Why You Should Give CPAP Machines a Shot if You Suffer From Sleep Apnea
A good night’s sleep is something that can be an absolutely magical remedy for the stresses of the day, headaches or oncoming bugs, and issues that bounce around your brain with no apparent solution. Sleeping on it can be a great way to remedy each of those things. However if you are the one in every 50 people who is attempting to sleep peacefully each night but instead struggles with an undiagnosed case of sleep apnea, your health could be at a greater risk than you realize. Luckily, there are sleep apnea solutions that can help you turn your health issues around.
CPAP machines to help you sleep soundly through the night
Sleep apnea is a dangerous condition. Though often characterized by heavy snores and grunts in one’s sleep, it is much more serious than keeping your partner up at night. Sleep apnea is when an individual’s breathing is interrupted during sleep, causing pauses and shallow breathing, which in turn pulls you out of the deep sleep that your body needs to rejuvenate. Depending on the frequency and duration of these pauses, it can also be a strain on your heart, as it attempts to continue working without getting the necessary oxygen to the brain and rest of the body. In fact, those individuals who have sleep apnea that goes untreated are looking at a risk of stroke that is four times higher than that of an individual who does not suffer from sleep apnea.
The most common form of treatment is the use of a CPAP machine. CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure machines, often come in the form of a mask that supplies your respiratory system with air it needs, pushing air gently in when an apnea occurs. CPAP machine supplies, such as masks, pillows, and tubing can make the necessary CPAP machine feel like an overwhelming contraption to take to bed, but when you consider the risks involved with not wearing one, you will likely grow accustomed to sleeping with one soon enough. Those who continue to go untreated are three times as likely to develop heart disease down the road. And research has shown that there are around 38,000 deaths every year that can be traced back to sleep apnea.
Understanding the condition and treatment
There are many sleep apnea sufferers who still find it difficult to wear their CPAP masks every night, despite knowing the risks of going without it. It can feel like a hassle to get it set up, and learning how to fall asleep wearing a mask hooked to a machine definitely takes time. For those who can’t stand the thought of something on their face while they sleep, it is possible to get a minimal contact full face mask. This difficulty of learning to sleep with your mask is largely mental. People tend to not want anything on their faces as they sleep because they associate contact with difficulty breathing. But in reality, the apneas that occur without the mask, which for some can be as many as 60 interruptions to their breathing within a single hour, are what truly put the sleeper in peril with the lack of breath. Learning to accept the treatment, however odd it may seem at first, will lead to better nights of full, deep sleep.
Getting treatment for sleep apnea will not only make you notice an improvement in how rested you feel each day, but you will likely also notice improvements in your ability to focus, in your overall health, and in your energy levels. And you will gain peace of mind knowing that you are steering yourself away from future health problems as well.
