You know what warmer temperatures mean; more moisture is now in the air and CPAP humidity is more affected with each night that we inch closer to summer.  With warmer nights on the horizon, are you adjusting your CPAP humidifier accordingly?  CPAP Central wants you to have the best experience possible, and during the warmer months, that means lowering your humidity. The only exceptions are these:

1. You are mouth breathing or have a leak. This could be the cause of your higher humidity needs.  If you suspect a leak, contact us for troubleshooting help.
2. You live in a dry desert-like region. Dry air means there is no humidity, which means you’ll need to crank your CPAP humidifier!
3. Your body simply needs more moisture. Everyone is different and you may just require more humidity with your CPAP therapy than the average patient.
4. Outside temperatures are colder than inside. Cool outside often means low humidity, in which case you’ll need to use that humidifier.

If you don’t currently use a CPAP humidifier, you may want to consider trying it out.  CPAP humidifiers are designed to deliver moisture in the air that is traveling through your CPAP, resulting in more comfortable therapy and healthier nasal passages. Currently, over 40 percent of CPAP users use a CPAP humidifier, with many of the latest CPAP machines including a built-in humidifier.

If you’d like to know more about the CPAP humidifiers offered at CPAP Central or would like to discuss how you should adjust your CPAP for those hot summer nights, reach out to our CPAP therapy experts today! We’re available via instant messenger on our website Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST

Your body does some pretty fascinating things while you sleep to help you recharge physically and mentally.  At CPAP Central, we want to share some of these interesting facts about what’s really going on with your body while you snooze!

Your Brain Cleans House

The waste removal systems in the brain are more active while you sleep.  This allows your brain to clear toxic byproducts that cause problems such as Alzheimer’s disease.  Experts believe that your brain is also processing what happened during your day and filtering out the unimportant information while sorting out the significant details.  Getting a full night of sleep allows your body and brain to fully rejuvenate.

Your Blood Pressure Plummets

Having a lower blood pressure for an entire night’s sleep is extremely beneficial to your heart.  Sleep is the body’s most effective way of digesting excess stress hormones.  If you don’t get a good night’s rest, your stress hormones stay elevated and increase inflammation throughout your body which causes your arteries to narrow and even constrict.  This results in higher blood pressure and damage to the heart.

You’re Paralyzed

During REM sleep, your body cannot move a muscle.  Only your eye muscles (hence rapid eye movement sleep) and your breathing are not paralyzed.  This portion of your sleep is important because it’s when your brain is most active.  This is when a big portion of the cleaning house occurs because your immune system is at its best.  Your mind is so active during sleep, it can even make important decisions and discoveries.

Growth Hormones Emerge

Even if you aren’t getting taller, your body is still growing.  The growth hormones release into your bloodstream while you sleep, and they help repair and restore cells within your body.  They are an important part in maintaining healthy body tissue all through your life.

Hunger Hormones Regulate

People who don’t sleep well normally wake up wanting a higher-calorie food.  The hunger-regulating hormones leptin and ghrelin can become unbalanced, along with an unregulated metabolism if your sleep schedule is suffering.

With sleep apnea, these beneficial things are less likely to occur, causing your body to not be its healthiest version.  CPAP Central can help your body regulate itself with our CPAP machines, so contact us today through our live chat Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST.  We have a number of resources to help educate you about sleep apnea and its treatments!

Just as more people are using smart phone apps and fitness trackers such as Fitbit to record their health data, the major manufacturers of sleep apnea therapy equipment are finding ways to track data from your PAP machine. Today we’re going to look at the benefits of tracking sleep apnea data, and some of the unique ways different PAP machines do so:

CPAP Machine Data Benefits

Data collected by most of these smart CPAP machines typically includes the hours of use, leak rate, and other information that indicates how severe your sleep apnea is or how many apnea events you have while you sleep.  All of this data helps your doctor make adjustments to your CPAP therapy to make it more effective.

The CPAP machine data collected will also help create more advanced, effective CPAP machines in the future.  Some examples include myAir™ by ResMed, a feature incorporated into the AirSense10 AutoSet APAP Machine, or Nightlog, a feature used by the Z1 Travel CPAP machine.

What is myAir™?

myAir™ is an online support system and app that uses the Cloud to monitor and send compliance data to you and your doctor, and even allows your doctor to make changes to your machine remotely.  The myAir™ system will encourage you or provide you with valuable advice through text or email if you ask it to!

What is Nightlog?

Nightlog is an app for both Android and Apple that syncs with the Z1 Travel CPAP machine, and offers helpful graphs to show you what your sleep patterns are during a given night. It also allows you to share this information via email, so you and your doctor can discuss the results.

What do SD cards do?

The SD card, such as what is found in the System One REMstar 60 Series BiPAP AutoSV Advanced Machine also collects Apnea/Hypopnea Index, leak rate, and average pressure readings over 7 and 30 days. The information is then stored in in both its smart SD card as well as the on-board memory system, and is wired, wireless, or broadband modem capable.

Because of the CPAP therapy data collected, machines such as the AirSense 10, the System One REMstar and the Z1 Travel will continually provide some of the most customized CPAP therapy available.  CPAP Central is here to answer any of your questions regarding CPAP data or other features of these CPAP machines.

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, your mom is probably on your mind. We’ve been thinking about our moms too, especially how unique and special they are. That’s when we started thinking about the various CPAP masks that are made “for her.” Just like our moms, these CPAP masks are unique to women and made with women’s special needs in mind. Some of them include:

AirFit N10 For Her Nasal CPAP Mask

This ResMed nasal CPAP mask offers smaller cushions and lots of pink trim, in addition to convenient magnetic attachment clips, dual-walled cushions, minimal facial contact points and a low profile that is completely out of the line of sight!

Mirage FX For Her Nasal CPAP Mask

The Mirage FX For Her comes with smaller, pink headgear and is extremely lightweight.  Similar to the standard Mirage FX, this mask offers minimal pressure points and balanced pressure allocation.

Swift FX Nano For Her Nasal CPAP Mask

Noticeably the most transparent CPAP mask, the Swift FX Nano For Her nasal CPAP mask features a clear line of sight, adjustable silicone headgear and light pink soft wrap to maximize comfort.

Swift FX For Her Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask

This sleek nasal pillow CPAP mask comes in petite sizes and female-friendly colors.  Many women enjoy the tiny frame and ergonomic feel of the mask, from the silicone headgear to the dual-wall flaps for increased support.

Quattro FX For Her Full Face CPAP Mask

What makes this full face CPAP mask different is the pink headgear that is designed to sit lower on the back of the head to allow for easy use with pony tails.  Although the Quattro FX is a full face mask, the mask actually covers less of the face and is perfect for side sleepers.

Quattro Air For Her Full Face CPAP Mask

Lightweight and easy to use are the main features of the Quattro Air For Her full face CPAP mask.  This mask is actually 45 percent lighter than the original Mirage Quattro!

This Mother’s Day, go a step beyond buying your Mom flowers, and get her a CPAP mask that will allow her to sleep with comfort and ease! CPAP Central is your one-stop source for all things related to sleep apnea therapy, and our experts are available via life chat Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST.