Most Americans are familiar with the tradition of going around the table and saying one thing they’re grateful for at Thanksgiving. At CPAP Central, we’re grateful that there are devices out there that can treat sleep apnea. Here’s a few of our favorites:

Travel CPAP Machines

It’s the holidays, which means you may be packing your bags to go visit far-flung relatives. Luckily for the CPAP user, they make travel CPAP machines, so you don’t have to spend your vacation feeling exhausted from lack of sleep the night before. Travel CPAP machines are small and light enough for you to pack in a carry-on bag, but they pack all the punch of a regular CPAP machine.

The Dreamstation by Phillips Respironics

This one is a favorite among our customers, and no wonder! It’s super quiet, easy to use and its ramp feature makes beginner CPAP users acclimate quickly. The Dreamstation is small enough to take on trips, so you don’t have to get a separate travel CPAP machine. Finally, it’s one of the nicer-looking CPAP machines, with its appearance more akin to an iPod docking station or bedside radio.

Full-faced CPAP masks

Many CPAP users become frustrated with full-faced CPAP masks because they block their line of sight and in general look unflattering. However, the Mirage Liberty by ResMed actually allows the user to have a clear line of sight while still giving them all the benefits of a full-faced mask. Another reason we love full-faced CPAP masks is because they work really well for those of us who breathe with our mouths open at night—and for those of us who don’t enjoy putting things directly in our nasal passages.

Whether you’re traveling to see family this holiday or are hosting your own gathering, CPAP Central wants to remind you of the benefits of staying CPAP compliant. You’ll be less cranky around your relatives because you’ll have more sleep, and no one can tease you about snoring like a chainsaw at night! More importantly, it can help extend your lifespan, which means you will be able to enjoy many more holidays with your loved ones.

It’s the holidays, which means there’s an abundance of decadent treats everywhere you turn. However, CPAP Central would like to urge everyone to partake in moderation. November marks Diabetes Awareness Month, and we would like everyone to know how Type 2 diabetes is connected to sleep apnea.

Over twenty five million children and adults in the United States have diabetes. An additional 79 million have pre-diabetes. Sleep apnea effects about 1 in every 15 adults in the United States today.  These two very different diseases share a connection, as untreated sleep apnea raises your risk for getting Type 2 diabetes.

Being overweight can increase your risk factors for both sleep apnea and Type 2 diabetes. Having sleep apnea alone can worsen your glycemic control, which can lead to diabetes. These disease also both put you at a greater risk for other health complications such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and eye disease.

Signs you may have sleep apnea include waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat, headaches, restless sleep, nighttime awakenings, waking up feeling out of breath and difficulty concentrating.

Diabetes symptoms include extreme hunger and thirst, frequent infections, and frequent urination.  Please note that you can have either of these two illnesses without having to have the other.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms or especially these symptoms in tandem, don’t wait to talk to your doctor. Blood tests can diagnose the diabetes or pre-diabetes and a sleep study can diagnose your sleep apnea.

Losing weight and managing your weight can greatly improve the symptoms for both diabetes and sleep apnea.  A balanced diet and regular exercise can help you lose weight and improve your overall health which will benefit both disorders.

If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, see CPAP Central today. We have everything you need to manage your sleep apnea, which in turn can lead to better sleep, better health and a decreased risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Whether you call it “No Shave November” or just “Movember,” chances are you and your co-workers or buddies are sporting more facial hair than usual. While this phenomenon started off as a fun competition among the guys, some people have seen it as an opportunity to bring attention to the top health concerns for men:

Heart Disease

This is the leading cause of death for men in the United States, according to the CDC. Bad diet, lack of exercise and smoking are often the culprits. But did you know that sleep apnea also contributes to heart disease? Because you repeatedly stop breathing throughout the night, your blood and heart aren’t getting the oxygen they need to function healthfully. Lack of sleep can also lead to weight gain, which is also hard on your heart.

Cancer

Coming in at the second-highest killer of men, cancer accounts for 23.5 percent of male deaths each year. Once again, sleep apnea can be tied to this cause of death. Those with sleep apnea are 4.8 times more likely to develop malignant tumors than those who do not have the condition. This is because consistent lack of air at night triggers a number of mechanisms in the body, one of which encourages cancer growth.

Unintentional Injuries

Men are far more prone than women to die from unintentional injuries. Many of these are due to on-the-job mistakes and accidents. Insufficient sleep at night can contribute to workplace injuries. If you find yourself dealing with excessive daytime drowsiness that’s impacting your effectiveness at your job, you might have sleep apnea. For those who work in dangerous lines of work, it’s especially important to address this condition right away, before a deadly accident occurs.

As we’ve seen from the examples above, three of the top causes of death for men in the United States can be tied back to sleep apnea. If you think you may have this condition, see your doctor right away and arrange for a sleep test. Should the tests come back positive, CPAP Central can help you. We carry a full line of sleep apnea therapy products, including BiPAP Machines, CPAP Machines and CPAP supplies.

At CPAP Central, we believe that the key to staying CPAP compliant is being armed with knowledge about sleep apnea. Unfortunately, there are many harmful myths out there that can keep people from remaining compliant. Here are a few:

Myth #1: All people who snore have sleep apnea.

While loud snoring can be a good indication of sleep apnea, there are millions of Americans who snore that do not have sleep apnea. Snoring can mean you may have sleep apnea, but a greater indication is if that snoring is accompanied with gasping or suddenly waking up feeling short of breath. If you do snore loudly, though, you should consult your doctor.

Myth #2: All people with sleep apnea snore                                                    

Just as it is true that not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, it is also true that not everyone with sleep apnea snores. There are two common types of sleep apnea: Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Central Sleep Apnea. Snoring is more common in obstructive sleep apnea, which causes the throat muscles to relax.

Myth #3: Only men get sleep apnea

While men tend to be the larger demographic of CPAP users, women can have sleep apnea as well. It’s estimated that close to 2 to 4 percent of middle-aged women have the condition. Because of this, it often goes undiagnosed in women, especially because some of the symptoms of sleep apnea can mimic those of menopause, including sleep problems and weight gain.  Women may also develop sleep apnea during pregnancy.

Myth #4: I’m not old enough to have sleep apnea

It’s true that sleep apnea tends to develop in middle-age, but even children can be diagnosed with it. If you’ve struggled with your weight, you’re at a higher risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea earlier in life.

Myth #5: Compliance isn’t that big of a deal

Left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to extreme daytime drowsiness, which can cause accidents behind the wheel and at work. It can also damage your cardiovascular system, which can lead to premature death.

CPAP Central is here to help you stay compliant. You don’t have to live with the repercussions of sleep apnea. You can find everything you need to treat it in our online catalog—you don’t even need a prescription for some of our CPAP masks!

Between your doctor and the specialists at the sleep lab, you may have been hearing a lot about REM and NREM sleep. Both are important to your sleep cycle, and sleep apnea’s interruption of them can be detrimental to your health. CPAP Central wants sleep, breathe, and live healthier, which is why we would like to educate you on the importance of NREM sleep.

NREM sleep refers to non-rapid eye movement sleep. Each stage of NREM can last five to 15 minutes as the cycle repeats itself.  Typically, your sleep cycle will begin with NREM and then turn into REM sleep.  Your body will go through the following stages as it enters deep sleep:

• Stage 1 – Sleep readings show that people in this stage start to fall asleep but can be easily awakened.  If you don’t get past this stage, you’ll feel as if you haven’t slept at all.  Stage 1 may last five to ten minutes and can be accompanied by sudden muscle contraction.
• Stage 2 – Light sleep takes place and sleep readings show intermittent peaks and valleys, or positive and negative waves.  These waves indicate spontaneous periods of muscle tone mixed with periods of muscle relaxation.  Body temperature and heart rate decrease and at this point the body prepares to enter deep sleep.
• Stage 3 – Deep sleep begins to take place.  Deep sleep with NREM sleep is known as slow-wave or delta sleep. If you wake up during this stage, you may feel disoriented for a few minutes.

NREM sleep accounts for 75-80% of total sleep time in adult humans.  While sleeping in a deep stage of NREM sleep, your body repairs and regenerates tissues, builds bones and muscles and appears to strengthen the immune system. Sleep apnea can rob you of that restorative deep sleep by constantly interrupting the NREM patterns.

Let CPAP Central help you get a great night’s rest! We have everything you need for sleep apnea therapy in our online catalog.

Halloween is just around the corner! If you’re still undecided about what you want to dress up as, CPAP Central would like to offer some suggestions that incorporate your old CPAP mask:

• Member of a S.W.A.T. team

Take an old CPAP mask and spray paint it black. Then, take a black jacket and use white duct tape to write out the words “S.W.A.T. Team” on the back. Pair it with black goggles, a black cap, black boot and black pants, and you’re ready to throw some tear gas and storm a building.

• Surgical patient

This one would be fun to pair with a friend or significant other. They can be the nurse or doctor, and you can be the surgical patient. If you have a CPAP hose lift system, you can incorporate that as an IV drip. All you’ll need is a hospital gown, which you can make out of an old sheet.

• An Anteater

If you have brown pants and a fuzzy jacket laying around, you can improvise an anteater costume. Carry around a box of raisins and eat them as “ants” throughout the night. Alternatively, you can wear a yellow sweater and blue jeans and go as the cartoon character “Arthur.”

• Darth Vader

Just like with the S.W.A.T. Team costume, you can use an abundance of black clothing to re-create the dark lord from Star Wars. You can even plug in your CPAP machine at some point to recreate the breathing noise.

We would like to emphasize that no matter what you decide to dress up as, it’s important to use an old CPAP mask. You wouldn’t want the one you currently use to become damaged or dirty over the course of the night. Since CPAP masks need to be replaced every 3-6 months, this is a good way to recycle a mask that’s past its prime.

CPAP Central wishes you a safe and fun Halloween!

Most people think of pressure sores as something that happens to those who are bedridden, but it can happen to CPAP users as well. If you’ve experienced this, you know how uncomfortable it is—and how much it can interfere with your sleep apnea treatment! There are three main reasons contact sores can happen with CPAP masks, all of which can be addressed:

• CPAP Headgear tension

For many people, a tight CPAP mask is the main culprit. If your straps are too taut, your CPAP mask will be digging into your skin for 7 or 8 hours a night. However, the opposite can also be true. If the straps are too loose, your CPAP mask will shift and rub against your skin, causing irritation. Try to find the right tension for your headgear so that your CPAP mask doesn’t move, but also isn’t pressing into your skin either.

• Worn-out CPAP mask

A worn out CPAP mask can cause irritation as well. The cushioning on the edges breaks down over time, causing more pressure on your skin. Certain models of CPAP masks are able to have their cushions swapped out, so call us today or check out our online catalog if you think you need to do that for your mask. CPAP masks do need to be replaced once every three to six months, so you may also need to replace it entirely.

• A dirty CPAP mask

Some CPAP masks just need a good cleaning. It’s just no good for your skin to have all that dirt and oil pressing up against it every night. Get into the habit of wiping down your mask once a day. You can do this using a damp towel and a mild dish detergent, or by using CPAP mask wipes (we have them here). You should give your CPAP mask a full bath at least once a week, where you submerge it in soapy water and give it a good scrub.

If none of these things seem to help, don’t hesitate to reach out to us! Our experts can help you find the comfort you need in order to get a good night’s rest. We also carry a number of items that can help you remain CPAP compliant. Check out our online catalog, or give us a call today!

We’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about the Dreamstation Auto CPAP by Phillips Respironics—and no wonder! This machine features state-of-the-art designs based on what patients have told their doctors they want out of a CPAP machine. In fact, it even won an award from an international design organization for its innovation.

There are many reasons why users love the Dreamstation, but we’re going to focus on the top 6:

• It’s super quiet

Many CPAP manufacturers say this about their product, but for the Dreamstation it’s especially true. Even when it’s turned onto the highest pressure , the sound is barely noticeable.

• Ease of use

The menu options are easier to follow, so you can change the settings quickly. The front-facing display is angled in such a way that you can make adjustments laying down or sitting up. The one-piece humidifier water chamber is simple to clean.

• Ramp features make acclimation easy

This includes things such as the EZ-Start, which allows patients to gradually become used to using pressure every night, as well as Smart Ramp, which allows users to have lower pressures as they fall asleep. It mimics what an APAP machine will do, and then at the end of the ramp it switches to a fixed pressure.

• It can function like a travel CPAP machine

The Dreamstation is so compact and light that it’s easy to pack and bring along with you on trips. This also means that it will take up less room on your bedside table!

• It evaluates you—and itself!

Each morning, it shows you a summary of your progress, with how many hours you used it and how many good nights you’ve had! It can also evaluate itself. Its remote troubleshooting and self-diagnostic tools make it easy to solve any problems that come up.

• It just looks nice

The exterior mirrors what many newer technological devices look like. Some people have even mistaken it for an iPod docking station!

The Dreamstation truly does make it easier for you to have sweet dreams each night! We carry the Dreamstation—along with all its accessories—in our online catalog. Check it out today, or contact us to learn more about how this CPAP machine can help you!

Were you recently diagnosed with sleep apnea? Do you find yourself overwhelmed with all the treatment options? At CPAP Central, we want to turn down the “pressure” when it comes to figuring out which PAP machine is right for you. That’s why we’re going to cover the ABC’s of sleep apnea therapy—APAP, BiPAP and CPAP:

Auto Positive Airway Pressure (APAP) automatically changes the pressure according to your breathing needs in a given moment. It does this on a breath-by-breath basis, truly making it a “smart” machine. Many users find that this helps increase their ability to stay compliant. CPAP Central carries the latest in APAP technology from trusted brands such as Phillips Respironics and ResMed

Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP) is a non-invasive way to treat central or obstructive sleep apnea and may be used for people who suffer from other respiratory disease.  It delivers two levels of pressure:

• IPAP, or inspiratory positive airway pressure – This is a high level of pressure that is used when you inhale.
• EPAP, or expiratory positive airway pressure – This is when you exhale which delivers a low level of pressure.

These two modes make the BiPAP ideal for those who need their sleep apnea delivered at a higher pressure than normal. Because of the EPAP mode, the user is not constantly under that same higher level of pressure.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) delivers air pressure at a single level that is predetermined by your doctor after the sleep study results are in.  A CPAP machine pushes compressed air through a tubing system that is connected to a nose mask.   The continuous pressure keeps your upper airway open, preventing them from collapsing and block breathing.

All three therapies have their own machines but share equipment like masks and tubes to help aid your sleep.  Before you decide on which PAP machine is right for you, talk to your doctor. He or she might have a recommendation based on what the sleep study showed. CPAP Central is also here to help. We’re your one-stop shop for all your sleep apnea need!