Summer is in full swing, which means so are the summer parties like weddings, family reunions, grill outs and backyard gatherings. And something that often goes hand in hand with summer parties is alcohol consumption. The reason CPAP Central cares about your alcohol consumption is because it can dramatically affect your sleep apnea treatment. Let us describe why your “nightcap” may be doing more harm than good when it comes to CPAP usage.
- As a depressant, alcohol causes the muscles in your airway to relax, making your sleep apnea worse. You might have heard the phrase, “I only snore when I drink” which proves that even those that don’t usually suffer from sleep apnea, may suffer from it after a few drinks.
- As a sedative, alcohol may help you fall asleep, but you won’t sleep as long as you should or not with the quality of sleep that you otherwise enjoy when you are sober. The reasoning is that alcohol disrupts REM sleep or the second half of the sleep cycle which is associated with memories. Disturbed REM equals a restless night.
- As a good rule of thumb, stop drinking four hours before you plan to hit the hay. This will allow your body to process the alcohol and affect your sleep apnea treatment less.
- Another option is to switch to an Auto CPAP or APAP if you don’t already use one. This type of CPAP machine will adjust the pressure to your breathing and could accommodate the change in breathing resulting from a few alcoholic drinks.
CPAP Central carries a variety of excellent Auto CPAP machines such as the AirCurve 10, the DreamStation and System One REMStar. We offer FREE SHIPPING on order over $99, live chat with CPAP experts and the best online prices available for all CPAP supplies.