. So even though you say “how can I not be sleeping well, I sleep nine hours a night and nap during the day!” The answer is you’re getting a lot of sleep but not the quality of sleep that allows you to feel rested.

Nocturnal Eating Syndrome – A Food Related Sleep Disorder

Nocturnal eating syndrome is a sleep disorder that is more common in women than men. It is one of two eating disorders that are related to sleep. The other is called sleep-related food disorder. Nocturnal eating syndrome and sleep-related food disorder are parasomnias.

Nocturnal eating syndrome is a sleep disorder that is characterized by compulsive raids on the refrigerator at night. Usually, people with this sleep disorder are very light sleepers.  When they awake during the night they have an overly compulsive feeling that they will not be able to fall back to sleep unless they eat something. Once out of bed and at the refrigerator, the compulsion to eat makes them gobble down food. People with nocturnal eating syndrome are fully awake and remember eating the food the next day. This syndrome is a combination of a sleep disorder and an eating disorder. Insomnia is also a factor in nocturnal eating syndrome. Treatment for this disorder is usually received from a mental health professional that specializes in people with eating disorders. Improving sleep hygiene can also help with this disorder.

Sleep-related eating disorder also affects more women than men and is a variation of sleepwalking. During an episode of this sleep disorder, a person will eat during partial arousal from a deep sleep. Often they will eat very unhealthy or strange foods that they normally would not eat when awake. During an episode of sleep-related eating disorder, a person might eat frozen pizza, raw cookie dough, peanut butter on fish and even dog food. Often they are very careless and sloppy and may get burns or cuts while preparing the food. It is very difficult to wake a person during an episode and they have no memory of it in the morning. There does not seem to be a correlation to hunger during a sleep-related eating disorder episode, even if the person has eaten just before bed, an episode can still occur.

Although the cause of food-related sleep disorder is not known, several triggers have been identified. Medications such as lithium, a mood stabilizer, and the benzodiazepine receptor zolpidem are two of those triggers. People with mood and personality disorders or psychological problems such as bulimia are at higher risk of developing one of these food-related sleep disorders. People suffering from other sleep disorders including insomnia, sleep apnea, periodic limb movement disorder or narcolepsy are also at higher risk

People with sleep-related eating disorder usually have a history of sleepwalking. Because of this, people suffering from this parasomnia are considered having more of a sleep disorder than an eating disorder.  Treatment with prescription medication is often very effective. Antidepressants, dopamine agents, anticonvulsants, and opiates are often prescribed. Once sleepwalking is stopped so are the trips to the refrigerator.

Sleep eaters often are overweight because of the high caloric intake at night. The weight gain can lead to other sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea. If your physician diagnoses you with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) the Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy will be here to guide you. A great CPAP to consider is the Fisher and Paykel ICON AutoPAP CPAP machine as you can use this at home and on the go for traveling.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP. Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Seeking treatment, either from a medical or mental health professional is essential for good health in the treatment of sleep eating disorders.

How to beat the Wintertime Blues

Sunlight can be an essential part of an individual’s well-being. While insufficient daylight may be the major cause, various other relevant facets donate to seasonal depression. This can affect your sleep. CPAP patient’s need to be conscious of their overall well-being.

The fact remains, during winters, your complete body lacks the key component vitamins that it requires to secure your bones, vitamin D. Generally, the most effective way to obtain supplementation D is normally via sunlight light that your body system becomes subject to each day. Going for a thirty-minute walk in sunlight daily, especially during mid-day when sunlight is its brightest can help.

If it is too frigid outside to try the local “walkers” groups then how about trying an easy exercise routine together with your most liked instructor-on-CD program or try to go to the local gym a few times per week and once on the weekend. Regular exercise boosts your serotonin and dopamine amounts, that may leave you feeling a sense of contentment and more tranquil throughout the day. It is extremely important to maintaining your health.

Experts tell us if the winter blues have you starting to feel that it is hard to go to work, most likely you’re in the wrong job. You may need to add more time daily to your exercise workout. The wintertime coldest few months can be tricky to go through, particularly if you’re usually on the go and now the inclement weather has you buried inside with snow and ice.

The autumn-winter period is nearly always challenging for your body, because of this we must become more conscious of our diet. During cold months, give yourself an ideal nourishment to keep your bones from feeling the chills and keep your mind on your goal to having excellent health.

During the bad weather, when you’re stuck at home, it’s an ideal time to make sure that your CPAP accessories are up to date. You want to check your available replacement schedule. You can order your replacement CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and other CPAP cleaning supplies online at Breathe Easy CPAP, using the mobile app, or by calling the office.

While you have all of this spare time at home waiting for the plow trucks to clear your path, you can start listing and organizing your lawn and garden needs. Having your list ready will help you to make plans to grow unique types of vegetation and plants, come spring.

Another fun winter hobby is to try a stamp collection. Studying stamp collecting, you will learn an appreciation of stamps. Then, as your experience grows, you might want to even consider selling them for extra cash. Eventually, you may find that you have the ability to find that “perfect” postage stamp and enjoying the fun of stamp collecting and then you can take pleasure in doing so every year during the cold months.

The main thing here’s to be always part of any soothing, enjoyable activity which allows you escape from your own everyday task list. Ultimately, after you leave your work each night, you can find a way to pamper yourself and take a break from the normal day to day tasks. You just have to make it a point to participate in some type of other activity and that will help to revive your spirits.

If you have done all of the above and still truly feel the winter blues, it’s time to join a group. You will need a plan of action. There are plenty of groups to choose from usually found in the local paper. Winter is the perfect time to join a book club. You can participate in many clubs online if you are unable to get out and about to join in person.

Whatever you decide to do, remember your health is the key to your happiness. Spring is coming even though it’s a few more weeks away according to Punxsutawney Phil, the world’s most celebrated groundhog who saw his shadow on February 2nd and just like you, the team at AST will be waiting for it!

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Free Yourself from Snoring: Basic Home Remedies to Stop Snoring

If someone tells you that you’re making dreadful music while you’re asleep, or if you observe your partner is sleeping more often in a different room. This music might be keeping you asleep however this type of music will drive your spouse nuts.

Snoring can ruin your relationship with your partner. It is a fact that some individuals in the United States have actually submitted divorce cases on the grounds that their sleeping partner is always snoring.

Not just will snore ruin your relationship with your sleeping partner, however, it can be a sign that your body is malfunctioning. Research studies have actually found that snoring is a sign that you have diabetes, you are obese, and you might also have undiagnosed severe heart disease and or obstructive sleep apnea.

Another issue of snoring is that aside from not letting your sleeping partner sleep peacefully, you will also wake up and move your bed position in order to stop snoring. You may not know it however snoring might wake you up from a deep sleep. The human brain needs enough oxygen to work as well as to prevent brain damage. Considering that snoring will obstruct your air passage, your brain will go on full alert and wake your body up from deep sleep and make it shift to another sleeping position in order to open the obstructed or partially blocked the airway. You might not know that you wake up however your sleep-deprived sleeping partner will be a witness to the events that you will constantly awaken from your sleep and shift sleeping positions.

Snoring will lead to the absence of sleep, early morning headaches, lightheadedness, and also irritability throughout the rest of your day.

These are the reasons that you need to take all the necessary steps to stop snoring or at least lessen it. Today, there are different ways on how you can avoid snoring.

However, you need to know what causes snoring initially. As pointed out previously, snoring is caused by your throat muscles. If the throat muscles are too relax when you are sleeping, or if it has lots of fatty tissues, then the throat muscles will obstruct your air passages. The air can be found in and from your respiratory tract will trigger the muscles to vibrate and will trigger the noise that you will call snoring.

Now that you understand why people snore, you now have to understand ways to stop yourself from snoring.

The main cause of snoring is being overweight or being obese. In order to avoid yourself from snoring is to go on a diet plan. By losing weight, you will ultimately stop snoring or a minimum of minimizing it to a level that will be tolerable to your sleeping partner.

Here are other home remedies that you can think about in order for you to free yourself from snoring:

– Stop smoking cigarettes– Smoking prior to going to sleep causes your throat muscles to unwind.

– Stop drinking alcohols– As with smoking, it will also trigger your throat muscles to unwind.

– Stop consuming heavy meals before bedtime– It will also cause your throat muscles to relax.

– Stop taking sedatives– Also unwinds your throat muscles.

-When sleeping on their side, – Sleep on your side– Light to moderate snorers will be more silent.

– Get rid of large pillows– It’s comfy but it’s a snore factor.

– Raise your bed– Elevating your bed from the upper torso will stop snoring. Get an old book and raise the legs of the head of the bed with it.

If you find you are snoring too often, it’s time to make an appointment with your Doctor. If the Doctor prescribes CPAP therapy the team at Advanced Sleep Therapy can arrange to set up your CPAP machine and supplies and answer all of your questions as they monitor your respiratory equipment usage ongoing.

These are the simple yet efficient home remedies that can free yourself from snoring. By following these simple actions you can be sure that you and your sleeping partner will have a great night sleep and you too.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

A Dangerous Sound – Excessive snoring

There has to be a separation line between mild snoring to regular or excessive snoring. Little children might tend to snore since their nasal passages aren’t developed enough yet; they also haven’t discovered to swallow extreme secretions in their throat that makes them produce the snoring noise. Inebriated people likewise tend to snore in their sleep.

Nevertheless, if snoring takes place every night, and ends up being so loud (up to 80-90 decibels) that the individual in the other room, and even the individual snoring, can hear the sound, it might already be excessive snoring. Extreme snoring is typically brought on by a blockage in the air passage and various factors initiate this. Genetics may be one reason for snoring by inheriting a narrow throat. Obesity is another cause of snoring as obese people have actually fats accumulated around their necks narrowing their airway.

Also, when people age the tongue and throat muscles tend to become loose and flabby. This triggers the tongue to fall backward during sleep or the throat muscles to narrow in. Snoring is a typical event for males due to the fact that they have narrower airway than ladies. Medications, alcohol, and smoking are also a few of the perpetrators in snoring.

Excessive snoring causes, or could be a symptom of, some serious illness such as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).  Apnea suggests “desire of breath” and an individual in this condition actually stops breathing for 10-30 seconds and at numerous times over the night.

Sleep apnea is a harmful condition. A person struggling with sleep apnea becomes less productive during the day due to sleep deprivation. Being deprived of sound sleep results to fatigue, irritability, daytime drowsiness, early morning headaches, obesity, bad psychological and emotional health, bad short-term memory, and absence of concentration, extreme mood swings, and a slower reaction time.

Moreover, if sleep apnea progresses, the individual in this condition may suffer chest pains, hypertension, hypertension, stroke, type II diabetes, choking or sudden death.

Others might think about excessive snoring as harmless and might tend to make a joke out of it. Nevertheless, it is always best to discover a treatment for it early on prior to it becomes a dangerous condition.

If you think you might be suffering from OSA please contact your physician who will arrange a physical and a sleep study to determine if CPAP Therapy might be right for you.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

A Look at Obesity

To quote the American Obesity Association’s words, “It is now acknowledged that obesity is a major, persistent disease. No human condition– not race, faith, gender, disease or ethnic background state– compares to obesity in occurrence and prejudice, death and morbidity, sickness and stigma.” Weight problems are a Trojan horse. It brings a battalion of disorders, which are most detrimental to our health.

Among others, the following are the issues that might arise out being obese:

1. Hypertension

2. Diabetes (Type-2).

3. Coronary heart disease.

4. Stroke.

5. Gallbladder disease.

6. Osteoarthritis.

7. Asthma.

8. Sleep apnea and respiratory issues.

9. Some cancers (endometrial, breast and colon).

10. High levels of cholesterol.

This is an unending list, where each of the above disorders is capable of creating other issues, where no medication without negative effects, might be easily utilized. Avoidance is the very best cure for weight problems. Ways to accomplish this?

 Shake Your Head.

A doctor when told my good friend, who is overweight that it is very easy to lose weight. My friend became extremely interested and asked him to suggest a method. The medical professional calmly replied that just shake your head from left to right, perhaps ten times a day! My buddy became very curious. Exactly what is the concept behind this? He asked. Medical professional calmly responded, “Whenever anybody offers you something to eat, shake your head from the delegated right”. Easy, isn’t it? It is easy, however, it requires discipline, which is not simple. But then, practice takes discipline. Avoiding processed food and junk food should be finished with a discipline.

Is Being Overweight Obesity?

Weight problems are not just due to eating condition, unlike overweight. Weight problems are genetic and it is determined by Body Mass Index or BMI. Grownups over the BMI of 30 Kg/m2 is thought about are considered obese and anyone with reading between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2 is overweight, not obese.

Obesity is presenting the most significant risk to Americans and the numbers are rising with each year. There are around 35% overweight Americans according to a study.

What Causes Obesity?

There are more factors than one. Having an obsession to eating more calories than you can burn, how active you are, exactly what you consume and whether you have actually an acquired streak in your genes, all of these determine your possibilities of becoming obese?

In any case, it is because of the over-accumulation of fats.

Does An Anti-Obesity Plan Exist?

There are many quick-fix strategies being promoted by the so-called dieticians which are not controlled by FDA. Burning fat by increased physical activity and a changed lifestyle in addition to changed consuming practices too much healthier foods should gradually show outcomes.

Fat at hips is not quicker to harm you than the build-up around the waist, there is no assurance that you are definitely safe. Speak to your fitness instructor and dietician, pull-up your socks and get going. After all, it’s your life.

If your Doctor prescribes CPAP therapy the team of Advanced Sleep Therapy will be standing by. The Dream Team at http://advancedsleeptherapy.com consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company http://breatheeasycpap.com. Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Making a Diet Plan to Lose Weight

When we decide to make a diet plan to lose weight we chose to change our eating habits. Often we have health concerns, such as high cholesterol, which is exactly what leads us to eat much healthier.

Because as we are obese and recognize that our eating practices may have gotten in this predicament, to begin with, we plan a diet to lose weight.

It is possible to just exercise and lose weight, but later on, you will not lose any more weight without altering eating practices. Most of the time it is the other way around; you make a diet plan where you count carbohydrates, fat grams, or calories, somehow restricting your food intake to reach weight loss objectives.

Even though every source you keep reading encourages combining the diet strategy with a workout, not everyone does this immediately. Naturally, it is perfect to plan your diet and then add exercise. Some individuals might feel overwhelmed by taking on too much modification at once if exercise has not been a part of their life.

There are several online support websites to go to, that have a plethora of details for anyone planning to diet plan to lose weight. Some diets work better for some than others, for instance, the Atkins diet uses rather an extreme cut in carbs, which may not be a suitable diet plan to drop weight for everybody.

Since it allows dieters to eat numerous of the foods they consume anyway and is not quite as limiting as others, the South Beach Diet is a popular diet plan to lose weight. There are also weight-loss systems such as Jenny Craig, the LA Weight Loss Center, or Curves for Women.

All of these programs are excellent and provide a good deal of support for anybody who wants to diet to slim down. Exercise is essential, and for the Curves for Women strategy, it is the main part of the program.

When you do decide to diet plan to reduce weight, be sure you visit with your doctor initially prior to starting your program, especially if you have quite a bit of weight to lose, or if you have health concerns about your sleep patterns.

If your physician recommends a sleep study in which you find you would benefit from CPAP therapy, the staff at Advanced Sleep Therapy will be ready to guide you all of the way.

By dieting and incorporating a strong health/exercise regimen you will eventually meet your physical fitness objectives.

Cardio Exercise, It’s Great for Your Health!

Your body needs a great amount of sleep. Imagine if you did not sleep. The toll this would take on your heart could lead to stroke or having a heart attack. Not sleeping and expecting your heart to continue to pump could be equated to trying to lose weight without doing any kind of exercise. It is clear why sleep aids the heart.

If you have a lot of weight to lose, using a guided program like Weight Watchers can be a healthy start. Eating a healthy and balanced diet is also beneficial as a means to dropping weight, assisting a healthy heart and preventing Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).

It’s possible to drop weight too fast so you have to find a balance.  Just a little drop in weight can make a significant difference when you are trying to avoid OSA. Not to mention it will help you to get into that dressy outfit sitting in the back of the closet next to your favorite pair of old jeans that no longer fit the same.

Sleep, in particular, is extremely vital to your body. To be able to have a productive day at the office or normal activities, you need to find an appropriate amount of sleep time each night. If you want to find the very best sleep you can as well as combat your issues with snoring, it’s time to do a little research, which is probably what brought you to this page today.

If you know that you are tired all of the time, irritable during waking hours, snoring while sleeping, then it’s time to speak to your Doctor about Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Often a sleep test is arranged with your insurance and if necessary a CPAP machine is ordered for you.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company http://breatheeasycpap.com. Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

By speaking to your Doctor about this situation, your care provider can better assist you. It’s really important that you obtain that priceless night of rest. In the evening your body desperately needs a way to recharge and also prepare for the next day.

Starting your morning with a cardio workout with the family members, in a walking group, or maybe purchase cardio home gym equipment to work out on your own. Either way, any of these forms of exercise will help your heart. An added benefit of having your own very personal workout machine is that you don’t need to venture outside in inclement weather to exercise.

Each time, whenever you’re exercising, you want to remember that you are adding days, months, and years to your life. You will notice things even more clearly, and even have an easier time with your breathing. These positive aspects will all help you to avoid having to worry so much about your heart health. If you do find that you need a CPAP or accessories the team at Advanced Sleep Therapy will be standing by waiting to serve.

Kiss chafing goodbye with the Fisher & Paykel FlexiFit 432 Full Face Mask with Headgear

You can rely on the trusted CPAP manufacturer Fisher & Paykel to be able to dream up a CPAP mask that builds even more excitement than the success associated their previous masks, incorporating the most effective CPAP treatment with affordable convenience and user satisfaction. Sleep apnea patients who use full face masks will love the latest and best design in the crowd-pleasing FlexiFit line of face masks: The F &P FlexiFit 432 Full Face Mask with Headgear presented to you by Breathe Easy CPAP.

This particular mask is one CPAP mask that truly won’t hinder you’re falling asleep. Pursue your wildest dreams |and also the peace you’ve been craving all day with the F & P FlexiFit 432 Full Face Mask with Headgear.

While many sleep apnea patients appreciate the security of a nose and mouth covering, they may find that| full-face masks greatly restrict mouth and jaw movement and exert too much pressure over the bridge of the nose. Instead of resting below your lower lip, the FlexiFit 432 seals underneath your chin, |which can be especially fantastic news for mouth-breathers in addition to people with beards.

A soft chin seal means no more chafing or perhaps redness underneath your mouth and effortlessly holds the seal in place while you go about your bedtime routine. The FlexiFit 432 renders the chin seal even more effective together with a new inner foam insert in addition to its silicone cushion. If you should ever need to extend the life of your mask without purchasing a new frame entirely, you can consider buying replacement cushions from Breath Easy CPAP: https://tinyurl.com/ffcushions with the convenient FlexiFoam Cushion Insert and Silicone Seal Kit: http://breatheeasycpap.com/f-p-flexifit-431-432-universal-spare-silicone-seal-select-a-size/ for the FlexiFit HC432 Full Face Mask.

The headgear for the FlexiFit 432 provides extra support to frame and chin strap and contains no latex. Getting out of your mask is simply no longer a fifteen-minute activity, thanks to the quick-release strap. No more fumbling around with complicated clips; this mask is a snap to take on and off, and it preserves any kind of adjustments you make.

Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories. Best of all you can order the Fisher and Paykel Flexi Fit 432 Full Face Mask With Headgear as a Kit without any prescription being required from our online store at BreatheEasy CPAP.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company http://breatheeasycpap.com. Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Do you understand the sensation you get when you see an appealing person? It seems like your heart stops beating for a couple of seconds and you can’t appear to breathe, not to mention discover a method to put together a sentence and talk to that person.

Now think about this: exactly what if the exact same thing took place to you in your sleep? It’s called sleep apnea.

Exactly what is sleep apnea? Well, sleep apnea is a severe sleeping condition that typically causes you to stop breathing for a number of seconds. It causes a sharp drop in oxygen in your blood and disrupts your sleep when you stop breathing. Sleep apnea can indicate a more severe health problem that can be hazardous if not treated.

Now that you understand the answer to ‘exactly what is sleep apnea?’ how do you know if you suffer from it? Well, if you get up in the middle of the night with a strong urge to go to the restroom, you may have it. Or, if you snore, feel exhausted all day or wake up gasping for air, you might suffer from sleep apnea. The team at Advanced Sleep Therapy is here to help you with your respiratory situation.

Visit your physician as soon as possible if you think you suffer from sleep apnea. He will have the ability to address your concerns, like “what is sleep apnea?” then actually detect it by administering a sleep study commonly referred to as polysomnography.

Your doctor will likewise have the ability to identify what type of sleep apnea you have: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA.) Obstructive sleep apnea is trigger by the obstruction of the air course, normally by swelling, an enlarged uvula or fat (typical in obese individuals.) The blockages decrease the amount of oxygen that can enter into the lungs, therefore triggering the person to gasp for air because there isn’t adequate entering. Since it can cause other health problems like high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea requires being identified and dealt with as soon as possible.

When the brain doesn’t send out the appropriate signals to the respiratory muscles, Central sleep apnea occurs. When the signals aren’t there, the muscles have no idea to breathe and breathing will stop for an extended period of time-usually ten to twenty seconds. Central sleep apnea prevails in people who had cardiovascular problems as babies or have genetic heart flaws. To treat central sleep apnea, the underlying cause (heart issues) must be dealt with too.

When someone informs you that they have issues sleeping, ask them if they have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a major condition that can cause more health problems in life. Obstructive sleep apnea needs to be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible due to the fact that it can cause other health issues like hypertension.

If your physician orders CPAP therapy for you please be sure to ask your Doctor to call Advanced Sleep Therapy  (847)-357-8782. At Advanced Sleep Therapy our team has many ways to assist you with your care from the beginning stages of setting up your CPAP treatment through ongoing monitoring and reporting to your physician.

Your insurance company will require that you prove compliance with your equipment usage with your sleep apnea treatment. Usually, this means that you can prove that you have worn your CPAP machine for at least four hours every day. Smart CPAP machines like the AirSense 10 Elite is just one of the options to track your data that you can easily send your usage information to your provider or insurance company. You also will need replacement supplies for your CPAP which can easily be purchased on the go using our friendly mobile app.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company. Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Of course, finding out that you have Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) sure can seem a bit daunting at first, just remember, the CPAP Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy is by your side. Our Respiratory Therapists and staff are here to guide you through every step and back to a better night’s sleep.

What is the TSA Pre-Check?

Traveling has the potential to be a headache for just about everyone, but when you’ve got sleep apnea and are traveling with your CPAP machine, traveling has a whole separate headache. At Advanced Sleep Therapy, we suggest enrolling in the TSA Pre-Check in order to prevent long wait times before your flight. CPAP users have had great luck with enrolling in this program.

The TSA, or The Transportation Security Administration is part of the United States Homeland Security and is in charge of keeping you safe at the airport and in the skies. They use screening methods, hi-tech equipment, and searches to ensure that no one who enters secured gates and flights have dangerous intentions.

Enrolling in the TSA’s Pre-Check program makes screening before your flight easier. You’ll usually be able to keep your belt, light jacket, and shoes on while not needing to remove your laptop and open up your carry-on bag before your flight. CPAP users with this perk say that they never have to open their carefully packed and organized CPAP storage bags only to have security officer tea them apart. Instead, they’re able to walk through a much shorter security line and travel sooner.

How to Enroll in TSA Precheck

Unfortunately, beginning February 2017, the TSA states that the number of enrollable persons in this program will be decreased. It’s still worth trying to enroll now, and you can so by visiting TSA.gov/precheck. You can submit an application and if it’s approved by the Department of Homeland Security, you’ll be provided with an ID number. Keep track of this ID as you’ll want it available when you’re purchasing your tickets.

Traveling with Your CPAP

When traveling with your CPAP, considering purchasing a travel-sized machine if you’re frequently on the move. We suggest the Transcend Travel Sized CPAP or the HDM Z1. Both of these machines are quiet, small, and durable for travel. You’ll find other great travel ready CPAP options on our website at Breatheeasycpap.com. Travel is a rich and fulfilling part of the human experience. Don’t let your CPAP therapy get in the way of your next vacation. Enroll in the TSA’s Pre-Check program and get in touch with one of our sleep specialists if you’ve got questions about traveling with your CPAP.

Preventing Mask Lines: Using the Gecko or Remzzzs

Once you’ve made the time-consuming decision to purchase a CPAP mask, you may hope that the challenges of fitting your CPAP mask are over. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. If you have got sleep apnea, a breathing disorder with serious health consequences such as kidney disease and stroke, you’re likely familiar with CPAP therapy. If you use a full-face mask with your Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy, you’re probably familiar with morning mask lines and maybe even sore marks on the bridge of your nose. While these marks are often harmless, they can sometimes lead to skin breakdown, especially in the elderly. The issue with these mask lines can sometimes be frustrating enough to tempt CPAP users into discontinuing therapy.

Yet, continuing CPAP therapy is an important measure in treating sleep apnea and preventing the associated medical conditions. When embarrassing mask lines and sore marks on your nose become an issue, what can you do to avoid this and continue treatment?

Mask Liner Options: Remzzzs or Gecko?

Mask liners are soft, hypoallergenic, and absorb moisture. They prevent mask air leaks, and not only protect your skin, but they also prevent your CPAP mask from being broken down prematurely by skin oils. The major difference between the Remzzzs and the Gecko mask liners is in the shape of the product. While the Remzzzs is shaped like a slightly curved triangle and sits along the inside of the entire face mask, the Gecko is an oblong liner that simply sits on the bridge of the user’s nose. Both the Gecko and Remzzzs work with all full face and nasal masks.

Both of these products cost about the same. We recommend purchasing a 6-pack of each before investing in a 30-Day supply of either. This will allow you to try them out with your specific mask. Your face shape and mask can greatly impact the effectiveness of either product. The best option is to try them both before making a commitment.

If you’re interested in trying out the Gecko or Remzzzs nasal pads, visit us online at Breatheeasycpap.com. We’re passionate about promoting better treatment. Not only will we provide you with the best CPAP accessories, we’ll answer any of your CPAP and sleep apnea treatment questions.

Cleaning Your CPAP on the Go

For sleep apnea sufferers who work on the go, like semi-truck drivers or flight attendants, CPAP therapy takes a quite a bit of commitment above and beyond the more stationary CPAP users. They’ve got to take time to research the best travel sized option for their work, such as the Transcend CPAP machine. When it comes time to clean their CPAP equipment, another challenge must be squarely met. When you’re a member of a profession who travels every day, how are you supposed to find the time to properly clean your CPAP equipment? Makers of the SoClean 2, a CPAP equipment cleaner which sterilizes using the power of activated oxygen,  have created an answer to this problem: the SoClean 2 Portable CPAP Cleaner.

Forget the Chemicals and try Activated Oxygen

The SoClean Portable CPAP cleaner uses activated oxygen to interrupt and clear organic compounds. Activated oxygen made up of three atoms of oxygen, a stronger form of the simple two atom oxygen compound, is often used to purify water and clean hotel and food service equipment. The SoClean 2 breaks down the two atom form of oxygen so that these atoms may reform into the more potent three atom activated version. This activated oxygen works right away to sterilize CPAP equipment by clearing away fungus, bacteria, and grime from your very important treatment supplies.

Big Things in Small Packages

The SoClean 2 Portable CPAP cleaner is battery powered, using batteries you can pick up at any convenience store. It’s completely free of wires and easily fits just about anywhere. This lovely piece of equipment, weighs just above one pound and measures only 4 x 4 x 5 inches. That’s small enough to through in a tote bag or backpack and bring just about anywhere.

At Breatheeasycpap.com, we’re devoted to solving all the challenges that may arise during CPAP therapy. If you’ve got questions about how to travel with your CPAP or which pieces of equipment is right for you, contact us today. We’ll ensure that you’re sleep apnea therapy continues despite any bumps in the road.

Music to Help You Sleep

Sleep apnea sufferers are likely familiar with sleeping problems. Whether you were suffering from constant waking, and trouble falling back asleep, before continuous positive airway pressure therapy, or you’ve developed sleeping difficulties while struggling to grow accustomed to your CPAP machine, sleeping troubles are no joke. Some CPAP users find creative ways to encourage a relaxed rest, tricks like using the ramp feature on their machine, avoiding caffeine during the day, and eating a small snack before bed. Others use soothing music to fall asleep, a technique found to be helpful in sleep apnea sufferers and regular old insomniacs alike.

Music Improves Quality and Quantity of Sleep

Research shows that using music at night to help you fall asleep can improve both the quality of your sleep and the number of hours spent in restorative bliss. The best part of using music to fall asleep? There’s no side effects. Those suffering from insomnia may be tempted to try sleeping medications right off the bat, however, sleeping medications aren’t without side effects. These medications may cause daytime drowsiness, changes in appetite, and constipation.

Using Music to Help You Sleep

Start by choosing soft music with no more than sixty beats per minute. This includes much classical music, light jazz, and music made for meditation. Sleep experts suggest listening to music that doesn’t evoke any strong emotional responses, whether those responses are positive or negative.

Plan to listen for about forty-five minutes. Studies show that this is about the normal time it takes to get the best effects of musical therapy. Go to bed a little bit earlier and refrain from feeling discouraged if sleep doesn’t arrive immediately. Remind yourself that sleep may take some time to improve, as much as three weeks in some cases.

Sleep Still Not Improving?

Get in touch with your primary health care provider if you are still having problems sleeping. It may be that you need a sleep study or to see a sleep specialist, like those at Advanced Sleep Therapy. We’re dedicated to getting you the best sleep of your life because better sleep means better health.

Protecting Your CPAP from Your Feline Friends

Cat lovers know that while our little furry friends can be a great source of joy, love, and entertainment, they sometimes add a level of frustration to our lives. Innately curious, cats look for opportunities to practice pouncing, sharpen their claws, and understand the nature of the world around them. Sleep apnea sufferers using CPAP therapy should be warned: protecting your CPAP system from your cat is an important task.

Your continuous positive airway pressure machine needs extra protection from your pets, especially cats. The noise, blowing air, and the movement of your CPAP tubing are all curiously interesting to a bored house cat. To protect your CPAP, keep water glasses away from the machine, if your cat likes to push things, your machine’s electronic components could be at risk of getting wet. All it takes is one little swipe from your cat to pour a glass of water on your machine.

CPAP tubing is another tempting part of the CPAP system. It’ whirs with sound as air passes through and swings back and forth while you adjust during the night. A feisty cat won’t wait long to put their claws into this very important piece of equipment. A hole in your CPAP tubing decreases the air pressures which your machine delivers to the mask and may make therapy completely ineffective. Protect your CPAP tubing by using a durable hose cover. Some hose covers also act as insulators and prevent rain-out, or being sprayed with water during the night, in CPAP systems using humidifiers.

You’ll find hose covers, along with many other quality CPAP supplies, at Breatheeasycpap.com. Not sure if you’re doing enough to protect your CPAP system from your pets? Contact the sleep experts online and get your questions answered. We know you love your pet and we love when successful sleep apnea therapy. Let’s work together to ensure both you, and your furry friends, are happy.

Sticking with Your CPAP Therapy: How AirView Keeps You Compliant

Keeping up with your CPAP therapy is just as important as beginning therapy in the first place. CPAP machines don’t cure your sleep apnea; instead they keep your airway from obstructing during the night through the delivery of a continuous flow of pressured air. Quit using your CPAP and you’re likely to experience the same symptoms you’d been dealing with before treatment such as snoring and daytime fatigue. Even worse, you’re again at an increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Sticking with your treatment can be difficult at times, but with a caring team of health care professionals and using ResMed’s AirView system, you’ve got a better shot at staying compliant.

What is AirView?

Airview is a system of CPAP use measurement where your treatment data is stored “on the cloud” or virtually, online. Your physician, should you give them permission, is able to access this information from a distance, or in person if you bring the information to your health care appointment.

How Will AirView Keep Me Compliant?

Your physician will use the information gathered to address your CPAP usage and judge whether or not your therapy is effective. AirView helps keep your health care team focused on your treatment and able to easily address any concerns. Having more professionals on your side makes sticking to your treatment a team effort. The more you use your CPAP machine, the better your results. AirView encourages you to use your CPAP machine as prescribed and therefore prevent some of the life-threatening complications of the disease.

Which CPAP Machines Use AirView?

You will find ResMed’s AirView pre-installed on the AirSense 10 and AirCurve 10 CPAP machines. You’ll find these excellent, top of the line continuous positive airway pressure machines on our website at Breatheeasycpap.com. Contact us today to find the best sleep apnea treatment to suit your needs. We believe in comfortable CPAP therapy and are dedicated to making your commitment to treatment last.

Which Doctors Can Treat My Sleep Apnea?

Has your partner finally had enough of your snoring at night? Snoring, that frustrating noise caused by narrowed or obstructed airways in the throat, is a cornerstone symptom of sleep apnea. If you’ve been getting complaints from your bedmate, it may be time to see a physician, especially if you’re experiencing any other symptoms of sleep apnea such as weight gain, high blood pressure, concentration difficulties, and persistent fatigue. When it’s time to get help, can any health care provider diagnose and treat your sleep apnea?

Get in Touch with Your Primary Health Care Provider

Presenting your symptoms to your primary health care provider is a great place to start when looking to treat your sleep apnea symptoms. Not only do many insurers require a visit to your primary care provider before seeing a specialist, a primary health care provider is trained to recognize the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea and may be able to diagnose your condition without a sleep study. However, if they feel your case is complex or would like a definitive diagnosis, they may send you to a sleep specialist.

Sleep Specialists Come from All Backgrounds

Sleep specialists are specially trained to care for sleep disorders and may be primary care providers, pulmonologists, neurologists, and even dentists. These physicians are usually accredited by the American Board of Internal Medicine or the American Board of Sleep Medicine.

Talk to Your Mental Health Care Professional About Your Symptoms

For many sleep apnea sufferers, their only symptoms are related to their mental health. Chronic fatigue, trouble concentrating, irritability, and even depression are all common symptoms of sleep apnea, especially in women. Occasionally, psychiatrists and other behavioral health care professionals may be able to diagnose sleep apnea based on these symptoms alone.

No matter where you seek help for your sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment, we recommend advocating for an appointment with a team of sleep specialists. Our team of sleep specialists at Advanced Sleep Therapy is equipped to walk you through your sleep apnea treatment from diagnosis to treatment.

Why Do I Need to Replace My Supplies So Often?

While starting sleep apnea treatment is tough for some-finding the perfect fitting mask, getting used to the feeling of forced air, and looking for the best sleeping position are just a few challenges with those first few weeks of CPAP use-once most people have gotten used to continuous positive airway pressure therapy, the thought of going without their machine is terrifying. Yet, the bits and pieces which make up your CPAP system don’t last forever, and eventually, you’re going to need to replace parts in order to avoid a lapse in your therapy. How often will you need to replace your parts? What wear and tear indicates a need for replacement? Read on to find out.

Your CPAP Mask and Headgear

Your CPAP mask should be replaced every three months. Oils on your skin and moisture released from your airway when your breath erodes the quality of your mask and may lead to ineffective treatment. The pillows and cushion portions of your CPAP mask will be released more often, as often as twice per month. The headgear, or the part of your CPAP system which attaches the mask to your head is usually made with soft, stretching neoprene. This material is gentle and promotes comfortable CPAP therapy. However, neoprene degrades with constant adjusting and stretching and should therefor be replaced every six months.

Replace the Bits and Pieces Too

When keeping track of replacing parts of your CPAP system, don’t forget things like your tubing, which should be replaced every three months to decrease the risk of mold contamination and the breakdown of tubing material. CPAP filters need to be changed more frequently, about every two weeks for disposable filters. Gray reusable filters should be washed frequently and replaced every six months. If you’ve got a humidifier, the water chamber should also be replaced once every six months.

Invest in a Quality CPAP Machine

The CPAP machine itself hardly needs to be replaced as often as the other parts of the system. When properly cared for, your CPAP machine should last every five years. Check with your insurance company about how often they’ll help you pay for a replacement. In some cases, you may be able to obtain a new machine sooner.

When it’s time for you to replace your CPAP system parts, visit us at Breatheeasycpap.com. We’ve got replacement parts available without a prescription and are equipped to help you navigate your insurance plan to determine when you can obtain new supplies. We want your sleep apnea treatment to be as successful as possible. Let us help you purchase and manage your CPAP system for years to come.

DreamWear

When you’ve got sleep apnea, a night of restful sleep may seem impossible. If you’re not receiving treatment for your sleep apnea, you could be waking up hundreds of times a night, even if you don’t remember it. These small awakenings, known as microarousals, add up and leave you feeling drowsy and forgetful come morning. Unfortunately, sleep doesn’t always come easy once you’ve began sleep apnea treatment. While continuous positive airway pressure therapy delivered via a CPAP machine is effective in treating the medical condition, it’s not always easy to begin. Many CPAP users struggle to find a comfortable and non-invasive CPAP mask. To solve this problem, Philips Respironics has created the DreamWear CPAP mask, a mask which they believe is perfect for promoting the rest sleep apnea sufferers deserve.

“The Closest Thing to Wearing No Mask At All”

The creators of the DreamWear CPAP mask boast that it’s the closest thing to wearing no mask at all. Built with soft yet durable silicone, it’s inventive design prevents contact with the bridge of the nose, preventing red mask lines in the morning, and a better field of vision. The DreamWear’s design is so sleek. You can fall asleep reading a book or watching a television show with an unobstructed view. DreamWear CPAP masks are customizable, available in three frame sizes and four nasal cushions. This ability to create the perfect fitting mask for yourself means that sticking to your CPAP therapy is easier.

Because the DreamWear CPAP mask is a nasal mask, it’s not for everyone. If you’re a mouth breather, you’ll need a full face mask like ResMed’s AirFit F10 CPAP mask available online here.

Find the Perfect Mask for You

Interested in learning more about the DreamWear CPAP mask or not sure which mask style suits you best? Contact the sleep specialists at Breatheeasycpap.com. We’re experienced health care professionals driven to promote restful sleep in those suffering from sleep apnea. Whether it’s the DreamWear or and AirFit mask, we’re dedicated to finding the best fitting mask for your sleep apnea treatment.

Why Should I Use Distilled Water in my CPAP Humidifier?

Continuous positive airway pressure therapy can take some time getting used to. Many CPAP machine users find that using a humidifier which connects to their machine is a great way to make the therapy more comfortable. A humidifier keeps their nasal mucous membranes moist and their throat less dry therefore making sleep apnea treatment easier to stick with. Whether you’re using a H5i Heated CPAP Humidifier or a System One 60 Series Heated Tube Humidifier, some care instructions are important to remember. Perhaps the most important instruction? Use only distilled water with your humidifier.

Distilled Water Makes Your CPAP Machine Last Longer

Regular tap water contains minerals which may cause a white buildup inside of your humidifiers chamber. This build-up may also transfer into your CPAP tubing and machine. Mold is also more likely to grow in humidifier water chambers using regular tap water. A machine that’s been contaminated with mold or overrun with mineral deposits may need extra cleaning or may even need to be thrown out.

You can purchase distilled water at many convenience stores and most pharmacies. If distilled water isn’t available, use regular bottled water. Check your humidifier’s user manual to ensure that you’re using the best source of water possible.

Where to Purchase Your Humidifier

If you don’t have a humidifier yet, you’re missing out. Because humidifiers make sleep apnea treatment so much more comfortable, you’re more likely to stick with your therapy than if you weren’t using one. This is especially true for those suffering from chronic sinus conditions. To find a humidifier that’s just right for use, browse our online sleep apnea supply store at Breatheeasycpap.com. There you’ll find options like built in CPAP humidifiers, stand alone humidifiers, and heated tubing to provide the most comfortable CPAP therapy. You can also contact our team of sleep apnea treatment specialists who can direct you to the best place to purchase distilled water and answer your questions on taking care of your CPAP system.

Should I See a Sleep Specialist for My Sleep Apnea Symptoms?

If you’ve been snoring at night, are waking up more exhausted than you have in the past, or are experiencing high blood pressure and weight gain, you may have sleep apnea. Though the symptoms vary greatly from person to person, any of the above may indicate a need to see your physician about the disorder. Sleep apnea is a medical condition noted by periods without breath during the night. These moments are known as episodes of apnea and can lead to serious cardiovascular disease, memory problems, and secondary illnesses like diabetes. When it’s time to seek medical treatment for your symptoms, you may be wondering who to see. Go straight to a sleep specialist or visit your general physician first?

What’s a Sleep Specialist?

While a primary care provider is usually well-rounded in most common medical conditions, a sleep specialist is specially accredited by organizations such as the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Sleep Medicine. These organizations ensure that the applying physicians are qualified to treat sleep disorders. These physicians may specialize in internal medicine, pulmonology, neurology, otolaryngology, and more.

Getting a Definitive Diagnosis

The best diagnosis of sleep apnea is made in a sleep study laboratory. There a team of sleep specialists record sleeping activity, including number of apnea episodes throughout the nights. A sleep study is the only way to get a definitive diagnosis for sleep apnea.

What About My Primary Care Physician?

Your primary care provider may be able to diagnose your sleep apnea before requiring a sleep study. They’ll take a look at your health history, the health history of your family, and your symptoms in order to decide whether or not you need to see a sleep specialist. If your symptoms are complex, you’ve got other health conditions, or he or she isn’t able to make a concrete diagnosis, your primary care provider may ask that you see a sleep specialist. In some cases, your insurance provider may require that you see your general physician before making an appointment with a sleep specialist.

When it’s time to choose a sleep specialist to see, choose a team of medical professionals who are dedicated to the promotion of your health. Our team at Advanced Sleep Therapy is made up of specialized physicians, registered nurses, and respiratory therapists. We’ve built a practice upon our passion for fostering health through better sleep. We’ll help you get from symptomatic sleep apnea to the best sleep, and health, of your life.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Multiple Sclerosis

It’s not uncommon for those suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) to experience sleep disturbances. Fatigue is often one of the first and most persistent signs of MS, but it may also be a creation or symptom of an exacerbation of a medical condition known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Obstructive sleep apnea is characterized by up to hundreds of episodes without breath during the night, usually the result of airway obstruction from a narrowed or blocked throat. Those with MS are at an increased risk of developing the condition.

What is Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis is a central nervous system disorder that disturbs the communication between the brain, spine, and nerves throughout the body. Besides fatigue, those with MS may also experience numbness or tingling throughout their body, weakness, dizziness, and bowel and bladder problems. These symptoms, along with the many others, can range in severity from mild to severe.

How Common is Sleep Apnea in those with MS?

One study conducted by the American Academy of Medicine found that one in five people suffering from MS were also suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. That’s three times higher than the occurrence in the general population! The results of this study point to one thing: doctors should evaluate their patients with MS for obstructive sleep apnea, even if they don’t snore.

The Connection Between OSA and MS

Many sufferers of MS have difficulties swallowing, a symptom know as dysphagia. This difficulty is caused by problems with the nerves of the throat muscles, causing a weakness to the area. Weakness to the muscles around the throat may very well be responsible for obstructive sleep apnea. As the muscles weaken, the ability of a person to keep their airways from collapsing, narrowing, or being blocked by their tongue decreases. The result is complete or partial obstruction throughout the night.

Treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Whether or not you suffer from MS, if you’re diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, your physician will likely prescribe a continuous positive airway pressure machine, or CPAP, to treat the condition. Untreated sleep apnea increases your likelihood of developing serious cardiovascular disease and, if you’ve got MS, you’ll likely not want to risk acquiring a secondary condition. CPAP therapy uses pressurized air delivered through a mask to keep a person’s airways open as is an effective way to prevent complications of the disease.

If you’ve got MS or have symptoms of sleep apnea, such as snoring, fatigue, or high blood pressure, talk to your physician. If you’re diagnosed, visit Breatheeasycpap.com to find the perfect CPAP system that’s both cost effective and of the highest quality.

What Your Apnea Hypopnea Index Means for Your Sleep Apnea Treatment

Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition which affects nearly every aspect of your health. If you’ve got sleep apnea, you’re experiencing moments without oxygen up to hundreds of times a night. Most physicians prescribe continuous positive airway pressure therapy via a CPAP machine to treat the disorder. CPAP machines keep your airway open, unobstructed by your soft palate or narrowed airway. After starting CPAP therapy, many users wonder whether or not their CPAP therapy is working. Health care providers often track their patient’s apnea hypopnea index to keep their finger on the pulse of your condition.

What is the Apnea Hypopnea Index?

A person’s apnea hypopnea index reports the number of times the airway is narrowed or partially obstructed, events known as hypopnea, or totally blocked, an experience known as apnea, throughout the night. Your apnea hypopnea index, or AHI, is determined via a sleep study, usually completed in a clinical sleep laboratory or at home.

What Does My AHI Mean?

The AHI measure the severity of your sleep apnea. The number provided after your sleep study describes the quantity of episodes without enough breath or completely without breath every hour during the night. A score below 5 indicates no sleep apnea or a very slight existence of the condition. Mild sleep apnea is given a score between 5 and 15, moderate is between 15 and 30, and severe cases of the disorder present with a score of over 30 episodes per hour.

Tracking Your AHI

Many modern CPAP machines such as the Philips Respironics System One REMstar Auto A-Flex (DS560S) or the ResMed S9 Elite track your AHI while you sleep each night. Your information will be stored on your machine in an SD card that you can extract the information from and bring to your physician. Your AHI is stored on the CPAP machine’s SD card and from there, your health care team can determine whether or not your current treatment is effective. If it’s not, they may prescribe a high level of pressure or suggest another treatment option.

Your goal for CPAP therapy is generally to obtain an AHI of less than 5. Some sleep specialists even prefer a number as low as 1 or 2. If you’ve got questions about achieving your goal or which CPAP system would best help your sleep apnea, contact the sleep specialists at Breatheeasycpap.com.

Storing Your CPAP Machine

Storing your CPAP machine may seem like a silly subject if you’re new to continuous positive airway pressure therapy to treat your sleep apnea but after some time with your CPAP machine, you’ll understand the importance of this subject. If you’ve got limited space near your bed or if you live in a city notorious for tiny living spaces like New York City, you’ll be looking for the best way to store your CPAP machine without losing too much precious space.

CPAP Shelves

If you have a little room next to your bed but no shelving space, you may be interested in a CPAP holder. These convenient little shelves work by sitting under your mattress and extending outwards to provide space for your friendly sleep apnea treatment device. These little space savers are a life-saver for those who value an aesthetically pleasing look to your bedroom and desperately need some space.

CPAP Machines with Small Profiles

On top of CPAP shelves, the medical supply companies responsible for the majority of CPAP machine innovation are continuing to create CPAP systems with smaller profiles making storage a breeze. Here’s some of our favorite sleek and slight CPAP machines:

• Transcend Auto CPAP Machine with EZEX Pressure Relief This popular travel sized CPAP machine has all the features you’ll need for your basic sleep apnea treatment without any of the bulk associated with many machines. Weighing only one pound, this machine is small enough to store in a little tote for travel or just comfortably store on your nightstand.
• Z1 Base System CPAP Machine The size of this CPAP machine is hardly comparable to any machine before it. Like the Transcend, this machine only weighs one pound. Better yet, it’s small enough to fit in the palm of your hand! On top of it’s sleek profile, this CPAP machine is quiet-only reaching a volume of about 26 decibels.
• AirSense 10 CPAP Machine is a top of the line CPAP machine with plenty of amenities like a ramp feature and available humidifier. Lightweight and easy to move, it’s slightly larger in size than the Z1 or Transcend but still only weighs one pound.

Still looking for the perfect CPAP machine? We can help. Contact the expert respiratory health care professionals at Advanced Sleep Therapy and we can walk you through finding your best fitting CPAP system. Don’t let space keep you from treating your sleep apnea. We’re ready to help.

Recovering from Sleep Debt

Our lives are so busy that some days, a full night’s rest seems impossible. Yet, medical professionals continue to recommend that all adults get between seven and nine hours of sleep during the night. For many of us, that’s a number to scoff at. In fact, nearly sixty percent of women say that they consistently go nights without getting even seven hours. This lack of sleep creates a “sleep debt,” sleep deprivation that gets worse with time and also limits are ability to recognize the signs of inadequate sleep. Sleep debt is serious overtime because our bodies use sleep to process and heal from the day before. Without enough sleep, we’re putting ourselves at risk for injury.

Symptoms of Sleep Debt

Symptoms of sleep deprivation are easy to spot. Moodiness, concentration difficulties, poor memory and planning, disorientation, and even hallucinations are all symptoms of sleep debt. You may notice these symptoms yourself, or you may have a friend or family member inform you that your behavior has changed.

 Causes of Sleep Debt

Sleep debt may be caused by stress, diet, lack of exercise, or even obstructive sleep apnea. We may also be contributing to our sleep debt on our own, by pushing off bedtime because we’re just “too busy.”

Recovering from Sleep Debt

Sleep debt can create great stress and frustration in a person’s life whether due to problems focusing and performing at work or simply from feeling sleepy all day long. Thankfully, you can recover.

Begin by replenishing sleep in the short term. Add extra hours of sleep to the next few days or plan a nap during the weekend. If you’ve been experiencing sleep debt for an extended amount of time, consider taking a vacation to catch up on your sleep.

Work to eliminate or greatly reduce caffeine in your diet. If you’ve been experiencing sleep loss, no coffees, teas, or even chocolates should be eaten after noon. Eliminate your exposure to bright lights about an hour before bedtime. This means no television, lap top, or smart phone before bed.

Talk to your doctor about continuous positive airway pressure therapy via a CPAP machine. For many of the sleep deprived, the problem is obstructive sleep apnea, a medical condition in which a person stops breathing on and off throughout the night. These moments without breath cause your body to jolt awake hundreds of times a night. These moments add up and can cause serious sleep deprivation. CPAP therapy fixes that.

If you’ve been snoring or experiencing symptoms like weight gain and morning headaches, you may want to talk to your health care provider about sleep apnea. When you receive a diagnosis, visit us online at our excellent medical supply store. You can chat with one of the members of our sleep apnea treatment team and find the best solution to your sleep troubles. We believe in promoting your best sleep because you absolutely deserve it.

Is Your Stubborn Insomnia Actually Sleep Apnea?

There’s perhaps no common human experience as frustrating as insomnia. You’ve woken up early, ran what felt like hundreds of errands, worked for eight hours, and come home craving sleep. And yet, sleep seems distant. Often, when you do fall asleep, you don’t stay that way. Maybe you’re closing your eyes only to wake up an hour later. So incredibly frustrating.

If you’ve tried all the common tips and tricks to cure your insomnia and yet are still struggling, there may be something else behind your sleep disturbances. Consider asking your doctor about sleep apnea, a night time breathing disorder that may be keeping you awake at night.

How Does Sleep Apnea Keep Me Awake?

Like sleep apnea, insomnia has nighttime and daytime symptoms. At night, you may find yourself having a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep. During the day, you’re likely tired and irritable.

Sleep apnea causes restlessness at night, snoring, and fatigue during the day. You may also have trouble concentrating. Sleep apnea occurs when your breathing stops because of poor brain signals, weakened throat muscles, or airway obstruction during the night. When these breathless moments occur, your brain panics and jolts you awake in order to start your breathing once again. Once you’ve woken, your brain often turns on like a light bulb, illuminating all those stressful things you had to accomplish the day before or the problematic things to come later. Sleep apnea is so common in insomniacs that one study found more than half of those suffering from insomnia also have sleep apnea.

If you’re having trouble sleeping and decide to see your primary health care provider, make sure that they’re ruling out sleep apnea. Sleep apnea treatment is painless and effective; if your sleeping difficulties are caused by this condition, you’ll have an easy way to fix the problem.

What if I’m Diagnosed with Sleep Apnea?

If your physician diagnoses you with sleep apnea, it’s important to start treatment. Untreated sleep apnea may lead to cardiovascular problems among other life-threatening complications. Most physicians will prescribe continuous positive airway pressure therapy via a CPAP machine to treat this disorder.

We’ve got plenty of quality CPAP systems available on our website along with a team of experienced respiratory health care professionals ready to answer any questions about the process. From the moment you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea till the moment you achieve comfortable, fulfilling sleep, we’ll be here.

Don’t let your insomnia stay stubbornly unsolved. Ask your doctor about sleep apnea today.

Might My Sleep Apnea Be Genetic?

 If you’ve been snoring at night, you may want to evaluate your risk factors for having or developing sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a medical condition characterized by periods of suspended breathing that can occur up to hundreds of times a night. Your weight, age, and race all play a part in the development in this condition as does your family’s health history. All of this may lead you to wonder: is sleep apnea genetic?

Sleep Apnea and Your Family’s Health History

Available medical information points to the certainty that there’s a genetic component to sleep apnea. If someone in your family has been diagnosed with the disorder, it may be time to  ask your doctor about your personal risk factors. Obesity, heart disease, and snoring also play a role in sleep apnea. If you’ve got any of these issues along with a family history of sleep apnea, you’re at risk.

The Relationship Between Your Weight and Sleep Apnea

There is without a doubt a connection between sleep apnea and obesity. In fact, over half of those with sleep apnea are also obese. Because it is known that obesity seems to run in the family, doctors also often categorize sleep apnea as a hereditary disorder.

There are mountains of studies showing the genetic component to obesity and this alone may explain sleep apnea in many cases. Too much fat around the neck and throat interfere with a person’s ability to keep a patent airway, leading to upper respiratory obstruction throughout the night. Does being overweight seem to run in your family? Are you showing any symptoms of sleep apnea? If so, talk to your primary health care provider about a possible diagnosis.

 Sleep Apnea Therapy Works

Whether your sleep apnea is hereditary or you’re the black sheep of the family, remember that a diagnosis with the condition isn’t the end of the world. Treatment for sleep apnea is effective, painless, and easy to get acquainted with. If you’re diagnosed, your physician will likely prescribe ycontinuous positive airway pressure therapy via a CPAP machine. When it’s time to purchase your medical equipment, visit a reliable respiratory health supply store online or in person. Don’t be intimated by your treatment options, let a sleep apnea expert help get you started. While you can’t control your genetics, you can control your therapy and ultimately, your good health.

Exercise Your Way to Sleep Apnea Relief

Sleep apnea, a medical condition characterized by moments of breathlessness during sleep, has many serious symptoms. Snoring, dry mouth, headache in the morning, and frequent nighttime waking are all issues experienced by sufferers of this disorder. These symptoms can be stressful and frustrating too, leaving many wondering what they can do to alleviate them. In conjunction with continuous positive airway pressure therapy, or the use of a CPAP machine, exercise can be a wonderful way to find relief from sleep apnea.

What Causes Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

There’s a big question in the sleep apnea community about which came first: obstructive sleep apnea or obesity. Obstructive sleep apnea often occurs as a result of excess weight around the neck and chest, increasing the likelihood of airway collapse. However, obstructive sleep apnea also promotes weight gain, making exercise equally as important, no matter the cause. If you’re suffering from sleep apnea and are experiencing weight gain or are already overweight, exercising your way to sleep apnea relief may be for you.

Does Exercise Really Improve Sleep Apnea?

Contemporary studies find that exercise has a significant impact on sleep apnea and its associated symptoms. One study found a 60 to 71% improvement in obstructive sleep apnea severity in patients who began an exercise regimen for about 12 weeks.

Exercises to Try

The most important part of starting a work out routine is finding an exercise style that feels good to you. Exercise should be enjoyable, so find something you love to do. Yoga, walking, and swimming are all great options for those new to exercise. If you’d like to start an exercise routine, talk to your health care team about your best options.

Tongue and Throat Exercises for Sleep Apnea

Not only are there exercises to lose weight, exercises exist to strengthen tongue and throat muscles in hopes of prevent obstruction of the airway during the night. Your physician may not be familiar with these regimens, if you need help finding more information on them, contact a sleep specialist.

No Matter What, Treat Your Sleep Apnea

While exercising is a great way to get healthy, getting immediate treatment for sleep apnea is equally as important. Untreated sleep apnea increases your risk of diabetes and serious cardiovascular events like stroke. If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, take a look at our top of the line CPAP machines on Breatheeasycpap.com. From Resmed to Philips Respironics, our CPAP systems are only the best quality. Don’t delay your treatment. Instead, fight your sleep apnea from both sides with plenty of exercise and effective CPAP therapy.

The Truth About Sleep Apnea and Pregnancy

It a well known fact that sleeping while pregnant is challenging. If it’s not the hormonal changes in the first trimester promoting sleep disturbances, it’s the extra weight and moving baby in the third. These changes are a normal part of pregnancy and, while they’re not the most convenient symptoms, an increase in sleep disturbance is an expected finding during pregnancy. But, sleeping problems that just never seem to let up could be an issue and may need to be evaluated by a physician. Sleep disturbances caused by the disorder known as sleep apnea may be the culprit behind prenatal sleeping problems and place the mother and baby at a risk for disease.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by frequent episodes without breath during the night. Sleep apnea in pregnancy is often related to weight gain, gestational diabetes, and excess mucous production blocking the airway during the night.

Sleep apnea is risky for both mother and baby. The illness increases the pregnant mother’s chances of developing a cardiovascular event and preeclampsia. The newborn is more likely to have a premature birth and spend time in a neonatal intensive care unit.

What are the Symptoms of Sleep Apnea in Pregnancy?

Look for loud, frequent snoring, dry mouth and headaches in the morning, and exhaustion unrelated to pregnancy. Some of the symptoms of sleep apnea, such as fatigue, are hard to distinguish from pregnancy symptoms. The mother’s primary care provider may ask her to undergo a sleep study which can be done at home or in a sleep laboratory.

Treating Sleep Apnea in Pregnancy

The treatment of sleep apnea in pregnancy is the same as treatment outside of pregnancy. Most physicians will ask their patients to participate in continued positive airway pressure, or CPAP, therapy. A CPAP machine delivers pressured air to the sleep apnea sufferer through a mask and keeps the patient’s airway open and oxygenated all night.

While comfortable treatment is important to everyone with sleep apnea, it’s especially important for pregnant mothers. Sleep is an important part of maintain a healthy pregnancy. If you’re pregnant and have been recently diagnosed with sleep apnea, let us help you find the perfect treatment option for you and your baby. We’re a JACHO accredited medical supply company passionate about promoting optimal health through restorative sleep.

Feeling Forgetful: Obstructive Sleep Apnea Could be to Blame

While most people recognize snoring as a symptom of sleep apnea, many fail to recognize another cardinal symptom of the disorder: memory loss. If you’ve been feeling like you’re more forgetful lately or that you’ve grown more forgetful over time, obstructive sleep apnea could be the culprit.

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a condition where a person’s breathing is interrupted frequently throughout the night. This lack of breath can anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes and has serious consequences. These moments without oxygen add up and lead to all sorts of health complications from cardiovascular events to diabetes.

When sleep apnea occurs because a person’s airway has become blocked, either by a collapsing throat, excess wait around the chest and neck, or the relaxing of the soft palate, this is known as obstructive sleep apnea.

How Does Obstructive Sleep Apnea Cause Memory Loss?

When your body senses that you’ve been without breath, it sends a mix of chemicals and signals throughout your body, prompting you take wake. These disruptions in sleep, or micro arousals, are a big reason why you may be experiencing a problem in memory, concentration, and fatigue during the day, even when you’ve been in bed for eight hours!

There’s more to your memory loss than frequent waking. A study out of UCLA found that sleep apnea creates actual brain injury because of those numerous episodes apnea, or oxygen loss. Participants in this study found that those with sleep apnea had a 20% smaller mammillary body than those without the disorder. The mammillary body is an anatomical structure found on the underside of the brain. Damage to this structure or a reduction in its size can lead to memory loss and has even been associated with memory related disorders like Alzheimer’s disease.

Recovering from Memory Loss

When you’ve been feeling so unlike yourself for so long, you may be wondering whether or not you can function normally again. Generally, the answer is yes. Most people who start continued positive airway pressure say that they see an improvement in these symptoms in time. To speed the process, you may benefit from taking a vitamin B complex supplement or eating foods rich in thiamin. Exercise is another great way to boost your memory. In fact, exercise has been shown to generate new cells in the brain’s hippocampus. Last but not least, sleep apnea requires treatment in order for your memory loss to stop its progression and start healing.

Continuous positive airway pressure machines, or CPAP therapy, is the standard and most effective way to treat sleep apnea. If you’ve got memory loss related to sleep apnea, a CPAP machine, like Resmed’s Air Sense 10, is one great way to start improving your memory.

Our memories are precious. If you’re snoring, have signs of memory loss, or any other symptoms of sleep apnea, call your primary healthcare provider. If your physician diagnoses you with sleep apnea or you have questions about your CPAP equipment, contact us at Breatheeasycpap.com. We’re a team of trained respiratory therapists, registered nurses, and physicians committed to quality health care.

New in CPAP Masks: The Eson II

Maintaining adherence to your sleep apnea treatment isn’t always easy. While your doctor sets the right pressure for your treatment, it’s up to you to choose which mask style works best for your body. To the majority of CPAP users, picking the best mask for therapy is the most important step in getting treatment started and sticking to it.

What’s New is CPAP Masks?

While not necessarily classified under new technology, there is a new way of looking at CPAP masks. More than ever, medical supply companies are encouraging their customers to take some time to get a mask that fits just right. Mask leakage leading to dry eyes, discomfort, or ineffective treatment is a huge contributor to discontinuing CPAP therapy.

On Breatheeasycpap.com, you’ll find a wide variety of masks ranging from nasal masks, full-face masks, masks for women, and even pediatric masks. Some adults with small features have been known to try pediatric masks and love them!

Which Masks Are Superior?

When it comes to your health, you don’t want to mess around. It’s better to pick a quality mask first so that your continuous positive airway pressure therapy works immediately. Technological advancements in sleep apnea therapy are happening quickly, and since CPAP masks are benefiting, you are as well. The Eson II is a top of the line CPAP mask made by Fisher and Paykel. It’s built with Rollfit Seal technology, an advancement in design which lessens air leaks and delivers the most effective seal.

The Eson II comes in three sizes with an easy to use frame and an intuitive head gear system. A VisiBlue lighting system is incorporated into the mask components, making it easy to identify key mask features, disassemble, and reassemble this equipment.

At Breatheeasycpap.com, we trust Fisher and Paykel with building durable, quality products for our customers. Fisher and Paykel has been designing healthcare equipment for decades and shows no signs of putting a stop to innovating state of the art sleep apnea treatment supplies.

Oral Appliances and Sleep Apnea

If you’ve got sleep apnea, obtaining proper treatment is an important part of taking care of your health. Untreated sleep apnea is life-threatening: it causes high blood pressure, an increased risk of stroke, and can even lead to diabetes. For many, the idea of being attached to a continuous positive airway pressure machine to treat their condition is intimidating. CPAP machines take some time to get used to and some people just aren’t sure they’re up for the challenge. Is there a way to treat your sleep apnea without participating in CPAP therapy?

Oral Appliance Therapy

You can try other options before using a CPAP machine. An oral appliance is sort of like a mouth guard used in sports but rather worn only at night when asleep. Some studies have shown that the use of an oral appliance may be as effective as CPAP therapy in the treatment of sleep apnea.

Usually, you’ll get your oral appliance made at a dentist’s office where an impression of your teeth will be created. The piece will then be adjusted so that when it’s worn, your jaw aligns in a way that allows for an unobstructed airway. This stops snoring and works to prevent those dangerous health complications associated with untreated sleep apnea.

Patients enjoy this treatment method because it’s easy to use and makes traveling a breeze. It’s comfortable for most and easy to take care of by yourself. Your physician will likely take a look at your oral appliance before treatment and may have a few follow-up appointments afterwards in order to ensure that your treatment is going effectively.

Winx Sleep Therapy

While Winx Sleep Therapy method is also considered an oral appliance for sleep apnea treatment, it works differently than the mouth guard variety. Winx is a small device connected to a light vacuum which promotes the shifting of the soft palate forward in order to keep the windpipe from obstructing during the night.

Which Treatment is Best For You?

If you’re not sure which treatment method is best for you, feel free to contact the sleep experts at Advanced Sleep Therapy. We’ve got a team of dedicate respiratory healthcare professionals ready to help you all along your journey to better sleep and improved health.

Dry Mouth in the Morning? It May Be Sleep Apnea

Saliva works to help our bodies stay healthy-it moistens our mouth, protecting our oral cavity from bacterial and fungal infection as well as acting to cleanse and digest particles of food. When something goes wrong with your saliva production or maintenance during the night, you may wake up with an uncomfortable sticky and coarse feeling in the mouth. You may be parched or show signs of dehydration in your oral cavity like sores in your mouth and splitting cracking skin on your lips. Bad breath and a frequent sore throat are other indications that your dry mouth is getting out of hand at night.

If you’re like many others and don’t think that finding out the cause of your dry mouth is that important, think again. Dry mouth can lead to health problems like gingivitis, an oral disease that may cause tissue and dental loss.

Causes of Dry Mouth

Your dry mouth may be caused by dehydration, medications, poor oral hygiene, or sleep apnea. If sleep apnea is the cause of your dry mouth, you’ll likely have other symptoms of the disorder like snoring, fatigue, and poor concentration. Sleep apnea is also characterized by weight gain, high blood pressure, and even sexual dysfunction. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms along with dry mouth, it’s time to talk to your doctor. You may be breathing through your mouth naturally or because your body is trying to compensate for oxygen lost during sleep apnea events by promoting mouth breathing. Either way, breathing through your mouth may lead to dry mouth.

What if Sleep Apnea is Causing My Dry Mouth?

If sleep apnea is the cause of your dry mouth, you may need continuous positive airway pressure therapy. CPAP therapy delivers constant positive pressure to your airway, preventing throat closure and episodes without breath during the night. This treatment may keep your mouth from opening so frequently during the night, preventing dry mouth and the frustrating side effects.

What if I’m Still Experiencing Dry Mouth?

For some, CPAP therapy alone doesn’t cure dry mouth or their dry mouth begins after starting therapy. If this is your case, we suggest adding warm air humidifier to your CPAP system. A humidifier moistens delivered air, preventing the drying of your oral or nasal membranes, promoting a much more comfortable atmosphere for sleep apnea treatment. The H5i Heated CPAP humidifier made by ResMed is one of the many wonderful warm air humidifiers available online.

Can’t find the best option for your CPAP machine? Still have questions about your dry mouth? Get in touch with the sleep specialists at Advanced Sleep Therapy and we can help. Whether you need a CPAP machine to get started, a humidifier to promote comfort, or a referral to another healthcare provider for something different altogether, we’d be delighted to be of assistance.

Using Your CPAP’s Ramp Feature to Fall Asleep

There’s a funny conundrum involved with CPAP treatment: we use this device to treat a condition which keeps us up at night or, at the very least, keep us from getting a truly restorative night of rest, but it’s often the cause of troubled sleep, especially in the beginning. So, what’s going on here? One of the most frequent complaints regarding the use of a continuous positive airway pressure machine is that it’s tough to fall asleep while trying to exhale against the pressured air. Can you imagine trying to nap with your head out the window of a convertible car?

CPAP machines provide a continuous flow of air meant to keep the sleep apnea sufferer’s throat from free from obstruction. This process ensures that the user has adequate oxygenation all night and protection from the many health issues associated with sleep apnea such as high blood pressure, depression, and stroke. But, this pressured air can be a real bother and prevent people from falling asleep. The solution? The use of a “ramp” feature on their machine.

What is the ramp feature?

On your CPAP, the ramp feature allows for the slow build-up of air pressure. When in use, the ramp feature begins by providing air at a much smaller pressure setting than the sleep apnea sufferer’s prescribed setting. This gives the patient time to get accustomed to pressured air in increments so that they can fall asleep without anxiously breathing against high pressured air.

Does the ramp feature interfere with treatment?

It may seem counterproductive to have your CPAP machine initially fixed to a setting other than your prescribed level. Wouldn’t this defeat the purpose of treatment? Thankfully, this is not so. Since sleep apnea events, or moments without breath only occur while you’re sleeping, the ramp feature promotes better treatment by giving you time to fall asleep rather than interfering with it. Using your CPAP’s ramp setting, you’ll have the benefits of sleep apnea treatment with less bother.

Do all CPAP machines have ramp features?

Not all CPAP machines have ramp features, but many of them do. Take a quick search on any sleep apnea supply store’s website and you’ll find plenty of them. If you’re looking to find a CPAP machine with the best ramp feature, we suggest the very popular Philips System One Remstar. This machine comes with a heated humidifier as well as this handy ramp feature so that the air you’re breathing in is also warm and non-drying.

You’ll find quality CPAP machines on Breatheeasycpap.com with plenty of excellent features. If, after trying out the ramp feature, you’re still struggling to fall asleep, get in touch with our professional sleep team. We’re made up of registered nurses, respiratory therapists and physicians who are all dedicated to sleep apnea treatment. We’re full of ideas about the promotion of that restorative rest you’ve been struggling to achieve.

Will I Need to Use a CPAP Machine Forever?

 Let’s begin this conversation by discussing why we wear contact lenses or glasses. We don’t wear glasses because we like the feeling of them sliding down or nose or pressing on our face, and we certainly don’t wear contact lenses because we like sticking our fingers in our eyes! We use the products because they improve our quality of life. We want to live life to it’s fullest. We want to see! Shouldn’t it be the same with your continuous positive airway pressure machine?

Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition which greatly impacts your quality of life, even if you don’t realize it yet. Sleep apnea deprives your body of oxygen, making you more exhausted during the day, concentration more difficult, and even contributing to weight gain and cardiovascular disease. If we aren’t worried about wearing glasses for the rest of our lives, why are we so nervous about keeping up with our continuous positive airway pressure therapy?

Will I ever be able to stop using my machine?

Alright, you’re still wondering if you’ve got a chance to move away from your CPAP machine. Then answer to this question is: it depends.

For some, weight gain is the culprit behind their sleep apnea and after they’ve gotten a new sense of energy from CPAP therapy, they’re able to exercise more often, and bam! The weight is off and they’re breathing normally again without that excess weight on their neck and chest.

However, for many, genetics plays a major role in the condition and patients of all shapes and sizes are suffering from the disease for an entirely different reason. Especially with central sleep apnea, or obstructive sleep apnea caused by positioning or tongue placement, going off continuous positive airway pressure therapy might not be an option.

Evaluate What Makes You Nervous

Finding out why you’re really concerned with forever treatment is a good place to start before worrying about whether or not you can quit using your CPAP. Are you embarrassed? Are you having trouble finding the right fitting mask? We provide top rated, excellent quality CPAP equipment from reliable brands like Respironics, Fisher and Paykel, and ResMed. We’d love to help you solve your road blocks to treatment because we believe that when you decide to treat your sleep apnea, you decide to live to your full potential.

How Does Sleep Apnea Affect the Brain?

Sleep apnea isn’t just a fancy way to describe snoring-it’s a serious medical condition with a laundry list of consequences. Sleep apnea deprives your body of oxygen hundreds of times a night stressing your organs, promoting cardiovascular disease, weight gain, and even negatively impacting the way your brain functions.

Your Brain on Sleep Apnea

Before understanding what sleep apnea does to your brain, it’s important to understand just how it works to interrupt your memory and cause actual brain injury. A sleep apnea episode occurs when your breathing stops during the night, usually as the result of a narrowed airway from some sort of obstruction. In many cases, this obstruction is caused by weak muscles around the throat or excess weight near the chest and neck. This moment without breath worries your body which in turn sends signals to the brain make a Hail Mary pass for oxygen. The brain responds by partially or totally waking you, disrupting your sleep and haunting you for the entirety of the next day.

These little interruptions in sleep, or micro arousals, are partially to blame for a disturbance in memory, concentration, and fatigue during the day, but they are only a part of it. One study performed by scientists at UCLA found that sleep apnea creates real brain injury due to the frequent episodes of oxygen deprivation. The research gathered in this study found that people suffering from the disorder had a 20% smaller mammillary body, an anatomical structure found on the underside of the brain. Injury or reduction in size of this structure leads to memory loss and has been associated with other disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Memory Loss is a Big Deal

A reduction in the size of your mammillary body means that you’ll have a harder time remembering in both the short and long-term. If you haven’t realized this yet, memory is an essential part of functioning and making it through the day. Have you been feeling more forgetful lately? Leaving your keys at home, forgetting to send that email at work, or accidentally skipping your errands on the way home? Sleep apnea may be the culprit.

Your Brain Can Heal

If you’re like the many Americans who’ve gone for years without getting treatment for their sleep apnea, brain injury may weigh heavily on your mind. Can you ever get back to functioning normally? Probably. Most people who start continued positive airway pressure say that they see an improvement in these symptoms fairly quick. Researchers suggest taking a vitamin B complex supplement or eating foods rich in thiamin. Exercise is also proven to help generate new cells in the hippocampus. Most importantly, sleep apnea needs to be treated so that this interruption of brain function can cease and your brain can heal.

Continuous positive airway pressure machines, or CPAP therapy, is the trusted way to treat this serious medical condition. Research shows that using one of these machines, like Resmed’s Air Sense 10, can prevent a heart attack, stroke, and worsening memory loss.

You deserve to function at your best. If you’re snoring, have symptoms of memory loss, trouble concentrating or all of the above, call your primary health provider as soon as possible.

For the adventurous, sleep apnea therapy can seem like a prison. You want to travel, camp, or have spontaneous overnights with friends, but without your continuous positive airway machine, you’re likely to sleep restlessly or not at all. After committing to CPAP therapy, the thought of going without it can be scary. You know that your CPAP machine keeps you healthy and prevents all sorts of serious illnesses, but can you really live the life you’ve dreamed of having while continue your CPAP therapy?

You Can be Adventurous and Use Your CPAP Machine

Camping away from home might seem absolutely impossible if you’re suffering from sleep apnea and using a CPAP machine for your treatment. Each part of your CPAP machine might seem restrictive: Your head is strapped to what feels like deep sea diving equipment when you want to take a stroll on the beach. The reality is that there are plenty of options to keep you out in the wild, camping, traveling, and using your CPAP without instant access to a electrical outlet.

Use Your CPAP Unplugged

Breatheeasycpap.com has some excellent options for turning any CPAP machine into a wireless piece of equipment. Somnetics is a company committed to the production of quality sleep apnea equipment. They make excellent CPAP machines as well as battery options for your spontaneous side. With their

Transcend P4 Overnight Battery, you’ll have 9 hours of freedom from electricity as well as your everyday routine. For longer stays away from home, Transcend P8 Multi-Night Battery might be right up your alley. You can use either of these battery packs with any CPAP machine or with Somnetics’s

Transcend EZEX  CPAP machine, a sleep apnea treatment machine weighing less than a pound, making travel a breeze.

Human Design Medial has an excellent line of sleep apnea products, their most travel worthy being the HDM Z1 CPAP machine. This machine is ten ounces and available with a rechargeable lithium ion battery that can provide up to 13 hours of charge.

Care of Your CPAP Machine

As always, the cleanliness and care of your CPAP machine and sleep apnea equipment are both very important. We suggest ensuring that your CPAP equipment is kept in a separate back pack or bag with a seal than your other camping or traveling gear. By keeping your sleep apnea equipment separate from everything else, you’re creating less opportunities for dirt, sand, or any other environmental damage from befalling your CPAP machine.

Using cleaning wipes made for CPAP masks available at Breatheeasy.com, is the quickest and safest way to keep your sleep apnea mask from degrading or getting dirty on your overnight adventures.

Where to Find Travel CPAP Supplies

Online at Breatheeasycpap.com you’ll find all the great products from Somnetics and HDM mentioned in this article, as well as hundreds of other products to complete your sleep apnea therapy both with and without electricity. This online CPAP supply store was created and continues to be staffed by respiratory health care professionals. Their aim is to provide you with the best advice and products to meet your sleep apnea treatment needs. Their mission is to keep your CPAP treatment continuous and to keep you living your life the way you prefer. With the products sold at their excellent online storefront, you’ll be as adventurous and spontaneous as ever.

Have you ever woken in the morning to a bed full of crumbs? Have you found food stuffs half eaten or in strange places in your home? If your answer is “yes” to either of these questions, you may be sleep eating, a condition similar to sleep walking. Sleep eating can be a humiliating discovery, especially if you’ve been leaving the kitchen a mess or eating your roommate’s food. Often, your family will make light of your strange nocturnal habits, but if you’re gaining weight or feeling like your night eating is out of control, it may be time to take the issue seriously.

Is Sleep Eating Dangerous?

On top of leading to weight gain, sleep eating can be dangerous. Sleep eaters may injure themselves while cooking on a hot stove or dicing onions in their sleep. Other risks include eating harmful objects such as cleaning solutions or cigarettes. Sleep eating can also cause long term damage on to of the immediate physical danger. As a sleep eater, you’re more likely to develop Type 2 Diabetes and cognitive difficulties in the morning as a result of multiple wakings in the night.

What Causes Sleep Eating?

Nocturnal Eating Syndrome, or sleep eating, is a medical condition with no exact cause but with many known contributors. Women are a bit more likely than men to become sleep eaters, as are individuals with other sleep disorders such as sleep apnea. Chronic dieters, alcoholics, and drug addicts are also at a greater risk of developing habitual sleep eating. The best way to start managing your sleep related eating is by seeing a doctor to rule out any underlying causes.

How Is Sleep Eating Treated?

Medical professionals agree that your sleep eating should never be treated with sleeping medications. These medications may increase your level of confusion during the night and increase your likelihood of injury while you’re in your “working” in kitchen. Some sleeping medications have also been known to cause sleep eating, an issue your health care practitioner will surely investigate.

Some research suggests that certain medications, such as topiramate, can improve episodes of sleep eating in most people. A clinical trial showed an improvement of sleep eating and even some weight loss with this treatment option.

If sleep apnea is influencing your sleep eating habit, treating this sleep related breathing disorder might help. CPAP therapy, or continuous positive airway pressure therapy, may improve your sleep in many facets, including reducing episodes night wakings.

Talk to Your Doctor About Treating Your Sleep Eating

Even if you’re just an occasional sleep eater, discuss the episodes you’ve experienced with your doctor. They may find a solution or a problem you haven’t thought of yet. They can point you in the direction of a solution if sleep eating is becoming a bigger problem than you may have realized.

If your doctor believes you might be suffering from sleep apnea, you’ll likely be prescribed treatment via a CPAP machine and sleep apnea mask. Your health care practitioner may have suggestions for CPAP supply retailers like Breatheeasycpap.com or local storefronts where you can try on a few masks.

No matter the cause of your sleep eating, don’t delay treatment if your physician believes it’s necessary. Your health is important. It’s time to put your sleeping troubles to bed.

For the outdoor enthusiast, sleep apnea therapy can feel like a life sentence. You want to travel, hike, and camp under the stars but without your continuous positive airway machine, you know that you’ll sleep restlessly or not at all. Lack of sleep is one thing, but the thought of going without your CPAP machine is another. You know that your CPAP machine keeps you healthy and prevents all sorts of serious illnesses, and you want to reap these benefits. But can you really live a life dedicated to the great outdoors while undergoing CPAP therapy?

CPAP Therapy Doesn’t Have to Keep You at Home

To the newbie CPAP user, your CPAP machine seems pretty confining. Your strapped into a virtual space helmet and tethered to the CPAP machine like it’s your spaceship. If you can remember that your machine is a really empowering tool, your treatment will be a lot easier to handle. Sleep apnea treatment gives you energy, health, and with new CPAP accessories like the Transcend Solar Battery Charger you’ll be gaining your freedom too!

The Transcend Solar Battery Charger

Somnetics is one of the most innovative CPAP companies around. They’ve created one of the lightest and user-friendly CPAP machines on the market. This groundbreaking and freeing piece of equipment, the Transcend Auto CPAP Machine makes travel not only possible but simple and exciting! No matter what your plans are, throwing the machine into your day bag is a perfectly good option. Weighing just under a pound, the Transcend Auto CPAP is one of the smallest CPAPs on the market.

The Transcend CPAP line works great with rechargeable batteries so it’s eco-friendly and, now that the company has developed a solar battery charger, you can seriously get off the grid. All you’ve got to do is spread out the solar panel and place it in direct sunlight. When you’re in an area with limited sunlight you’ll still be able to charge your Transcend batteries, you’ll just need to anticipate that it will take a few hours longer to fully charge. Lay it out, let it charge, and you’ll be living spontaneously in no time.

Tips for Camping With Your CPAP Equipment

If you’re headed outdoors for an overnight camping excursion, pack your CPAP equipment in a waterproof bag. The last thing you’ll want is to ruin an expensive medical device because of a little rain. We also suggest packing your CPAP machine and sleep apnea mask in a bag separate from your other camping supplies or clothes. This minimizes the the risk of introducing sand or dirt into your CPAP system. Bring a few bottles of distilled water with you while you camp if you plan to use a humidifier during the night. Ensure that you’ve packed a few clean towels so that you can dry out your humidifier after use each morning. Try using disposable CPAP mask wipes to clean your sleep apnea mask and put it away in protected in a clean towel or cloth bag.

You can purchase disposable wipes as well as all of the items in the Somnetics Transcend line at Breatheeasycpap.com. We believe that your sleep apnea diagnosis shouldn’t mean that your outdoor lifestyle is over. Visit our website today and we’ll help you get back on the trail.

Sleep apnea is a serious health condition which affects your ability to breathe continuously throughout the night. Without treatment, sleep apnea increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, and much more. Thankfully, continuous positive airway pressure, known as CPAP therapy, is a highly effective method in eliminating dangerous sleep apnea associated health problems.

Trouble Committing to CPAP Therapy

Still, despite our extensive knowledge on the benefits of CPAP therapy, about half of people prescribed CPAP treatment don’t stick to it. Whether it’s because they aren’t comfortable with the sleep apnea mask or they just don’t want to acknowledge their condition, leaving sleep apnea untreated is a risk no one should take. This lack of continued treatment has brought sleep apnea product engineers and web designers to create novel telemarketing software.

What is telemonitoring?

Easy to access by both you and your doctor, telemonitoring software allows you to track your CPAP treatment progress from the palm of your hand. Smartphone apps like myAir Health and U-Sleep  deliver information such as number of episodes without breath, whether your mask is experiencing air leaks, and how many hours of CPAP machine use you’re getting. The creators of these apps say that they keep sleep apnea sufferers compliant. They’re continuing their treatment more effectively and feel comfortable discussing their issues with their health care providers.

Perhaps one reason these applications help CPAP users stick to their treatment is that they offer the user control over their equipment. Many of these applications give you the ability to turn your machine on and off from your phone, adjust humidity, and manage pressures remotely. When discomfort is the leading reason people discontinue their treatment, the ability to control comfort settings easily and instantaneously is more than just a luxury. Having a positive and comfortable CPAP experience is a necessary part of sleep apnea treatment.

Insurance and CPAP Therapy: The Future of CPAP Telemonitoring

When ResMed released its latest version of the AirSense CPAP machine, the company’s CEO Mick Farrel discussed the implications of the new software on CPAP equipment. He explained that these novel ways to gather data will not only help the sleep apnea sufferer but also those who help pay for the machines, ie: insurance companies.

If you’re looking to re-order CPAP supplies, many common insurance companies are already requiring that you demonstrate compliance with your CPAP treatment. Although some CPAP users complain that this feels like an invasion of privacy, the step is one way to safeguard insurance companies’ assets by making sure that you’re actually using your equipment.

If you’re interested in using one of these applications to keep a closer eye on your health, you’ll need a recent model CPAP machine equipped with an SD card and wireless capabilities. Philips Respironics System One CPAP and BiPAP machines such as the REMstar plus and pro lines are generally compatible. You can check their “DreamMapper” application’s website for more details. You can find an array of excellent CPAP machines with data monitoring capabilities on our website, Breatheeasycpap.com. We’d love to help keep your sleep apnea in check and make sure your treating your condition as best as you possibly can. Visit our online storefront today!

As a person whose been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, you know that you experience periods without breath while you sleep. In most cases, this is due to obstruction of your upper airway caused by the partial collapse of your windpipe or a blockage by your tongue or soft palate. But, did you know that not only is your breathing affected, but the function of your Eustachian tubes is also impaired?

Eustachian tubes are responsible for equalizing the pressures in your ear and upper airway. They are easily blocked by the same mechanisms that cause obstructive sleep apnea. When these tubes are obstructed and unable to promote inner ear equilibrium, your inner ear is likely to become swollen and irritated. This can result in feeling like you’re always trying to “pop” your ears, hearing ringing in one or both ears, or even infections. This problem is solved through continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP therapy.

Can CPAP Therapy Cause Ear Problems?

Despite being the most effective way to treat sleep apnea, CPAP therapy can occasionally be the

cause of chronic inner ear pain or discomfort. If your CPAP pressure is not high enough, your airway may not be opening like it should, meaning your treatment for sleep apnea isn’t completely effective and that your Eustachian tubes are still blocked. Not only frustrating and damaging to your ears, this ineffective treatment means that you’re still at risk for the serious health consequences of untreated sleep apnea such as stroke and diabetes.

On the flip side, if your CPAP pressure is too high, your Eustachian tubes may not be able to keep your inner ear and pharynx at equalized pressures. This means that your tubes will be forced open, making your inner ear prone to swelling and infection but with no way to drain or change pressures.

Should I Quit CPAP Therapy If I’m Getting Ear Problems?

You shouldn’t quit treatment with your CPAP machine because of ear problems. The best option is to discuss your chronic pain with your doctor and follow up with a doctor who specializes in ear, nose, and throat conditions. These specialists see a lot of CPAP related ear issues and will be able to easily determine the cause of your ear discomfort, whether they’re from low or high pressures. While you wait to see a physician, ensure that you’re able to breath out your nose so that your sinuses are free of pressure problems. You might need to take over the counter nasal decongestants or vigorously irrigate your nostrils using a neti pot.

Maybe It’s Your Sleep Apnea Mask

For some sleep apnea sufferers, their sleep apnea mask is the cause of the problem. If you’re experiencing ear issues and are using nasal pillows or a nasal mask with your CPAP machine, a full face mask like the Fisher and Paykel Forma mask may help keep forced air evenly distributed in your airway, lessening the chance of dramatic pressure changes. You can find this mask and all your other sleep apnea treatment needs at BreatheeasyCPAP.com. Don’t allow ear pain to ruin your sleep apnea treatment. Talk to your doctor today.

If you’ve just started using CPAP therapy, you might find it hard to believe that there will come a day when the thought of spending a single night without your CPAP machine is anxiety producing. At first, treating your sleep apnea with continuous positive airways pressure therapy via a CPAP machine is a chore. You’ve got to get used to the humming of your machine, the forced air blowing against your face through a long plastic tube, and snug sleep apnea mask. There’s no way around it: the whole CPAP thing is weird in the beginning.

After a week or so of use, most CPAP users say they’ve gotten comfortable with their equipment. And in no time at all, most say that they couldn’t live without out it, metaphorically and literally. They’re not snoring anymore or waking up hundreds of times a night feeling like they’re choking. Once they’ve learned to tolerate therapy, learning they may have to spend a night without the machine truly makes them uneasy.

What’s So Rough About a Night Away?

You might think that most people would be thrilled to go without their CPAP machine. No tubes or masks strapped to their foreheads, no pressurized air down their throats, sounds good, doesn’t it? The fact is that once most sleep apnea sufferers have discovered the energizing effects of CPAP therapy, they never want to go back to life before. A night without CPAP therapy means a night with snoring and hundreds of wakings. It means having dry mouth and a terrible headache in the morning instead of feeling well rested. And mostly, a night without CPAP therapy means there are going to be moments while asleep where you simply stop breathing. It’s a terrifying thought. What if you fail to start breathing again?

How to Get Used to the Idea of  a Night Without CPAP

Before getting nervous about experiencing an apnea episode that never ends, remind yourself that you likely had sleep apnea for years before ever investing in a CPAP. Of the hundred of times you’ve stopped breathing before, your brain has always been strong enough to initiate normal breathing patterns. For most, the deadly cardiovascular effects of sleep apnea are related to long term treatment neglect.

That isn’t to say that if you’ve got anxiety over finding out that you’ll be spending a night away from your CPAP is unfounded. Whether it’s for work or play, a night without your CPAP means you know you’ll  likely suffer a bit from those small, annoying adverse effects of sleep apnea, like headaches and sore throat. If you’re going without your CPAP machine for a night avoid alcohol and cigarette smoke. Try to follow your nighttime routine as closely as possible and plan for some trouble falling asleep. In the morning, have a cup of warm tea to ease dry mouth and sore throat and take an over the counter pain relief medication for headache.

Most importantly, remind yourself that a night away is okay. You’ll be back on track tomorrow. You’ve got a long life of sleep apnea treatment ahead of you.

Stay Prepared for Nights Away

Although we suggest that all CPAP users have a back up plan, making sure to have a CPAP battery pack, extra sleep apnea mask, and extra cord for their CPAP machine is especially important to those with severe sleep apnea. You’ll find battery packs providing eight to fourteen hours of charge and all your other CPAP needs from the experts at Breatheeasycpap.com.

Sleep apnea is a serious health condition in which your breathing stops occasionally while you sleep. This breathing disorder is known to contribute to severe health conditions such as kidney disease, diabetes, and even stroke. Thankfully, with continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP therapy, the condition is very treatable. CPAP treatment uses a machine to deliver forced air through a face mask. This forced air is essential because it keeps your airways wide open and allows free air to move in and out of your lungs while you sleep. For most people, CPAP treatment is tolerable and comforting, but, for a small population, the pressured air is intolerable.

Why is Pressured Air Sometimes Uncomfortable?

CPAP machines work by keeping a constant pressure flowing through your windpipe while you sleep. This means that whether you are breathing in or out, the pressure being blown through your sleep apnea mask is the same. For some CPAP users, this constant pressure is too much to tolerate, and they feel as though they’re fighting a wind storm in order to exhale. If you find yourself uncomfortable exhaling against your prescribed CPAP pressure, don’t give up on your treatment. There are options available to make your therapy more tolerable.

C-Flex Pressure Relief Technology

The engineers at Philip’s Respironics have developed a component for their CPAP machines which allows for comfortable exhalation even if your doctor has prescribed you with a high pressure level. C-Flex Pressure Relief Technology is a computer based algorithm installed on many of the Respironic line CPAP machines available at Breatheeasycpap.com. This algorithm works by lowering the delivered pressure when the computer inside your CPAP machine senses that you’re getting ready to exhale. Once you’ve finished breathing out, pressure is restored to your prescribed setting. Many of these CPAP machines are also built with a ramp feature that slowly increases pressure overtime. This slow increase will allow you to fall asleep with a low pressure setting so that you’re never fighting forced air while awake.

 Expiratory Pressure Relief

More traditional ramp features work by slowly increasing pressure over a set amount of time. ResMed’s AirSense CPAP line works differently. This ramp feature works not by a time setting, but by sensing when you actually fall asleep. Best of all, this CPAP has a Expiratory Pressure Relief mechanism that, like the C-Flex, allows you to exhale against the delivered forced air. ResMed’s EPR feature works by noticing when your air pressure begins to change a second or two into exhalation. This dynamic feature is another option for improving your comfort level during CPAP therapy. The EPR technology allows this CPAP to be exceptionally quiet meaning your partner won’t be kept awake while you sleep.

Where to Find C-flex or EPR Options

At Breatheeasycpap.com, you’ll find both ResMed and Respironic’s CPAP product lines. The respiratory professionals on staff are available by phone to help you find the perfect CPAP products and accessories to stay comfortable during your treatment. Whether you’ll be happiest with a ramp feature, the C-Flex, or ResMed’s EPR technology, Breatheeasycpap.com has got you covered.

[/fusion_builder_container]

Nurses, doctors, and even respiratory therapists aren’t immune to finding themselves stumped when trying to explain the treatment options for the thousands of respiratory conditions. Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea is no different. If you’ve been recently diagnosed, you may be wondering what you’re options are and whether you’ll even be able to understand what they mean.

You’ve likely been told that sleep apnea needs to be treated as the disorder is known to cause grave health problems like diabetes and stroke, but you’re probably unaware of what your treatment options are.

Your doctor has the choice to pick from a few sleep apnea treatment machines when getting you started. These choices might seem confusing at first, but after a quick review, you’ll be able to understand whichever option your physician prescribes for you.

CPAP Therapy

When it comes to treating obstructive sleep apnea, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy, or CPAP, is the standard option. It’s not by chance that more doctors prescribe CPAP first to the majority or their patients. Most sufferers of sleep apnea fair very well and see an improvement in their condition shortly after they’ve started treatment.

Like most positive airway pressure machines, CPAP therapy works by delivering forced air through a mask that is secured to your face. For those with sleep apnea, the windpipe is partially or completely obstructed by relaxed muscles, excess fatty tissue, or positioning throughout the night. The pressure of the forced air delivered via the CPAP mask is just strong enough to keep your airway open while you sleep. The air stays the same pressure the entire time it is worn and, for some, this constant pressure can be aggravating. If you find yourself in this situation, talk to your doctor or reliable CPAP supply retailer about your options. For those who are unable to cope with this constant pressure, or if they’re unable to keep their airway open with a CPAP machine alone, BiPAP therapy may be the next step.

Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure

The biggest difference between BiPAP and CPAP therapy is that Bilevel positive airway pressure therapy adjusts the exerted, or delivered, pressure depending on whether the user is inhaling or exhaling. Many people find this option more comfortable than using a CPAP, however, it’s usually not a necessary step to take. For persons with central sleep apnea, BiPAP is an ideal choice to correct weak breathing patterns caused by weak brain signals. Some BiPAP machines are even able to sense and deliver an inhalation pressure when a person has not taken a breath in a while.

AutoPAP

An AutoPAP often goes by several names, all of which describe it’s ability to adjust pressures and breaths depending upon small changes in the user’s breathing pattern. Whether you prefer to call it an “Auto-titrating” or an “Auto Adjusting” positive airway pressure device, the Autopap is a dependable machine for those who require versatility in their pressure options. APAP use may be most beneficial for those with sleep apnea that varies depending on which sleep stage they’re in. APAPs are great machines but can be more expensive, especially if not covered by insurance. For most sleep apnea sufferers a standard CPAP machine is enough.

Purchasing Your Sleep Apnea Treatment Supplies

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with sleep apnea, your physician will likely prescribe treatment via a CPAP machine to get you started. CPAP therapy is painless and works great at putting an end to your snoring as well as preventing the serious adverse effects of untreated sleep apnea. At Breatheeasycpap.com, experienced respiratory health care professionals are standing ready to help you get started on the path to wellness.

For many years, men were the focus of sleep apnea treatment, but today, women are getting their rightful attention. More than 40% of new sleep apnea diagnoses are women, and some believe that more ought to be diagnosed but are missed because their symptoms may differ from their male counterparts.

While the number one symptom for men is snoring, women often complain of insomnia, fatigue, and depression. Sometimes these symptoms are overlooked by health care practitioners whole label them as signs of the normal aging processes. But, as with men, it’s absolutely necessary for women with sleep apnea to be treated via Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy so that the adverse effects of the disease are kept at bay.

If you’re a woman starting your CPAP therapy, ensure that you invest in the right CPAP mask for you. A mask that doesn’t seem to form a proper seal to your face, is uncomfortable, or is just downright frustrating could put your treatment in jeopardy. The more tedious working with your mask becomes, the less likely you’ll want to continue treating your sleep apnea; a condition that when untreated increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and stroke.

A Good Fit Makes For Effective Therapy

The biggest problem CPAP users generally encounter is issues with mask leaks. A mask leak occurs when air from your CPAP machine blows out around loose areas in your sleep apnea mask. This results in ineffective treatment and even discomfort. Mask leaks are usually caused by badly adjusted or poorly fitting masks.

Many women have trouble finding a mask that forms a nice seal against their skin because their faces are narrow and smaller in comparison to most men. A quality CPAP dealer should sell select sleep apnea masks for women to accommodate their varied sizing needs.

Comfort

Women with sleep apnea shouldn’t have to endure discomfort in order to have their medical condition treated. For this reason, ResMed has produced a few full face masks that offer women a  practically indulgent feel. The AirFit F10 For Her sits snugly against petite frames and comes with a “Spring Air” cushion designed to create a perfect seal that will stay put throughout the night. Some mask options designed for women are made with light weight materials and touch the face as little as possible, so that the likelihood of skin irritation is decreased. The Quattro FX mask is one example of a mask that manages to keep a slight profile and keep skin clear after wear.

Having a comfortable sleep apnea treatment experience is very important. Stopping sleep apnea treatment because of an uncomfortable mask increases the risk of sleep apnea related complications, especially in women. When compared to men, women are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease and have trouble completing tasks during the day as a result of their untreated or poorly controlled sleep apnea.

Don’t Risk Buying the Wrong Mask

If you don’t know which mask is the right fit for you, don’t invest in just any equipment on a whim. The staff at Breatheeasycpap.com are respiratory therapists ready to offer advice and to support your search for the right sleep apnea mask. Don’t let a badly fitting CPAP mask keep you from combating your sleep apnea, get in touch with a quality CPAP supplier today.

Finding the most appropriate CPAP mask style to treat your sleep apnea can be confusing. Everyone has a different facial shape, comfort level, and prescribed pressure setting meaning that no single mask is perfect for every sleep apnea sufferer. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy can be delivered via nasal pillows, which form seals at the base of your nostrils, full face masks, providing greater coverage, or nasal masks. CPAP users often find that nasal masks are the most appealing because they provide a greater freedom of movement than the full face mask but can handle a much higher pressure setting than nasal pillows .

The Anatomy of a Nasal Mask

Nasal masks are the most popular choice for CPAP users. At Breatheeasycpap.com, you’ll notice that even after deciding that a nasal mask is right for you, you’ll still have to narrow down your choice by brand. ResMed, Fisher & Paykel, Philips, and Circadiance all offer quality nasal masks to suit your needs.

Most nasal masks are set up in a similar fashion. Headgear made from a soft fabric encircle your head and keep the mask snug against your face. The nasal portion includes a replaceable gel or cushion piece connected to the mask and oxygen port. It’s at this point that you may notice holes in the top or sides of your mask. If you’re sleep apnea treatment is intended to increase the amount of oxygen in your system, won’t those little holes make treatment impossible?

Is the Air Coming From My Nasal Mask an Air Leak?

Understanding the purpose of the small holes at the top of your nasal mask is an important part of therapy and safety. These openings are intended to vent out the potentially damaging by-product of breathing known as carbon dioxide. If you inhale too much of the carbon dioxide you’ve breathed out, you’ll reduce the oxygen in your blood and may succumb to carbon dioxide poisoning. Early signs of carbon dioxide poisoning include dizziness, headache, or flu-like symptoms. If you’re worried about any of these symptoms, get outside into the fresh air and seek medical care as soon as possible.

To prevent carbon dioxide poisoning,  ensure that these ventilation holes are always left uncovered. Some nasal mask users are tempted to cover these holes because they wrongly believe them to be an air leak or caused by high pressure. Others cover them because they’re sometimes loud or blow air against their eyes or partner’s face during the night. To combat these issues, try ear plugs at night, use eye drops in the morning, or wear an eye shield or swimming goggles during the night.

Quality CPAP Masks for More Comfort

When you decide which mask style and brand is right for your treatment, visit a reliable online sleep apnea supply retailer like Breatheeasycpap.com. This online storefront is ran by a group of respiratory therapists and health care practitioners who are committed to solving your sleep apnea treatment issues. They’re passionate about finding the perfect CPAP machine system for every customer and will get your shopping, whether for a nasal mask or otherwise, off on the right foot.

Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition where your breathing is frequently interrupted during the night. Millions of Americans suffer from sleep apnea, which inadvertently increases their risks for other major health issues like diabetes and kidney disease. As if the health risk isn’t challenging enough, sleep apnea can also impact your career. If you’re a truck driver with a Commercial Driver’s License, having untreated sleep apnea could cost you your job.

Micro-Arousals and Sleep Deprivation

In order to restore breathing, sleep apnea causes small periods of wakefulness, or micro-arousals, which occur hundreds of times every night. These frequent wakings result in excessive sleepiness during the day, and over time, can lead to mood changes and concentration difficulties. Increased drowsiness may also decrease your responsiveness to danger. In a study of professional football players, those athletes who were suffering from sleep apnea had much lower reaction times. The combination of these changes may explain why having sleep apnea doubles your risk of being in an automobile accident. For truck drivers delivering their goods in an eighty-thousand pound vehicle, any risk that might cause a fatal accident must be avoided.

Your Licensing and Sleep Apnea

As part of your initial licensing and yearly renewal, you’re required to undergo a health physical to obtain a commercial driver’s license. During your assessment, you’ll be asked a series of questions. These questions range from topics such as weight, age, smoking status and alcohol consumption. They may also inquire about family history such as cardiovascular or respiratory issues, which will alert your screeners to potential risks associated with sleep apnea. Depending on your answers, you may be required to have a sleep study performed to evaluate whether or not you should be clinically diagnosed with the condition. If you are diagnosed with moderate to severe sleep apnea, you will not be permitted a license unless you’re being effectively treated with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy.

Once you’ve been diagnosed and have acquired a CPAP machine and sleep apnea mask, you’ll be given a one month conditional CDL permit. After that month, you will be required to provide documentation that you are continuing your CPAP therapy and that you maintain compliance in your treatment. If after three months you continue to be compliant with therapy, you will be granted a one year commercial driver’s license.

Purchase a Quality Sleep Apnea Management System

Your career is important. Protect yourself by ensuring that you’re properly treating your sleep apnea with a CPAP system that’s appropriate and comfortable for you. Breatheeasycpap.com is a sleep apnea supply company that works hard to provide quality and cost-effective CPAP system supplies. There you’ll be sure to find a CPAP mask style as well as accessories to make managing your sleep apnea more easy. Don’t delay treating your sleep apnea; with Breatheeasycpap.com, you’ll be back on the road faster.

Sleep apnea, a medical condition described by periods of breathlessness during sleep, has many acute symptoms. Snoring, dry mouth and headache in the morning, frequent nighttime waking, and many others may be found on the laundry list of things caused by the disorder.

For some people, these symptoms are a constant frustration while for others, their sleep apnea seems to get worse and better at different times. If you’re one of these individuals with intermittently worse symptoms, you might be curious about what sort of seasonal or weather issues could be affecting your sleep. Below are a few things to look out for when managing your sleep apnea.

Stormy weather

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that people with obstructive and central sleep apnea alike reported a worsening of their symptoms during times of low barometric pressure. These low pressures are often responsible for cloudy, rainy weather as well as thunderstorms when the pressure drops even lower. Consider keeping a diary to write down when your symptoms worsen to see if they correlate with this stormy weather.

Seasonal Allergies

For those with seasonal allergies, different times of the year might produce different effects. Those most affected by ragweed pollen will most likely be very stuffed up, have worsening headaches, and even trouble breathing from August till October. For others, early Spring when the flowers first bloom is the most difficult to manage season. There are even unlikely individuals have to struggle through both the Spring and Fall!

Is Sleep Apnea a “Winter’s Disease?”

For over a decade, researchers studied prevalence of sleep apnea diagnoses as well as the severity of a person’s symptoms. What they found was that many more people are diagnosed with sleep apnea or seek out extra treatment for their existing sleep apnea during the winter months. This has caused some health care practitioners to call sleep apnea a “winter disease.”

The precise reasoning behind this increase is unknown. Some theories include barometric pressure changes, illness related to the seasonal flu, and indoor pollution from fireplaces and wood stoves.

How to Manage Changing Symptoms

The seasons are always changing, and unfortunately, so are many sleep apnea sufferers symptoms. The good news is that management of the disease is very possible. Most doctors recommend Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy for sleep apnea, and this treatment is versatile enough to allow changing seasons and symptoms.

If you’re experiencing nasal congestion as the result of seasonal allergies, you may want to use a full face mask during these times if you normally use a nasal mask. When your nose is stuffed up, you won’t be able to receive the health benefits of your prescribed CPAP therapy. A warm air humidifier might also be the best choice for nasal congestion, as the moist air will loosen secretions and prevent nose bleeds or secondary infections. Humidifiers also help combat the dry air often experienced in winter. You might also get relief from nasal sprays or rinses before and after sleep.

Keeping your CPAP system clean during times of worsening symptoms will prevent the acquisition of secondary infections are allergies or colds. You can find CPAP cleaning supplies, warm air humidifiers, and the rest of your CPAP system needs at Breatheeasycpap.com. This site is ran by a group of dedicated respiratory health care practitioners who care deeply about your comfort and sleep apnea treatment.

As a parent, nothing is more worrying than finding problems with your child’s health. If your child is snoring at night, you may be wondering whether this is a normal occurrence or if it’s the symptom of something more serious. Most adults snore once in awhile, but medical professionals recommend that frequent snorers have a check up by their doctor to evaluate whether or not their snoring is related to sleep apnea, a condition characterized by the cessation of normal breathing during sleep.

Like adults, children sometimes snore. This occasional snoring that occurs in about 1 in 5 children is nothing to be concerned over. If your child has only been snoring for a few days, they may be suffering from seasonal allergies, nasal congestion, or a respiratory infection. When your child is one of the 2% of children who snore severely on most nights, it’s time to take them for a visit to your health care practitioner.

Why Might My Child Snore?

When your child’s snoring continues to be an issue for a long period or your child is one of the few who suffer from frequent, loud snoring at night, they could be developing issues with their tonsils or adenoids which can cause airway obstruction during sleep, a condition known as obstructive sleep apnea. Obese children have an increased risk for developing sleep apnea because of the excess fat tissue around their necks. This extra weight makes their upper airway easily collapsible during sleep. Cerebral Palsy, among other neuromuscular conditions, might also be the cause of sleep apnea. However, no matter the cause, if your child has sleep apnea, treatment is essential.

Sleep Apnea is a Serious Health Condition

Though some children find snoring silly, snoring caused by sleep apnea is not a laughing matter. Children with sleep apnea begin by suffering socially. Interrupted sleep caused by frequent wakings at night leads to behavior problems and restlessness during the day. They may also become bed wetters making them uncomfortable having sleepovers with friends.

On top of these social issues, children who don’t treat their sleep apnea are at an increased risk for deadly health conditions. Children with sleep apnea may develop high blood pressure and breathing difficulties just like adults with the disorder.

Treating Sleep Apnea in Children

            When sleep apnea is the result of enlarged tonsils and adenoids or an over sized tongue or poor positioning, surgery might be a necessary step to correct the problem. In cases of obesity, children may have to make lifestyle changes by eating less sugary and fatty foods while getting daily exercise to promote healthy weight loss. In children with neurological problems resulting in sleep apnea, medications and physical therapy may be necessary.

In many cases, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy delivered by a CPAP machine will be needed. Forced air delivered through a pediatric sleep apnea mask will help keep the child’s airway open, stopping snoring and preventing long term adverse effects of the illness.

CPAP Therapy for Children

CPAP therapy is painless, and most children adapt well to therapy. Discuss sleep apnea treatment with their doctor and visit a reliable CPAP supplier who sells CPAP masks in children’s sizes. For kids, it’s especially important to resolve any fears they may have about the treatment and invest in a comfortable sleep apnea mask. Breatheeasycpap.com sells masks in pediatric sizes and takes pride in helping children treat their illness in the easiest, most comfortable way possible.

It’s very likely that you’ve experienced a nightmare at least once or twice in your lifetime. You may have woken up in the middle of the night with your heart beating fast and lay in your bed recalling the scary stuff that filled your dreams. In general, these bad dreams are normal and isolated events, but when they begin to occur more frequently, you might start to wonder whether they are a sign of something more serious.

What are Nightmares?

The experience of a having a bad dream is clinically called a nightmare. Nightmares are characterized by suddenly waking from REM, or the rapid eye movement stage of sleep, and recalling the distressful content of your dreams. It’s very common to have a fast heart rate, elevated blood pressure, and difficulty falling back to sleep afterwards.

These bad dreams might be caused by daytime stress, death of someone close to you, or intermittent illness. If your nightmares begin occurring more frequently than normal and you’re finding your quality of sleep is lacking, consider making an appointment with your physician.

Could My Nighttime Waking Be From Night Terrors?

If you’re experiencing frequent waking and can remember the vivid details of your bad dreams, you’re most likely not having night terrors. Despite it’s spooky name, night terrors aren’t a sign of poor health and are usually not an indicator of a larger health problem. Night terrors are similar to nightmares in that you’ll often have increased blood pressure and large pupils when they occur but are different because you won’t truly wake up after a night terror episode. You may experience sleep walking or screaming in your sleep but you’ll have little to no memory of it in the morning.

When to Talk to Your Doctor

For some, night terrors accompanied by sleep walking can be dangerous. You may attempt to walk down stairs, go outside, or cook food while asleep. Talk to your doctor about what steps they recommend you take to prevent you from harm. You may also need to investigate whether or not your night terrors are wrongly diagnosed, as sometimes the symptoms can be confused with other health conditions such as epilepsy.

 If you’re concerned about lack of sleep from nightmares and you’re waking in the morning with headaches, or dry mouth, ask your doctor about sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea can increase episodes of nightmares and is a medical condition in which a person experiences frequent waking and momentary lapses in breathing. It also causes snoring but has more serious effects overtime, such as kidney disease, diabetes, and stroke.

What if Sleep Apnea is Causing My Nightmares?

If your nightmares turn out to be related to untreated sleep apnea, you’ll be relieved to know that Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, or CPAP therapy, can help. One study found that the use of CPAP machines corrected nightmares in 91%  patients.

Sleep apnea is a serious disorder. Whether from lack of sleep, stress related nightmares, or long term adverse cardiovascular effects, treatment is important. Ask your prescribing health care provider for sleep apnea mask style recommendations, and visit a trusted CPAP retailer. Breatheeasycpap.com is a health care practitioner based online business. You’ll be pleased with the variety of CPAP systems and sleep apnea accessories available at their website. Getting you a good night’s rest, free of nightmares and night terrors, is their passion. Don’t let sleep apnea keep you awake any longer.

Snoring can be bothersome and embarrassing, but your snoring may be more than just a nuisance that keeps your partner awake at night. You snoring might be a symptom of sleep apnea, a condition where your breathing stops for several seconds or even minutes at a time.

Sleep apnea can be deadly. Evidence shows that untreated sleep apnea greatly increases the likelihood of having a stroke. Tell your health care provider about your snoring, and if you’re diagnosed, start Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, or CPAP treatment as soon as possible. It might save your life.

How Could Sleep Apnea Cause a Stroke?

Sleep Apnea increases your odds of developing an ischemic stroke, a deadly condition where blood flow, and thus your oxygen supply line, is cut off from your brain. A stroke can cause permanent brain damage or even death. In fact, stroke is the leading cause of death in the United States.

If you’re still wondering how sleep apnea might cause a stroke, look no further.

First, we know that if your sleep apnea is left untreated, you’ll continue to have those momentary episodes of breathlessness. This lack of oxygen puts stress on your body and leads to cardiovascular changes, mainly high blood pressure. In turn, this high blood pressure leads to the hardening of the blood vessels, eventually causing blockages in the vessels that supply the brain with oxygen resulting in a potentially deadly ischemic stroke.

CPAP Therapy Prevents Stroke

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy begins healing your body immediately. Yes, your snoring will stop, but more importantly, your body will begin to heal after having lacked those healthy levels of oxygen for so long. Talking to your doctor about your symptoms is very important. If you’re snoring, waking frequently to urinate at night, or having headaches or dry mouth in the morning, let your doctor know that you’re worried about sleep apnea. Early diagnosis matters.

CPAP Therapy After Stroke

If you’ve already suffered from a stroke, CPAP therapy can still be an effective treatment option. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is highly common in stroke patients, a journal article published with the American Academy of Neurology asserts that between 50 to 70% of stroke patients suffer from the disorder. The same study found that patients who don’t use CPAP therapy after their stroke have less successful recoveries than those who use CPAP treatments. It’s being suggested that stroke patients start CPAP therapy while still in the hospital and continue therapy once they are home.

Investing In Your Future

By recognizing your symptoms and seeing your doctor, you’re making a choice to put your health first. If you’re diagnosed with sleep apnea, don’t delay seeking treatment via a CPAP system. Sleep apnea therapies are always developing, making CPAP machine therapy more versatile and comfortable than ever. Buying your sleep apnea supplies from a reliable online storefront ensures that you’ll be treating your sleep apnea with quality CPAP equipment. Promoting health in those who suffer from sleep apnea is the passion of the respiratory therapists at Breatheeasycpap.com. Visit us today and break free from your stroke risk.

Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition characterized by the frequent, momentary cessation of breathing while a person sleeps. Without treatment, sleep apnea sufferers may develop diabetes, renal disease, or stroke on top of mood changes and problems concentrating.

The life threatening implications of sleep apnea are solved by treating the disorder, most commonly with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, or CPAP therapy. The use of this standard treatment helps millions of Americans sleep better and start preventing the cardiovascular changes such as high blood pressure which results from long term, untreated sleep apnea.

Despite the highly correctable nature of this disorder, nearly half of sleep apnea patients stop using their prescribed CPAP machines a few weeks after they begin treatment. Experienced CPAP users understand the struggle with comfortably managing sleep apnea. Finding the right CPAP mask and other appliances can be confusing and time consuming and so, many people opt to try new, alternative sleep apnea therapies before or after CPAP machine use.

Mouth Pieces to Treat Sleep Apnea

The utilization of oral appliance therapy, or the use of dental mouth pieces, is a popular choice for the treatment of sleep apnea. Some surveys show that these devices can be as effective as CPAP therapy. An impression of a person’s teeth is made at a dentist’s office and then a mouth piece is designed specially for the individual sleep apnea sufferer. When used, the new device changes the jaw alignment preventing snoring and helping to keep airways open.

Other oral devices such as Apnicure’s Winx Therapy System may also be an option. Winx promotes the movement of the soft palate forward and keeps the tongue stable so the windpipe stays open during the night. This device differs from a basic mouth piece in that it’s connected to a light, quiet vacuum which works in conjunction with the oral appliance.

New Surgical Therapies for Sleep Apnea

In some sleep apnea sufferers, neither the use of mouth pieces or continuous positive airway pressure devices are enough to treat their condition. Improvements in surgical technology has prompted the engineering of the FDA approved Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation Device. This device is a pulse generator with two leads that is surgically implanted near the lungs. The implants work by sensing when a person stops breathing and stimulates them to take a breath without rousing them from sleep. This procedure is only recommended for people who have failed treatment via CPAP therapy.

 CPAP Therapy is Still Improving

Although many people are uncomfortable or nervous about the use of sleep apnea masks and CPAP machines, the technology and engineering of CPAP therapy is continuing to improve and remain the most widely recommended sleep apnea treatment. Devices made by Philips Respironics such as the Amara View face mask or the Pico nasal mask are two excellent examples of advancements in comfortable CPAP applications. At Breatheeasycpap.com, we offer superior products that provide comfort and excellent management of sleep apnea. If you’re suffering from the disorder, please visit our site to find the best CPAP mask and sleep system for you.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a medical condition characterized by the frequent absence of normal breathing during the night. This type of sleep apnea is usually caused by airway narrowing or partial obstruction. You’re at an increased risk of developing sleep apnea if you’re a male, between the ages of eighteen and sixty, have chronic nasal congestion or if you’re obese.

Despite the fact that there are plenty of risk factors involved in determining whether or not you could develop sleep apnea, the general opinion seems to be that Obstructive Sleep Apnea is an obese person’s disease. This stereotype upholds an idea that is not only a lie, but dead wrong.

Even Athletes Develop Sleep Apnea

Football players, wrestlers, and other athletes who are often asked to “bulk” for their sport are at an increased risk of developing sleep apnea when compared to their non-athletic counterparts. Maybe you want to write off their conditions because of their size or their thick necks, but that argument just won’t cut it.

If you’ve been avoiding visiting your doctor because you think that you’re too physically fit to have sleep apnea, think again. No one is safe from sleep disordered breathing, just take Tom Zehmisch as an example. Zehmisch was a triathlete in excellent condition…until he died of a heart attack. His death was believed to have been an unfortunate end to what began as a case of sleep apnea.

Can Sleep Apnea Impact Athletic Performance?

You’re looking to perform your best, whether in a triathlon, a local 5k, or even in your Zumba class. If physical activity is important to you, start making sleep a priority. Professional athletes, as well as those who enjoy exercising for fun, place extra stress on their bodies every day and need sleep to recover.

Normally, you’ll rest up at night and your body will heal, leaving you refreshed and ready to build muscles again the following day. If you’re suffering from sleep apnea, you might be roughing up your body during the day and never truly healing at night. This puts undue stress on your muscles, joints, and, most devastatingly, your cardiovascular system.

Decreased cardiovascular function brought on by the sleep deprivation and low levels of oxygen associated with sleep apnea can lead to sobering illnesses. High blood pressure, kidney disease, stroke, and neurological changes are just a few. In football players who were tested for sleep apnea, those who suffered from the condition had considerably slower reaction times.

Look For the Signs, Not the Size

If you have sleep apnea, snoring may be your only symptom. That was the case for Tom Zehmisch, and unfortunately, his condition killed him. Snoring is just one of the symptoms on a long list that includes exhaustion during the day, frequent waking, or morning headaches. Even if you don’t snore, review any of these common symptoms with your doctor. Don’t assume you’ll avert sleep apnea just by keeping your Body Mass Index below twenty-five.

Don’t Neglect Sleep Apnea Treatment

If you’ve taken the courageous move to see your doctor about your snoring, headaches, or frequent nighttime waking and they diagnose you with sleep apnea, don’t delay starting your treatment. Most physicians agree that continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP therapy, is the first line treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. If you avoid treatment because you’re embarrassed or nervous about shopping for a CPAP system, take a deep breath and relax.

The nurses, respiratory therapists, and doctors at Breatheeasycpap.com believe that you should feel empowered by investing in the CPAP system that’s right for you. Don’t let sleep apnea slow you down. Visit our website today.

There are plenty of great reasons to start treatment for sleep apnea. After a day or two of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, or CPAP therapy, you’ll have more restful sleep, feel more rested and refreshed during the day, and, of course, put an end to that awful snoring that’s been keeping your spouse awake all night long. But that’s only the beginning.

Did you know that treating your sleep apnea can also decrease your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes?

Why Do We Develop Diabetes in the First Place?

Type 2 Diabetes, or Diabetes Mellitus, is a medical condition characterized by high blood sugar levels. Generally developing in adulthood, Type 2 Diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. Human bodies produce a hormone called insulin which signals cells to use up recently eaten sugars and energize the body.

In Diabetes Mellitus, your cells begin to starve as they become resistant to insulin and the sugar you’ve eaten isn’t broken down. This sugar then floats inaccessibly through your bloodstream. Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes varies, but your health care provider may prescribe you with oral medications, insulin injections, or a combination of both.

How CPAP Treatment Might Prevent Diabetes

By now you know that your sleep apnea is the reason you snore as well as the reason that you often wake up feeling exhausted. It’s also important to recognize that your sleep apnea is contributing to harmful physical effects that might influence your sensitivity to insulin.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is one of the many conditions put into a category called “Sleep Disordered Breathing.” Multiply studies have linked sleep disordered breathing with the release of stress hormones thought to contribute to the development of diabetes as well as the faulty production of healthy hormones.

When you treat your sleep apnea with CPAP therapy, you’re correcting long-established low and  sporadic levels of oxygen delivered to your organs. This oxygen will decrease the times your body feels stressed as well as decreasing incidents of insulin resistance. As previously mentioned, CPAP treatment will also improve your sleep, immediately helping with the regulation of your body’s hormones. The sooner your sleep apnea is treated, the less likely you are to develop Type 2 Diabetes.

CPAP Therapy in Established Diabetics

If you already suffer from diabetes, you know that managing this disease can be extremely difficult, especially if you’re already exhausted and sleep-deprived because of untreated sleep apnea. The good news is that once you implement a plan to treat your sleep apnea, you’ll be feeling less exhausted and have a better control of your blood sugar levels! A study from the Health, Metabolism, and Sleep Center at the University of Chicago found that CPAP therapy improves a person’s blood sugar levels as well as their ability to control their levels in the morning.

Treat Sleep Apnea with High-Quality CPAP Products

Whether you’re trying to manage already diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes or hoping to prevent it, getting your sleep apnea treatment started is a major priority. To ensure that you’re treating your sleep apnea with the perfect style CPAP mask and system for you, it’s imperative to purchase equipment from a thoughtful and trustworthy CPAP supplier. At Breatheeasycpap.com, we’re health care professionals who understand the need for cost effective and superior sleep apnea products. Visit our website today and stop diabetes in its tracks.

How to Avoid Mask Leakage, Especially in the Eyes

If you are a sleep apnea sufferer, continuous positive airway pressure technology is an important step in correcting and preventing the cardiovascular and hormonal changes that often present themselves as a result of the condition. Unfortunately, many CPAP users find remaining compliant with their prescribed treatment hard to maintain because they run into issues with mask leakage from their CPAP mask.

Why Mask Leakage is an Issue

If you’re wondering whether or not you are experiencing a mask leak, there are a few things to look for. One sign that your mask is experiencing an air leak issue is hearing intermittent burping or blowing sounds from your sleep apnea mask. You may also notice dry eyes in the morning. A frequently leaking CPAP mask can cause several issues, but the most severe issue is that constantly leaking masks cannot deliver the prescribed pressure levels to your lungs. Without this prescribed pressure, your sleep apnea treatment simply won’t be effective.

Sleep apnea sufferers are likely to discontinue CPAP use if they’re finding that their mask leakage is contributing to dry, irritable eyes. When air escapes their CPAP mask, particularly at the top of the mask, the pressured air is likely to blow on their eyes throughout the night, eventually leading to excessive drying and redness. This drying causes itchiness and pain, and many CPAP users find it unbearable.

How to Manage and Avoid CPAP Mask Leakage

In order to continue sleep apnea treatment, users must first recover from their dry, painful eyes while preventing further dryness from occurring. First and foremost, ensure that your mask is securely fitted to your face. You may need to adjust the straps around your forehead if air leaking from the top of your mask is the culprit. Check your sleep apnea mask’s instructions to troubleshoot your fit, or visit Resmed’s website and read a great article explaining a few tricks to ensure your mask fits perfectly.

A boil and bite mouth piece may also help by changing the way your relaxed facial muscles lay during the night. Many companies sell eye shields and support to use overnight if your fitted mask still occasionally leaks. Another common issue may be that your CPAP mask is the incorrect size or has worn down overtime and needs to be replaced. When first using these preventative methods, heal your dry eyes with over the counter eye drops or see your health care provider about prescribed eye treatment.

Research Your Best CPAP Mask Option

Mask leak issues may be prevented by asking your health care provider, or experienced medical supply sales member to suggest an ideal mask style for your face and treatment. You may find that you feel better with a nasal mask like the Philip’s Respironics Pico. You may instead feel more comfortable with a fuller mask like the Amara View. Some CPAP users prefer a more basic mask such as the AirFit F10.

The seasoned respiratory health care professionals and sales staff at Breatheeasycpap.com are fully equipped to find the perfect CPAP mask style for you. Our website has a large variety of mask styles and accompanying CPAP tubing, and machines. Let us know how we can help you find your ideal fit today.

Obesity and Sleep Apnea

Did you know that the number of obese and severely obese patients that doctors treat for sleep apnea is roughly double that of adults of a normal weight? When it comes to finding a cause for most sleep apnea cases, we know that obesity is the primary culprit.

When excess fat surrounds the upper airway and around the chest and neck, increased pressure is placed on the throat. This leads to an increase in turbulence during breathing, especially at rest. While we have strong evidence to support that obesity can cause sleep apnea, we’re also gaining new insight which supports that the disorder itself contributes to obesity.

It might seem complicated, but overtime, as sleep apnea deprives you of a normal night’s rest, you crave more sugary foods to feed your sleepless brain and are unable to perform as many physical activities that you may have in the past. This causes our bodies to become increasingly resistant to insulin and, in turn, we readily gain weight.

Both Obesity and Sleep Apnea Put People at Risk

While the jury is still out on which came first, obesity or sleep apnea, we know that both health issues greatly increase the risk of developing harmful cardiovascular disorders and other grave illnesses such as diabetes. If you’ve developed both obesity and sleep apnea, you’re at a greatly inflated risk of being diagnosed with coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and stroke. These are complicated and often fatal disorders, and so, those who are at risk must be mindful of their health and take the necessary precautions aimed at prevention.

Physical Activity and Healthy Eating

Staying active and choosing healthy meals are important activities matters for all people, but they’re especially important for those who have both sleep apnea and obesity. If you’re concerned about your health, talk to your doctor about starting a weight-loss regime and exercise program. Finding a style of physical activity that you already love, such as swimming or biking, is a great place to start.

Keeping a food diary is an excellent way to explore how what you’re eating impacts your moods and sleeping habits. When you wake up exhausted and drink several cups of coffee or get through the afternoon by chugging a large soda, you’re putting your sleep quality in jeopardy.

When a person drinks caffeine, especially in the afternoon, brain activity is stimulated making it harder to sleep later on. This struggle to get enough rest leads most people to choose the same poor habits the following day.

If caffeine consumption is one of your issues, try limiting your caffeine intake. In doing so, you’re giving your body permission to find its own natural rhythm.

CPAP Therapy to Control Sleep Apnea and Lose Weight

Although CPAP treatment is not a weight-loss regime, it is a tool to help you get control back into your life. We know that CPAP therapy improves sleep, and this improved rest decreases instances of insulin resistance and improves out of balance hormones that might be contributing to your obesity.

You want to be healthy, but if you aren’t treating your sleep apnea, you simply won’t have the energy to exercise or the will power to choose healthy foods. You deserve to live a long and healthy life.

When you make the choice to start CPAP therapy, you’re showing the world that you value yourself. Find a trustworthy CPAP supply store like Breatheeasycpap.com and discover your perfect CPAP machine and mask options and get started on the path of healthy living.

Why Do Dogs Snore?

Is there anything sweeter than seeing the telltale signs that your beloved dog has fallen into a deep sleep? The corners of their mouths curl into smiles, they twitch their legs in a dream, and, just like their owners, they sometimes snore.

Humans snore for varied reasons including allergies, sinus issues, aging, and normal changes in their soft palates during rest. Occasionally however, humans snore from a serious condition called sleep apnea. As is true with humans, it is just as important to take your pet’s snoring seriously and become educated on what might be the cause.

Allergies and Obesity Might be the Cause of Your Dog’s Snoring

Second-hand smoke, incense, household cleaners, and mold or dust may be affecting your pet’s healthy breathing. These irritants sometimes promote the constriction of the animal’supper airways, causing their breathing to become noisy as air passes through the narrowed area.

If you have noticed that, your dog has grown a little pudgier than normal, excess weight could be responsible for a recently developed case of snoring. If you think, your pet is overweight, start by getting them outside for exercise more often. Next, talk to their veterinarian about starting a low-calorie dog food.

Sometimes, snoring in dogs is the result of a tumor, a dental problem, or a fungal disease. These issues are treatable but, if ignored, can be fatal. Bring your pet to the veterinarian for regular check-ups to keep an eye out for development of any serious illness.

Boxers, Pugs, and Other Short-nosed Dogs are More Prone to Snoring

Another cause of snoring that your veterinarian may need to look into is Brachycephalic Syndrome, a series of respiratory problems found in dogs with short noses or flat faces. Shih-Tzu’s, Bulldogs, and boxers are examples of canines who are prone to this condition. If your brachycephalic dog is snoring or showing signs and symptoms of an increased difficulty in breathing, talk to your vet about possible treatment options.

Can Dogs Develop Sleep Apnea?

All dogs are at risk, but brachycephalic dogs are more likely to develop sleep apnea than any other breeds. Just like humans, dogs may experience a momentary lapse in breathing while asleep and sometimes, in dogs, the condition is fatal. Your vet will first encourage you to start your pet on a weight loss program if obesity is a factor in their respiratory issue. They may also suggest using a warm air humidifier near the area your that dog sleeps, as this has been shown to promote the opening of upper airways. In severe cases, surgery to open the nostrils may be necessary.

Sleep Problems? Keep Your Dog Out of Your Bedroom

If you’ve had your dog’s snoring checked out by a veterinarian and they’ve ruled out any dangerous causes, but his snoring is too loud to sleep with at night, consider keeping him out of the bedroom. Your frequent waking is exacerbated by your pet’s noisiness and can reduce overall sleep quality leading to fatigue the following day.

People with insomnia should be especially cautious about sharing their sleeping areas with animals. The same holds true for sufferers of sleep apnea especially if they are already experiencing problems with restlessness. Not to mention, this restlessness might be keeping your dog awake too! Although we can’t do much for your dog’s sleep issues here at BreatheEasyCPAP.com, we want both of you to get the best night’s rest possible.