CPAP in Edmonton: Help for Sleep Apnea Sufferers

Sleep apnea is serious and affects more systems in the body than just the airways and the sleep cycle. However, because the functioning of those systems is so essential, sleep apnea becomes one of the worst disorders possible.

How have you been sleeping? Do you have any problems? Are family members kept awake by your snoring? Do you wake up with a headache, or a dry mouth?

Summary: Those who sleep well take sleep for granted, but for others, it’s not so simple. Everyone, however, seems fascinated with the reasons why people need to sleep. When those reasons are probed, sometimes the results are disastrous. No Sleep Used as Torture One of the worst horror stories about sleep deprivation is an urban legend known as The Russian Sleep Experiment. This is not a true story, thank goodness, but it does indicate the importance of sleep to mental health. You can read about it here if you love a good horror story with strong elements of truth, but what the story does indicate is how important we believe sleep is, and that we will become paranoid and insane if deprived of it. What is true is that sleep deprivation was used by many governments as a form of torture. The CIA once admitted that they allowed prisoners under interrogation be kept awake for more than a week. Beauty Sleep Turns out to Be Real There has always been disagreement on how much sleep we need. Is it eight hours a day, or will four suffice? Is it important to get “beauty sleep?” In 2013, Swedish researchers studied how people look when they are sleep deprived and found that after 31 hours without sleep, people are judged as less attractive and much sadder than they did after a good night sleep. In 2017 the experiment was done again, and the 25 participants were judged as less healthy and less friendly. Perhaps that is not very surprising! Sleep is a natural anti-depressant. No Sleep? See Spiders The best-documented Guinness World Record holder for sleeplessness was a San Diego teenager named Randy Gardner who stayed awake for 11 days and 24 minutes. This experiment was supervised and documented by professional sleep researchers. Although he is said to have recovered easily after sleeping, and suffered no ill effects while awake, he also became paranoid and suffered hallucinations. It seems that people who go without sleep for a long time do share a common hallucination — they see spiders where there are not spiders. How much more motivation to sleep would anyone need? Your Body Demands Sleep It’s unpleasant and debilitating, but humans don’t die from lack of sleep. A mechanism in our brain ensures that we don’t. This failsafe causes micro sleeps for a period of 1 to 30 seconds. They happen more often than people may realize, but it shows that if people don’t give the brain what it needs, the brain will take it anyway, especially when it comes to proper rest. On the other hand, there are negative consequences from these micro-sleeps. No one wants to lose control of how or when they fall asleep, and some of the most tragic accidents in history happened because someone was tired when they needed to be alert. If sleep is a worry, there is help. CPAP Solutions Inc . has helped people who are suffering from sleep apnea get a good night’s sleep. See a sleep professional if quality sleep is something that eludes you.

Summary: Sleep is so important that international organizations have started to take note of what is going on and how tiredness affects health, job performance, driving, and relationships. World Sleep Day is a day to look at and become aware of the importance of a good night’s sleep. Have you heard of it? It happens every year on the Friday before the Spring Vernal Equinox. In 2018, it will be on March 16, and in the year 2019, it will fall on March 15 and on March 14 in 2020. Why does it matter, and what happens on that day? The reason behind World Sleep Day is to recognize the problems that so many people have with sleeping and to understand how something so basic and simple can have such a huge impact on individuals and our surrounding environment. So, it is a call to action, say the organizers, on the important issues surrounding sleep, such as medicine, education, relationships, and general day-to-day living and activities. Of course that affects conditions like sleep apnea, snoring, and everything that makes these things better and worse. The organizers are saying that there are many issues, but it all hinges on people having the awareness of the importance of sleep. What Is the Perfect Amount of Sleep? The World Sleep Society hosts the events around the world, and is responsible for making sure that people are aware of it and events that are held. One of the questions that they are most often asked by everyone who hears of the organization for the first time is “What is the perfect amount of sleep?” Their answer is that it is usually seven hours, but there is more to it than that. The number of hours of sleep is important, but so is the length of uninterrupted sleep time and the depth and quality of sleep in that time. So, it is not just the number of hours, but also continuity and depth that have a big impact on physical and mental health. Healthy Sleep Habits The guidelines for healthy sleep are to plan for a good night by going to bed at a particular time every night and establishing specific sleep and wake schedules. Try to keep to the schedule and if there is a disruption in the schedule, return to it as quickly as possible. Sleep Apnea Sleep disturbances are what can mess things up and those who wake frequently in the night due to sleep apnea can have difficulties attaining good sleep habits. If your sleep apnea or that of your bed partner is keeping you awake at night, it is a big deal. Sleep apnea is one of the issues considered relevant to sleep health. It is important to ensure that people can recognize apnea they have it, and improve its symptoms. Sleep apnea is a very common breathing disorder that is characterized by narrowing and closing of the upper airway during sleep. Frequent waking, loud snoring and excessive sleepiness during waking hours are common indications of sleep apnea. This obviously affects quality of life; however, there are ways of dealing with sleep apnea to improve your sleep and your life. Sleep apnea can significantly affect the quality of your sleep and health, but any health condition that is disruptive requires attention. Work on sleeping through the night every night by consulting experts in sleep disorders, like CPAP Solutions Inc .

Summary: We all know a good night’s sleep is important for optimal health, but few understand how big a role sleep plays in our daily lives. In fact, many have gotten to the point where being tired is almost a badge of honour. Bags under the eyes, a lack of focus and being too sleepy to cook healthy meals or exercise is a way of saying, “Look at how much I get done in a day! I’m so busy I don’t have time to sleep!” This is a huge mistake. A two-year study by the National Sleep Foundation concluded that young adults (18-25) need between 7-9 hours of sleep, adults (26-64) require 7-9 hours as well, and seniors (65+) need 7-8. The consequences of not getting enough shut-eye are surprisingly dire. Many accidents, from fender benders to massive meltdowns like Exxon Valdez spill, are the result of sleep deprivation. Continued sleep deprivation can interfere with your heart and contribute to diseases such as diabetes, obesity and depression. Chronic sleep deprivation also plays havoc with your skin, aging you faster than necessary; and on your relationships since being cranky and short-tempered go hand-in-hand with being overtired. However, one of the most important reasons to get the sleep you need is because when the brain is truly at rest, your cerebrospinal fluid in the brain increases and effectively “washes” your brain cells, flushing toxins and helping to starve off brain diseases. Clearly, there are many great reasons to get to bed on time, but for some people, an early bedtime is not enough for a good night sleep. For those that suffer from sleep apnea, a full eight hours still leaves them feeling unrested. Sleep apnea is a serious condition that causes pausing, shallow breathing, or even cessation of breathing during a sleep cycle. This usually chronic condition can stop breathing for several minutes, which affects brain function in addition to causing a very poor quality of sleep. An estimated 850,000+ Canadians suffer from sleep apnea, and while the condition can affect both genders at any age, it is seen primarily in adult men. Typically, sleep apnea happens in conjunction with other health issues, such as obesity, heart failure, hypothyroidism, kidney failure and brain injury. Doctors perform and monitor the electrical activity of the brain, eye and muscle movements, heart rate and breathing flow along with blood oxygen levels to determine if a patient is suffering from sleep apnea. Once diagnosed with sleep apnea, it is vitally important to follow the recommended course of treatment – and this is where CPAP Solutions Inc. comes in. CPAP Solutions Inc. provides continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) equipment and professional treatment for the full range of sleep apnea disorders. In our facility, trained sleep professionals perform testing as ordered by your physician and help you understand, use and care for the equipment you need. As your one-stop CPAP location, you’ll find a full range of products along with fast, courteous and confidential service. Your treatment progress reports are sent to both you and your physician and you will have annual check-ins to ensure you sleep devices remain at optimal efficiency. There is no disputing the importance of a good night sleep, but when you have sleep apnea, you can feel robbed of the good health and energy you need. Don’t let this common sleep disorder take away from your wellbeing. CPAP Solutions Inc. works with you to give you the best sleep of your life, and with that, the health benefits that come with being properly rested.

Summary: Sleep is a very important thing to regulate the quality of life, but too many people are not getting enough sleep or suffer from the effects of sleep disorders. If you are finding that snoring or excessive tiredness is contributing to problems in your life, you may need to see a sleep specialist. This blog gives three of the indicators. Lack of sleep is a big problem throughout the nation. In fact, it is becoming a global epidemic. There are serious health risks; some say that our sleep deficit eventually builds up a debt that our bodies can never fully repay. Sleep problems, such as insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome and many other diagnosable sleep disorders affect up to half of the world’s population. Sleep specialists can help if you think that you are among those who are building up a big sleep debt and you don’t know why. A sleep specialist is medical doctor, or a psychologist with training in sleep medicine and sleep disorders. They understand that even in children, sleep deprivation can contribute to health risks such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke, and other medical conditions, as well significant loss to quality of life. In other words, sleep affects all that we do. What Are Three Signs That You Need to Visit a Sleep Specialist? A significant indicator is snoring, although not all snoring is a problem. Everybody snores sometimes, but snoring can be a sign of something more serious. If you feel as though you wake yourself up with your snoring, or your partner wants to sleep in another part of the house entirely, then that may be a problem. People with sleep apnea snore and often wake up not because of the sound of the snoring, but because they can’t breathe. They wake, jumpstart the breath and fall back asleep, sometimes over and over again each night, sometimes without even realizing what they are doing. Falling asleep during the daytime is another sign that you may not be sleeping enough at night, without realizing it. A sleep disorder, or significant lack of sleep, can cause someone to take a micro nap during the day. These naps last only for a moment, but that is enough time to cause an accident, or miss something important. Inability to concentrate may also mean that you are not getting enough sleep, and so is a sudden change in the quality of your health. If you wake up with a headache every day, or are unable to lose weight or are not getting some of the benefits you were expecting from your hard work, then you may not be getting enough sleep. A good night’s rest is essential to restore lost energy and balance. The main sign that you should consult a sleep specialist is not a sign at all. It is a feeling. If you think there is something wrong, there probably is, and it couldn’t hurt to find out. If lack of sleep is causing you problems, or your spouse complains that they are kept awake at night, or moves to another room because of your snoring, then you should consult a sleep specialist to see if your snoring and tiredness is because of sleep apnea or another sleep disorder. If the lack of sleep has been going on for a long time, or is causing you problems in your life then it is time to visit a sleep specialist who can offer some solutions.

Sleep apnea can be improved with some changes in lifestyle and health and by being aware of your breathing. Here are a few things you can do to help yourself before considering surgery.

Summary: Waking up at night and not being able to fall back asleep may be our body’s rhythms at work, not insomnia. Instead of sleeping for a full eight hours, we slept twice a night over twelve hours, with a three-hour break in between. In the break between the first and second sleep, we rested and relaxed. In the past, we didn't sleep for a clean, restful eight hours a night. We followed the pattern of the light and the rhythm of our bodies. In fact, in feeling guilty, or ashamed of ourselves for not being able to sleep, we may be setting ourselves up for an impossible task. Impossible because the modern idea of a good night’s sleep was not ever our ancestors' ambition and not something our bodies come by naturally. Before the Industrial Revolution, we had segmented sleep, said Roger Ekirch of Virginia Tech, who researched every written source available where people discussed their sleep habits. When people woke “in the middle of the night,” they were ready to wake, and they didn't worry because they couldn't get back to sleep and so ruin tomorrow's plans. They just got up. They used the time to do the relaxing personal things that humans rarely seem to have time for today. They used the chamber pot, they stoked the fire, fed the animals, or saw to something in the kitchen. Then they went back to bed, and used the time for reading, writing, praying, meditating, talking to each other and for having sex. There was no better time to conceive a child, 16th century doctors’ advised, than to enjoy your intimacies after the night’s first sleep when your body is rested. People rarely went out of their houses during these hours; not even the rich were concerned with wasting their resources on going out at night. The dark of night was not for respectable people with better things to do. This began to change in 1667 when Paris became the first city to light its streets, with candles in glass lamps, and over the next 50 years, other major cities in Europe followed. Lying in bed at night began to be considered a waste of time, and by the Industrial Revolution, doctors now advised parents to teach their children to be ashamed of their laziness for wanting a second sleep. Their first should be long enough. Since then, waking in the middle of the night and not being able to go back to sleep for two or three hours has been called insomnia. People may not have gotten nor needed our idea of a good eight hours, but they got twelve hours of resting time with eight hours of sleep within that time. Instead of relaxing through the long night, we shorten our twelve hours of rest time down to six, and call ourselves lucky if we get that much. Sleep problems have always been with us, however, even if we were not concerned. But as soon as we stressed ourselves over our wakefulness, the problems around sleep began. Interesting enough, author Charles Dickens described a character who did not sleep at night as being very obese, snored and often fell asleep on the job during the day. Doctors since referred to it as Pickwickian Syndrome, but later we have come to recognize this condition as obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep has been something that has “plagued” us for ages. If your sleep is not restful, visit us at CPAP Solutions Inc. We make the sleep you get count towards productivity during your waking hours.

Summary: Getting used to sleeping while wearing a CPAP mask can be difficult, but it can be done. Give yourself some time to get used to it and very soon you will be noticing the benefits of getting a good sleep. Is the thought of wearing a device to help keep your airways open while you sleep worrying you a little bit? Maybe you are concerned that it’s going to be hard to get to sleep while wearing a breathing mask. Will it be uncomfortable, heavy, too warm, itchy, painful, or noisy? Will it keep your bed partner awake? These are good questions because it actually can take some time to get used to wearing the CPAP machine, but it can be done. Here are some tips to help you adjust. Give It a Fair Chance The first tip is an obvious one. It will be easier to adjust to wearing the apparatus if you have accepted the need to wear it, and accepted that wearing it will help to make things better . Things will not change if you don’t give the machine a chance. For the first 30 days, try to wear the machine for most of the night as you sleep. Set an Alarm Sometimes though, you might push it off while you are sleeping. If this is a problem, address why you think you might be pushing it off. If this is a problem, set an alarm in the night to wake and check if you are still wearing the mask. If not, put it back on. Set the alarm for later and later in the night as you keep it on for longer. Practice If you feel like a little more training in becoming accustomed to the machine, wear it during the day sometimes just to get used to the feel of the machine and to make sure it fits properly. Once your body feels comfortable with the fit and the feel, you will find it easier. Try a Different Machine If the one you have is not fitting comfortably or staying on, then try a different one. Another type might be a better fit for you. Some machines are smaller, lighter or quieter than other models. As more people wear the machines and give feedback on what works and what doesn’t, the machines will continue to improve to make them easier to sleep with. Discuss the variety of CPAP machines available with your doctor and the store where they are sold. It will take time to get accustomed to wearing the CPAP machine, but as it begins to make a difference in the quality of your sleep, you will probably find that wearing it will be easier, especially as the time goes on. If your sleep doesn’t improve, or you find that some of the side effects of wearing the machine are getting worse instead of better as time goes on, then talk to CPAP specialist to see if the machine you have is actually the right one for you.

Sleep apnea and poor health often go together, making the problems of obesity, poor diet, high blood pressure and heart disease worse and harder to overcome.

Summary: Snoring can cause couples to sleep apart or even divorce each other because lack of sleep and resentments night after night is more than most people can stand. If your partner’s snoring is making you consider doing something drastic, see a specialist – because something can be done about it. Are you worried that your marriage can’t survive another night of that high decibel, grunting, snuffling snore of the loved one sleeping next to you? Sure, you give them a kick some times — of course, you meant that to be a loving kick, didn’t you? — and they roll over, but sometimes, that is not enough. You have to wonder, how often has snoring torn families apart? Can you imagine getting a divorce just because your partner snores? It has happened more than once. A woman in Ningbo, China, divorced her husband because of his snoring, and she claimed she had not been able to get a good night sleep since they married. She became ill and lost a lot of weight, and they divorced. The judge ordered the man to pay his wife $800 in compensation for her sleepless nights! In Iran, a man filed for divorce from his wife because of her snoring. He hadn’t noticed it at first, due to the fact that he slept very well because of the sleeping pills she secretly gave him so that he wouldn’t notice how loud her snoring was! Well, it worked for a little while, anyway! Humour aside, the facts are that no matter how much you care for each other, by 2 AM, especially after being woken up several times by a partner who may seem to be getting a good night’s sleep, a divorce starts to sound like a pretty good idea. Snoring can be awful for a bed partner, but if the issue is not handled, it can certainly break up a marriage. The one who snores doesn’t always understand why their partner is so tired, cranky and resentful with them the next morning. And then, they themselves become resentful after putting up with their spouses constant insistence that they stop a behaviour that they can’t control. This is obviously an issue that needs to be handled with some delicacy. Lack of sleep makes people angry and resentful, especially when one moves out of the bedroom, or just gets up in the middle of the night to sleep somewhere else. But don’t forget about intimacy. Sleeping together at night is about more than sleep or even sex, it’s about closeness and togetherness, and so it is important to remember to make time to keep that connection strong, even if you can’t sleep together. After all, you are not sleeping apart because you don’t want to be together, you sleep apart so that you can stay together. Finally, it’s not always true that there is nothing to be done about snoring. If it is a problem, visit a sleep clinic and see if wearing a sleep mask will help. Snoring may have greater health consequences, so it’s a good idea to determine the cause. Not all people who snore have sleep apnea, a condition where the sleeper stops breathing hundreds of times in the night before waking themselves with a snort, but all those who have sleep apnea snore. Before snoring destroys the relationship, visit CPAP Solutions Inc. to find out what’s going on.

Summary : Worrying about what might happen at a sleep clinic? It’s normal to wonder what is going to happen, if you will be able to sleep, if you will be hooked up to any equipment, or if anything embarrassing will take place. Here is an explanation of what is likely going to happen on the night you are going to the clinic. Have you ever slept with a team of scientists and doctors watching every snore you make? No, maybe not, but your doctor thinks it might be a good idea, and has recommended that you spend a night undergoing some kind of sleep testing to assess the seriousness of your snoring, or daytime sleepiness. You probably have some anxiety about the whole experience, and are worried that it might be somewhat creepy. What Should You Expect from a Visit to the Sleep Clinic? The first thing to do is to check the list of restrictions and guidelines that the clinic gave you. You should have a page of instructions telling you what to bring with you in your overnight bag, and what to eat or drink during the day, or avoid eating or drinking. Every situation is different, but it is likely that they suggested that you avoid naps, caffeine and other things that may keep you awake. You can probable bring with you anything you would take if you were going overnight to a hotel, but not, of course, pets, partners, or children. It makes sense to take sleepwear that you would be comfortable wearing in front of strangers. Where Will You Sleep? The room will be as nice as a private hospital room. If you have concerns about the room, ask to see a typical bed in advance, since the facilities will vary at each place. You should expect a bed and a bathroom, and everything needed to give you a good sleep. When you get there and are comfortable, the technicians will ask you to get ready for bed. Then they will set you up for the polysomnography. This should take around an hour, but it could be less or more depending on the concerns. What Will They Be Applying? The preparation includes attaching electrodes and wires for the EEG or electroencephalogram. This won’t hurt; the procedure is non-invasive and that means no needles and no blood. Other things that will probably need to be applied are a snore microphone that will be taped to your neck, sticky pads for the EKG to monitor your heart rhythm, a stretchy elastic strap on your chest to measure your breathing, and something to measure or monitor your movement. Everything is attached to a small box, that you can carry with you, so don’t worry if you need to get out of bed in the night. The last thing that will be applied just before you go to sleep is nasal tubing that sits comfortably in your nose to measure your airflow. It’s All over but the Sleeping Don’t worry that you won’t be able to sleep. After all, that’s why you are there, and the technicians are more experienced at this than you are, so whatever happens will be fine. Don’t let yourself be stressed. The next morning, you can go about your day as usual and wait for the results.

Snoring, daytime sleepiness, and waking up in the night may be nothing, or they may be signs of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that can be very serious.

Summary: People have been looking for a cure for snoring for a long time but those cures didn’t work to cure sleep apnea. These old wives tales may have some truth to part of them, but they didn’t work in the end. Snoring is one thing that everyone agrees on — at least they agree that they don’t like it. Whether you snore yourself, or sleep close to someone who snores, people are always trying to find a cure for snoring, and thereby, take back the night. For a very long time, people have been sharing snoring stories, and old wives tales as to what might cure snoring, but did they really help? Yes, sort of. Some of them might work a little bit, for one reason or another. For instance, sewing half a tennis ball to the back of the t-shirt that you sleep in will prevent snoring, but it will only stop you from sleeping on your back. If you only snore when you sleep on your back, then it will work. These old wives tales do have some grounding in reality. Toothpaste and onions, anyone? It is common knowledge by now that Diana, Princess of Wales, didn’t spend every night of her married life sleeping in the same room as Prince Charles, and one reason was because she said he snored “like a train” and one of his bedtime routines to stop this was to rub toothpaste under his nostrils and eat a boiled onion. Princess Diana didn’t like that anymore than she liked being kept awake by the snoring! Have you tried taping your mouth shut with duct tape every night? The idea behind this one is that people snore through the mouth, and if you can’t get your mouth open then you can’t snore. This seems unpleasant (and dangerous, don’t do this!) And can you imagine trying to get that duct tape off in the morning? Or you could gargle with a garlic tea. Garlic, onion and horseradish help to reduce snoring by reducing mucus buildup and drying up the nasal passages and airways. If the sinuses aren’t blocked then there might be less snoring. It’s likely that none of these “cures” sound appealing, and even if they do work, they probably won’t work long term. Instead, why not see a sleep specialist and find out why you are snoring? Sometimes snoring is more than just snoring. It can be a sign of sleep apnea, and that can be serious. The airways close and the sleeper finds him or herself gasping for breath and waking up, sometimes hundreds of times a night, to begin breathing again. Sleep apnea can cause a great deal of problems for the sufferer. Lack of sleep is one, as is loss of concentration. Since sleep is essential for good health, snoring that keeps the snorer and family awake is a problem that needs professional attention. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) helps to keep the airways open by increasing air pressure in the throat. The sleeper wears a mask over the nose and mouth, and a motor keeps air pumping through a tube to the mask. If you think that your snoring problems are more than a little toothpaste in the nostrils can cure, then visit a sleep apnea clinic like CPAP Solutions Inc . and see how they can help you.

Summary: There is more than one type of sleep apnea. The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea, but there is also central sleep apnea and mixed sleep apnea. Obstructive Sleep apnea can also be divided into mild, moderate, or severe, depending on how often the sleeper wakes up. There are different levels of sleep apnea, a condition where the respiratory system narrows during a sleep state. For people with obstructive sleep apnea, the respiratory system narrows in sleep, which decreases the amount of oxygen that enters the lungs. This lowered level of blood oxygen causes the sleeper to wake suddenly. Sometimes the sleeper does not realize their sleep was interrupted. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type and it can be mild to moderate to severe in its effects. The typical person who suffers from this condition is a more likely to be an overweight male between 35 and 50 years old, with a small jaw, a small opening at the back of the throat and a large tongue or tonsils. Females suffer as well, but it tends to be men twice as often. Losing weight would help people with the condition since it is the fatty tissues in the neck and throat that block the airways. While a person with obstructive sleep apnea sleeps, the muscles in the airways relax and sag, collapsing the airway until the sleeper wakes abruptly. This cycle repeats over and over through the night. Interruptions in the sleep cycle can happen a few times in the night, or hundreds of times. Central sleep apnea is rarer, and is not caused by a failure of breathing, but instead, it is a communication problem between the brain and the muscles that control breathing. Sometimes the person may stop breathing for 10 or 20 seconds. People with central sleep apnea don’t have blocked airways, but the condition is often caused by other medical conditions that may affect the brain, and those conditions can also interfere with quality of life. Mixed sleep apnea : a person may have long periods of obstructive sleep apnea, with brief periods of central sleep apnea. Effects of sleep apnea can leave people very sleepy the next day. A good night’s sleep is essential, and constant interruptions in the night leave a person depressed, irritable, or unable to concentrate. The amount of times the interruptions occur is what indicates the changes in level. Mild obstructive sleep apnea happens when your breathing is only interrupted from 5 - 14 times in an hour, moderate obstructive sleep apnea interrupts breathing more than 15 times, and severe obstructive sleep apnea happens when sleep is interrupted more than thirty times in one hour. People with severe sleep apnea are more likely to have automobile crashes, heart attacks, high blood pressure, heart failure, and strokes. There is no cure, but obstructive and central sleep apnea can be managed with CPAP therapy. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure is a breathing mask worn by the sleeper, so that just enough air pressure is delivered to keep the airways open that would otherwise collapse during sleep, causing snoring and pauses in breathing. CPAP Solutions Inc. will help you get a good night sleep if you suffer from sleep apnea.

This blog gives you a few ideas on how to sleep better at night with allergies, but when allergies are bad, it might be a good idea to consider a CPAP machine to help keep the airways open at night.

You may be worried about going to a sleep specialist or a therapist, but it won’t be upsetting. At these sessions, you and the specialist will talk about what is preventing your sleep and what treatments are appropriate.

Summary: Most people snore at least occasionally, but sometimes it can be a sign of a more serious problem that requires the attention and advice of a doctor, or a sleep specialist. Have a sleep study done if you find that snoring at night interferes with your day. Everybody snores, from the youngest of us to the oldest. Even animals snore occasionally. Most of the time, snoring is just snoring, but it can also be a sign of something more serious. How do you know the difference? There are a few types of snoring: occasional, habitual, and obstructive. The obstructive kind should concern you. Sometimes, snoring happens because the nasal airways are obstructed. They become blocked at night, temporarily, because of allergies or sinus infections, or because of a deviated septum or nasal polyps. A deviated septum occurs when the thin wall between the nostrils is not in the absolute centre, and one nostril is larger than the other is. When it is severe, it can cause breathing problems and snoring. Snoring also happens because of too much muscle relaxation in the throat and the tongue. When these relax too much, they collapse and block the airways, and snoring occurs. This type of snoring is generally mild, occasional, and usually occurs due to deep sleep. The deep sleep may be due to alcohol consumption, sleeping pills, or aging. Snoring that happens occasionally happens to everyone. When snoring is a problem, there are often some other clues. When the snoring effects your sleeping or interrupts the sleep of your sleeping partner, or others within earshot, then it is a concern. Serious, obstructive snoring can be a sign of sleep apnea, which can have different degrees of severity. If you snore frequently and loudly, stop breathing, gasp or choke during sleep, feel excessive restlessness at night or exhaustion during the day, the snoring can be a sign of something serious. Everyone who has sleep apnea snores, but not everyone who snores has sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a pause in breathing while asleep. The airways become obstructed and when it is severe, the airways close entirely and people with sleep apnea stop breathing for a few seconds or a little bit longer, maybe as long as minutes. The person with sleep apnea cannot breathe while in a deep sleep, because the airways are blocked; so, they wake up to begin breathing and fall asleep again. These interruptions can happen many times a night. So often, in fact, that a person with severe sleep apnea does not experience a good night’s sleep for many nights. Even without sleep apnea, snoring that disrupts sleep can be a health problem. It can be a sign of allergies, or a weight problem. Sleep is very important, of course, and if you cannot sleep, it becomes more difficult for your body to fight illness, and so other diseases take over. Sleep apnea can be a severe health problem, and one that can lead to other health problems. But any amount of snoring that disrupts your life, or your sleep, requires attention. Work on sleeping through the night every night by consulting experts in sleep disorders, like CPAP Solutions Inc. who can help with determining the problem and offering solutions to help with sleep.

Summary: English writer and composer Anthony Burgess once humorously misquoted Ella Wheeler Wilcox saying, “Laugh and the world laughs with you. Snore and you sleep alone.” Burgess would have probably been very interested in finding some kind of “cure” for snoring, so that he could make his nights better for many reasons. He probably tried some of these old home remedies to help stop or at least quieten snoring. There is no guarantee that any of them will work for everyone at every time but they may work for moderate snorers. If you are a heavy snorer, it would be a good idea to check into the snoring to see if it a sign of a more serious problem. First of all, many people who snore are often overweight, or are smokers . Dropping about 15 per cent of excess body weight does often help men to snore less, but women need to be considerable more overweight than men – about 40 percent overweight – before obesity affects the amount they snore. Cutting back on smoking usually helps with snoring as well. If you want a good night’s sleep, consider that sleeping aids, like sedatives, sleeping pills or antihistamines could make the problem worse! They relax the tissues around the head and neck, and relaxed tissues are one of the problems. Taking nasal decongestants or allergy pills during the day however, could help by unblocking the nasal passages at night. Another suggestion is to sleep on your side , as more people snore when they sleep on their backs. This may help the moderate snorer, but apparently has little effect on heavy snorers. Never the less, one idea was to sew a tennis ball into the back of your pyjamas so that you would either roll back onto your side or wake up. The thinking behind that one was that no one snores when he or she is awake. That’s not the best solution either! A trip to the snoring aids section of the pharmacy and the suggestions there to try are nasal strips, mouthpieces and nasal sprays, as well as anti-snoring pillows. All of these can be expensive, and probably won’t solve the problem every time. However, if you want to learn more about these, talk to a pharmacist to see what they would recommend, but remember that these are mostly just for the light to moderate snorer. The greater concern is what is causing the snoring. It may just be a common thing, annoying to your bed partner, but no big thing, and in that case, try some of the above suggestions. But snoring can be a sign of something more serious and it is a good idea to learn why you snore. Sleep apnea is a common sleeping problem and one of its most significant and telling symptoms is snoring. Not all those who snore have sleep apnea, but everyone with sleep apnea snores. Sleep apnea causes your airways to close while you sleep so that you wake up again to start breathing. Some people wake multiple times every hour. If you are finding that night-time snoring, or excessive and unexplained daytime tiredness is causing you lifestyle problems, then visit a sleep apnea clinic like CPAP Solutions Inc . and find out if wearing a CPAP mask that keeps your airways open at night will help you.

Summary: Obstructive sleep apnea can put your heart at risk even without having high blood pressure or other cardiac concerns. If you suspect that you might be at risk for low oxygen saturation in your sleep, see a doctor to understand how your sleep apnea may be affecting you. If you are unable to breathe properly during sleep, you may be putting your heart at risk. Sleep apnea may be doing more damage than previously thought. If you suffer from it, or suspect that you do, see a specialist as soon as you can. Sleep apnea is a momentary stop to the breathing cycle in sleep, usually accompanied by loud, disturbing snoring that your bed partner may have mentioned. But other than preventing your sleep, and straining your relationship, sleep apnea could also be damaging your heart regardless, putting you at a greater risk for an irregular heartbeat, new research shows . Research from the University of Ottawa analyzed the medical records of 8,256 adults at an average age of 47 years, and who suspected they had obstructive sleep apnea, but had not been diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmia, the most common type being atrial fibrillation. During arrhythmia, the heart beats too fast, or too slow, or just irregularly. During atrial fibrillation, the heart’s two chambers fibrillate (that is to contract very fast and irregularly). This can increase the risk of stroke, cause chest pain, or heart failure. The researchers reviewed the medical records of each patient and judged the severity of their obstructive sleep apnea according to how many partial or complete breathing pauses occurred in one hour of sleep, and how much time the patients spent with oxygen saturation levels below 90 per cent. In follow ups over the next 10 years, the researchers determined that 173 patients with abnormal oxygen saturation levels developed atrial fibrillation that required hospitalization, but the breathing pauses during sleep had no greater effect on A-fib development. Also taken into account were other risk factors such as age, sex, smoking, and high blood pressure. It was found that hypertension (high blood pressure) was not a factor in those 173 patients. Obstructive sleep apnea was found to directly cause atrial fibrillation without the patient developing high blood pressure somewhere in the middle, or being at other risks for stroke. However, a patient with sleep apnea often tends to have high blood pressure as well. For one reason, patients may be overweight, with a higher than normal amount of fatty tissues, and they may smoke or drink as well, factors that were taken into account in the research. With the abnormal oxygen saturation, the longer the patient stops breathing, the longer they are deprived of oxygen, and that puts more hard work onto the heart. The heart begins to accelerate and the blood pressure rises. Often, the patient is startled awake in a panic. There were some limitations on the research. The doctors did not have data on how patients responded to being treated for sleep apnea. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines can help patients with sleep apnea by pushing air through a mask the patient wears while sleeping, and thereby reducing the amount of times the airway closes. So, if your bed partner has mentioned that volume of your snoring is a bit more than an annoyance, and if you are sleepy during the day, wake with a headache or have difficulty concentrating, see your physician immediately, to see how CPAP therapy can help you.

Summary: Dreams may be necessary for good health, giving the brain a chance to relax and clean itself. If we don’t get a good night’s sleep, does that mean that we don’t have a healthy brain? If a patient is suffering from sleep apnea and wakes frequently in the night, is that disruptive to the health of the brain? This article talks about this possibility and about disturbing dreams that are not an indication of a good sleep. Do you remember your dreams? Perhaps you have noticed a difference in dreams depending on how well you slept, or perhaps, you can remember something from your dream, but as you struggle to recall it. Sometimes, a disturbing dream can leave you disoriented through the day and perhaps reluctant to go to sleep at night. It is not completely understood why living creatures dream, whether it is something we do to keep the brain active, but dreams seem inevitable, if not useful. However, a recent study suggests that if you have sleep apnea, you might be less able to recall dreams than people who don’t suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. Most of the time, 71.4 per cent of those who don’t have obstructive sleep apnea can recall nightmares or dreams, while only 43.2 per cent of people who have obstructive sleep apnea can recall their dreams. One theory may be that a person with sleep apnea wakes more often, and doesn’t fall into sleep as soundly as someone who doesn’t wake frequently, and so is always on the edge of dreamland. When you sleep less, you may have fewer dreams, but those you have are closer to the surface, so they may be more disturbing. One reason for the increase in nightmares is the abnormal levels of oxygen saturation that those with obstructive sleep apnea often experience. They are unable to breathe and so the brain jerks them awake with perhaps a sensation of strangulation, suffocation, falling or drowning because your airways are not getting required oxygen. You are likely to wake up, but the sensation may be included in your dream. There are two main types of sleep, one where the brain is quiet, called non-REM, and the other where it is active, called REM. Most of the dreaming is done in the REM stage, the fourth stage of sleep, which usually occurs about 90 minutes after falling asleep. In deep sleep, the brain becomes active again, but the body is relaxed. This is why this sleep phase is also known as paradoxical sleep, the paradox between an active mind and an immobile body. Sleep goes through the cycle (not always in the same exact order) about four or five times every night. This is an important phase in the health cycle, it is necessary to perform well in the daytime and for the memory and the brain to work. If there is a disruption in deep healing sleep, the body may not be getting the rest it needs. If you think that you are missing out on sleep, or that you have a poor quality of sleep, see a doctor or sleep specialist. A good night sleep is important and if your sleep apnea is affecting your rest, there are a number of complications that this will have on your health, your daily routine, your family and your workday. Work on your overall health during both your waking and sleeping hours and your quality of life will improve. If you think you might need assistance to stay asleep and keep breathing all night, see a sleep specialist and discuss the machines and therapy that can keep your airways open and working all night.

Summary: Wearing a CPAP mask to help you sleep may have a few side effects, especially if the mask doesn’t fit properly, but it will soon become a part of a good night’s sleep. Make sure it is a good fit, and don’t put up with a bad fitting mask. Talk to your CPAP solutions Inc. provider if you have any concerns at all about the mask you have because if it doesn’t fit, it can’t do its job. If you are just starting to wear a CPAP mask while you are sleeping, you might not be too sure about it. Are you wondering about some of the side effects from keeping the mask on your face all night? There are some positive effects you are probably noticing already, like an improved night’s sleep, and less snoring. Those affects might transfer into better performance and alertness during the day as well. You are likely finding that the benefits of getting a good night’s sleep are some of the definite positive effects. Are there any negative side effects?

Sleep apnea can kill you but it may not if you understand its seriousness and how it can be treated. However, sleep apnea causes tiredness and lack of sleep which makes other problems worse.

Summary: Some people find it more difficult to sleep while travelling because of jet lag, a disruption to the body's cycle, or increased stress from moving their regular life away from home. Things seem harder when travelling, and having sleep apnea can make the idea of travel even more stressful. Here are some suggestions to help you adjust and get some sleep when travelling. It’s hard to sleep when you are not at home. If you have to travel a lot for business or even if you choose to travel for pleasure, it can be hard to manage your natural rhythm. It’s hard, though, isn’t it, to have to balance work, or pleasure with your health? Still, though, there are ways to adjust so that you can make travel a part of your healthy living routine. Business travel can be a worry and getting a good night’s sleep while on a business trip can make the idea of travel stressful. If you know that sleep is essential for you, and you know that travel will make it difficult to keep up with your plan for a regular sleep schedule, try to see what specific parts of travel interfere with sleep and minimize those as much as possible. Jet Lag If you travel across time zones and if it is day when it should be dark, your body has trouble adjusting to the changes. Jet lag is worse when we travel from west to east because it is usually harder to fall asleep too early than it is to stay awake later than usual. Avoid dehydration by drinking water to help your body adjust, but don't drink caffeine or alcohol, because those will interfere with sleep. Exercise regularly and spend as much time outside in the sunlight if you are having trouble adjusting to a new time zone. A New Room If you have trouble sleeping in a strange environment regularly, try to bring some familiar things. Your own pillow or blanket, for instance, can make the bed feel more comfortable, and try to eliminate noise and light as much as possible. But keep the temperature in the room as close to your “night-time usual” as you can. Sleep Apnea However, what if your sleep disorder is more than what is caused by a time zone change, unfamiliar surroundings, or a sudden change in the light? What if you have sleep apnea, insomnia or are under treatment to help with snoring, or are concerned that you are having difficulties with breathing at night. CPAP machines are available in travel size. Your usual CPAP machine might be clunky and a bit unwieldy to try and travel with, but sleep apnea does not have to prevent you from travelling. As mentioned above, the machines do come in smaller, more convenient sizes for travelling. Some that are built for travel even have battery power so you don't have to worry about power cords. If you prefer to travel with your usual machine, it does come in a convenient case, and as medical equipment, likely won't count towards your one carry-on item limit. It is better to travel with them as carry on equipment rather than checked baggage. So don't worry about how your sleep apnea might affect your holiday, or your business travel. It is, in fact, one of the most convenient medical conditions to travel with. See your specialist if you need help choosing the right machine to travel with.

Children are as affected by a poor night’s sleep and sleep disorders as adults are. Sleep disorders in children can lead to poor school and exam performance, lack of confidence in social situations, and diminished overall development and performance.

Summary: Sleep is so important that people are always trying to find ways to better understand what keeps people awake. Sleep apnea, however, is a much more serious problem than a bit of snoring. Scary old-time sleep cures should actually make all of us glad for modern sleep treatments! But, doesn’t that that make it sound a little bit like modern sleep apnea treatments are something that we should be worried about? Or that a good night’s sleep is somehow something difficult for many people to accomplish? It should tell you straight off that sleep is very important and whether it is insomnia, snoring concerns, or sleep apnea, improving the quality of sleep has been important since long before there were CPAP breathing apparatuses, developments in unpronounceable surgeries such as uvulopalatopharyngoplasty , nasal strips, or even uncomfortable jaw support belts. So, what were we trying to cure? Is there an actual cure, or did people in the ‘olden days’ just believe that there were? Old wives’ tales sometimes have basis in truth, but other times they are about people trying to make sense of the world as they see it. In these modern times, a lot of money has been put into understanding what keeps people awake and in providing ways and theories achieve sleep. And the remedies of the past were powerful, and seemed more about frustration than actual benefit. Most of them seem linked to breathing. Eat a boiled onion before you sleep, gargle with garlic, put toothpaste under your nostrils! Maybe the idea was that if you can’t stand your own breath, you won’t breathe? Or at least, snore. The strong ingredients did unblock the nasal passages and stop the snoring for awhile, but they seem a little punishing, don’t they? Equally fun is the idea of sewing a tennis ball to the back of your pajamas! You won’t be able to sleep on your back, and people snore less in other positions. All of the old-time remedies for snoring did actually have the basics right. The ‘cures’ focused on the way people ate, how much they ate and drank, how much they smoked, and how they slept. Statistics show that men snore more than women and that larger, older men snore the most. Losing weight can help with breathing and keeping the tissues in the upper airways in the back of the throat from relaxing too much. Old remedies may have advised that, if having trouble sleeping, one should have a little drink and that will send you right to sleep. Ignore that advice. Alcohol makes snoring worse, and too many little drinks may make it harder to realize that the problem is bigger than snoring or insomnia. Most of the well-meaning advice passed down through the ages was rooted in fact but didn’t have the wisdom of science behind it. In other words, if it worked for one person, it will work for the next person. But, remember that not all snoring is the same thing or for the same reason. Sometimes snoring is just snoring and is temporary, but other times it is the basis of a real problem. If your snoring is of larger concern, see a sleep specialist to discuss it. Because modern sleep apnea treatments have come a long way since garlic gargling!

Snoring can affect your sleep and that of your family. There might not be a cure, but there are techniques that can be learned to make you healthier in your body and in your lungs so that everything works better inside and out.

Sleep is so important that lack of sleep, for whatever reason, is a big health problem. Latest research shows that it is more prevalent across the globe than had been previously reported, but because it is now known that sleep apnea affects most of the world, this will pave the way for more research and more advances in sleep, health risks and CPAP therapy.

Summary: This blog talks about what usually happens before, during, and after a night in a sleep clinic. Do you have problems sleeping? If your doctor has recommended that you have your sleep patterns investigated to see if you do have problems, such as sleep apnea, snoring or sleeplessness, or other concerns, then for a definitive answer you will have to have a polysomnogram. That requires a visit to a sleep clinic for a sleep study. During the study you will sleep the night in a private room in a lab with technicians monitoring your sleeping patterns, with the help of sensors that are attached to your head, face and body. The sensors detect brain wave activity, eye movement, blood oxygen levels and breathing activity, as well as the number of apnea incidents experienced per hour. This data will give a diagnosis of the severity of the problems to determine the best treatment plan. Nervous? This is a completely different kind of sleepover than any you may have had before. If you are spending the night in a sleep clinic then here is everything you need to know. The room that you sleep in will feel more like a hotel room than a hospital room. You may be sleeping in a laboratory, but the best results will not be achieved unless you feel right at home. You can wear regular pajamas, get ready for bed as normal, and adjust the temperature and lighting of the room to your preference. Despite the sensors, wires and electrodes, you should be as comfortable as possible and allowed to fall asleep naturally. It is a night, so arrive after 8 PM to give yourself time to be comfortable and expect to remain until the next morning. Check the list of guidelines that you will have received from the clinic to know what you can bring and when you should arrive. After the study, you just have to wait for your results. They won’t be available right away, but they won’t take long. Further studies might be needed if the doctors don’t have all they need to recommend a course of treatment right away. You and your sleep specialist will develop a treatment plan with an explanation of what happens as you sleep, and what may be the causes. The plan will likely include lifestyle and diet changes that will help your sleep eliminate some of the risk factors for sleep apnea, and the appropriate breathing devices for your goal. Typically, treatments don’t include medications, and surgery is only recommended for snoring in very rare cases, when nothing else has worked. If the doctors suspect that the cause of your sleeping problems might be obstructive sleep apnea, then the breathing device most recommended is the CPAP machine. This device is a mask fitted over your nose and mouth, to keep the airways open in sleep so that the sleeper does not stop breathing. Sleep apnea is dangerous and proper treatment is important. The visit to the sleep clinic will have you feeling better in no time. For more information about the devices that can help you, or for a referral to a sleep clinic, discuss the matter with your doctor or your sleep specialist at CPAP Solutions Inc.

Summary: Sleep apnea affects many people without them knowing they even have it, making it one of the biggest health epidemics affecting people all over the world. It is often linked to other health problems and increased health care costs. This blog talks about how better to understand sleep apnea and how to help yourself if you are concerned that sleep apnea is a problem for you. Sleep apnea can be a dangerous condition that can have serious consequences on health if the sufferer is not aware of the problem. As the word ‘apnea’ means ‘without breath,’ then sleep apnea is sleeping without breathing, and that is as concerning as it sounds. The sleeper wakes frequently to take a breath and then falls asleep again until the next desperate breath is sought. Sometimes these disruptions in the sleeping pattern can happen as many as 30 or 40 times an hour, which certainly makes for a restless night. A Health Canada Survey of 2009 reported that many Canadians are affected by sleep apnea. Sometimes people don’t even know that they have it, or that they are not aware of the seriousness of the condition. How do you know if you have it? People with sleep apnea snore loudly and disturbingly as they snort and sputter to catch their breath and wake themselves in their sleep. Often, people with apnea are alerted to it by the people sleeping close to them. Snoring and sleep apnea are closely linked, although there are many other reasons for snoring as well. Other signs of sleep apnea are excessive daytime sleepiness, headaches, or a dry mouth. What happens? In an obstructive sleep apnea sufferer, while sleeping, the tongue rests on the soft palate which collapses against the back of the throat blocking the airway passage. Attempting to breathe through this block causes the snoring sound. At other times, although the airway is not constricted, the brain can forget to breathe while asleep, and so the sleeper doesn’t breathe for a few minutes, until they gasp and sputter to catch breath, before sleeping again. There are some risk factors for sleep apnea that lead to a stereotypical idea of a sufferer. People expect a slightly older, overweight male who smokes and drinks and otherwise has poor health, high blood pressure, or sinus issues to be at risk, but sleep apnea can affect anyone, increasing the risk of other health issues that require a good quality sleep to improve. What can you do? There are lifestyle changes that can be done to improve the quality of your sleep, and sleep apnea can be lessened by losing weight, cutting down on smoking and alcohol, and by doing breathing exercises to strengthen the air passages. Don’t use sedatives to help you sleep as they may make it more difficult for you to wake up when you need to. Whether or not one has sleep apnea must be diagnosed through a sleep study in a sleep lab to determine how many apnea incidents are experienced through the night, but once diagnosed, a sleep specialist can determine the best treatment. Breathing devices such as a continuous positive airway pressure machine can keep the airways open while you sleep, or a mouthpiece can be fitted comfortably to keep the mouth slightly open at night. For those with a more serious condition, there is surgery than can be performed. For a better understanding of sleep apnea and to find out which solution might be right for you, consult a sleep specialist at CPAP Solutions Inc. for advice and solutions.

Summary: Sleep apnea can happen to anyone and it can be a serious problem, especially to pregnant women. If you suspect that you have sleep apnea and you are concerned that oxygen deprivation and sleep deprivation can harm the baby, see a doctor for solutions. CPAP therapy can be a big help. This blog discusses sleep apnea in pregnant women and how it can be harmful, but there are things to do to help you both and baby. You might be finding it harder to sleep now that you are pregnant. Sleep disturbances during pregnancy are common, but are they harmful to mom or baby? Normal sleep disturbances are often just a consequence of the changes in your body at this time, but what if you have, or suspect that you have, sleep apnea? Sleep apnea can deprive you of sleep and sometimes it can deprive you and the baby of oxygen as well, so it is a serious problem if it is left unaddressed. Often people are not aware that they have sleep apnea, and to make it more complicated, the symptoms of sleep apnea are similar to normal pregnancy body changes. You may be experiencing things such as loud snoring, disrupted sleep, headaches when you wake, heartburn, frequent waking to urinate in the night, weight gain, and excessive tiredness in the daytime. Is it sleep apnea, or just pregnancy? People with sleep apnea can wake very briefly as many as 10 to 30 times in one hour without even realizing it in order to take a breath, and this does become a problem if the supply of oxygen to your body is compromised. Have a test done as soon as possible if this is something that you suspect because the sooner it is addressed, the better things will be for the baby. Women are more likely to develop sleep apnea during pregnancy and after pregnancy, but it is not common in healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies. However, since weight gain is one of the things that make sleep apnea worse, and a pregnancy weight gain of more than 20 - 35 pounds can be a contributing factor to developing sleep apnea at this time. Higher levels of estrogen also increase the risk for pregnant women. If you are not getting enough oxygen while you sleep, the risks of gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia are higher and mothers with obstructive sleep apnea are more likely to require a caesarian. More babies with oxygen-deprived mothers are more likely to require time in a neonatal ICU, often due to higher instances of early delivery and low birth weight. Appropriate treatment as soon as possible increases your chances of having a healthy baby. As well, look at other behaviours that can be harmful to your weight gain or breathing concerns. Even a small amount of exercise can help with breathing; stop smoking and keep an eye on your diet and weight gain throughout the pregnancy. Certainly, sometimes snoring is just snoring, but not always. The physical changes in your body could be a contributing factor to the congestion of mucous and excess tissue in the airways, and sleep apnea can develop. A CPAP machine can help to keep your airways open as you sleep. All that is needed is to find the right device for you and then wear a mask over your nose, or your nose and mouth, connected to a machine beside the bed that will deliver positive air pressure while you sleep. See a sleep specialist at CPAP Solutions In c. to find a CPAP machine that is comfortable for you and let the positive changes in your sleep and pregnancy experience begin immediately.

Summary: Are you having trouble managing your weight because everything seems to be too hard? Sleep management and weight management go hand in hand; addressing one issue will improve the other. This blog talks about the problems that are caused by sleep apnea and how it relates to weight gain. Trying to keep a healthy weight sometimes seems next to impossible. As impossible in fact, as getting a good, restorative sleep can also seem to be. Did you know that obesity and sleep apnea are linked? Excess body weight is one of the things that make it hard to breathe at night, but ironically, a good night’s sleep is key to weight management. A Chicken and Egg Problem Doctor’s usually recommend that patients lose weight when their body mass index is above 25. Being overweight is not uncommon among North American adults. Neither are sleep disorders. Overweight adults usually suffer from sleep disorders and those diagnosed with sleep apnea are commonly overweight. We already know the health risks associated with obesity, but sleep apnea is also very dangerous. Losing weight can help with sleep apnea because excess fat tissue is one of the health issues that cause the breathing tubes to close and obstruct the airways. When you don’t breathe when you are asleep, your brain will wake you up to take a breath before sending you back to sleep. Sometimes the sleeper wakes up as often as 20 or 30 times an hour and this results in excessive tiredness. Waking this many times in the night leads to headaches, high blood pressure, lowered oxygen levels, depression n and loss of energy. With these problems already occurring, it is difficult to find the motivation to manage a weight loss regime. Surprisingly, many people don’t even know they have sleep apnea. Those small wakes in the middle of the night disrupt sleep but the sleeper often doesn’t realize it, so they may not connect it with the problems making weight loss harder than it needs to be. In fact, lack of sleep makes people gain weight because of hormonal imbalances, and without sleep, our bodies do not operate at peak efficiency in order to burn fat. Specific hormones manage hunger and appetite. When these hormones, leptin and ghrelin , are out of balance, insulin levels become affected. You feel hungrier and crave sugars and carbohydrates, which the body can’t manage due to lack of sleep. This isn’t meant to make sufferers with both problems feel that there is no hope. Being aware and facing up to both issues can be big help in managing weight and sleep disorders. The chicken and egg conundrum works in reverse too. A small weight loss can improve sleep and improved sleep can help control weight. For a better night’s sleep, see your sleep specialist for a CPAP machine. CPAP therapy has helped sleep apnea sufferers to sleep through the night for longer and longer stretches without waking. Continuous positive airway pressure keeps the airways open so that you can sleep, and when you get a better rest, your sleep apnea can improve and most importantly, all the negative symptoms associated with sleep apnea and getting improper rest will improve as well. For more information about how CPAP therapy can help with weight management, talk to a sleep specialist about having a sleep study completed and the products that will help you sleep better. Sleep apnea is common, and help is available from CPAP Solutions Inc.

Summary: Sleep deprivation is a big deal, costing Canadians billions in health care, lost work time, and economic benefits. It’s not just a Canadian problem, however, but also a worldwide epidemic. Read about the toll that sleep deprivation takes on everyone. Sleep, it seems, is like something that either we can do easily or we can’t. In fact, those who are doing it easily don’t even think about it, until we find ourselves short on rest. But actually, sleep deprivation is a bigger deal than you may think. What is the cost that sleep deprivation has on our bodies and our bank accounts? In March of 2017, CBC News posted this story informing Canadians of what sleep deprivation costs the economy. The tagline said that we lost 80,000 working days per year and $21 billion dollars because of tiredness. One quarter of Canadians sleep less than the recommended seven hours per day. Yes, it’s a big deal because both the quality and quantity of sleep that we get matters. Sleep deprivation is not just about the harm that is done to workplace productivity or to performance related costs due to human error. Human error, in some jobs, can be fatal. The report mentions the Chernobyl nuclear explosion, the Exxon Valdez spill and the space shuttle Challenger tragedy as incidents that might have been prevented had lack of sleep not been a factor. Getting adequate sleep is essential to living a long life, keeping a healthy weight, performing well, and having a strong positive attitude. A link has been drawn to show that lack of sleep is both a cause and a symptom of many chronic diseases. Obstructive sleep apnea is another link in the cause-or-symptom chain of sleep deprivation and poor health. The 2009 Canadian Community Health Survey found that adults who were diagnosed with sleep apnea were 2.5 times more likely to have diabetes, 1.8 times more likely to have hypertension, 2.2 times more likely to have heart disease and 2.2 times more likely to have a mood disorder, compared to the rest of the population. The problem with sleep apnea being included in the mix is that lack of sleep occurs despite the sleeper’s best efforts. The sleeper stops breathing during sleep and must wake to begin breathing again. The report says that “the sleeper does not become fully awake, and usually has no recollection of the awakening. This cycle happens repeatedly through the night, interfering with the normal sleep pattern that one needs to feel rested and refreshed in the morning.” Recognizing the lack of sleep and understanding what is causing the sleep deficit goes a long way in recovery. There are things that Canadians can do to ensure that they are properly diagnosed so that they can begin working forward on their health. For example, if you feel that you would benefit from discussion with a sleep specialist in Edmonton regarding sleep apnea and some of the aids in terms of a CPAP apparatus to help you get the rest you need, then that is a positive step forward. Once the impact is properly recognized, treatment will come much more easily. If you are looking for CPAP therapy in Edmonton, talk to CPAP Solutions Inc .

Summary: Not getting a good night sleep can contribute to depression, but depression also contributes to not getting a good night sleep. Read about the link and how helping one can help the other. Everybody feels sad sometimes. It’s a healthy part of learning to cope with the natural ups and downs of life. Depression, however, is much more than just a way of processing feelings. Clinical depression is a mood disorder — no small matter easily fixed with a bowl of chunky chocolate ice cream. More than 12% of Canadians have been diagnosed with clinical depression at least once in their life, and insomnia is a big part of that. Yes, depression and insomnia are linked. Many studies, including this one from Stanford University, show a link between sleep apnea and depression. How does sleep apnea fit in? People with depression are five times more likely to suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, a common sleep disorder that affects breathing. Breathing stops for a few seconds when the muscles relax during sleep. The soft tissues in the back of the throat collapse and block the airway. The sleeper stops breathing and jolts awake to begin breathing again. Of course, this interferes with the regular sleep cycle because these awakenings can happen as many as a hundred times in a single hour. The sleeper may not even be aware of what is happening, but the body and the brain both suffer the effects. Those effects occur because without getting a good night’s sleep it is harder to recover from depression. The body requires sleep to heal itself, and without receiving adequate REM sleep in its proper form, then healing can’t occur. By properly addressing sleep apnea and some of the other health issues that make sleep apnea worse, depression can also improve. How does this work? Our natural sleep rhythms and patterns are meant to leave us feeling restored and rested. During sleep, the body and the brain work together to address the various damages of the day, repairing organs, rebuilding and strengthening muscles, burning fat, healing and rejuvenating all systems. If the quality of sleep isn’t good, then that can’t happen. The brain is still active during sleep, processing the stimuli it received while awake, but to do this work, it needs to successfully drift into and out of the REM and non-REM stages of sleep. Depression and breathing problems during sleep are common and often people are not aware that they have either, as both are under diagnosed and under reported. Researchers suggest that screening for both can lead to better diagnoses and better treatment. Depression affects motivations and behaviours as well as emotions, and those suffering from mood disorders do not always see the link clearly. Sleeping well is the first step in good health. See a sleep specialist if you think that sleep disorders might be influencing your life. CPAP therapy in Edmonton can make a big difference in the quality of sleep that you are getting. There are a number of apparatus available to provide sleepers with continuous positive airway pressure. Talk to an expert who can help you find the right breathing apparatus to open up your airways and have you sleeping without interference. Your outlook will improve when you begin sleeping well. If you are looking for sleep therapy in Edmonton, talk to a sleep specialist from CPAP Solutions Inc.

Summary: This blog looks at some of history’s greatest leaders as people who drove others crazy with the sound of their snoring. If snoring is a problem for you, however, don’t accept it as commonplace. Be sure to visit a sleep specialist to find out if more is going on. It’s a part of human nature to want to compare our own character traits and habits to some of the most famous, well-known figures from history. Snoring is particularly of interest in this regard! And as it is nothing to be ashamed of, after all, it is nice to compare and take a look at how others solved the issue. Queen Victoria often fell asleep during the day. It was said that her ladies in waiting often had to move her a little bit and rearrange the chairs and cushions frequently to make it look as if she was awake. President Theodore Roosevelt snored so loudly that other residents of the hospital wing complained. He had to be moved to his own wing just so everyone else could get some sleep. He was an extremely loud snorer throughout his life, despite being an outdoor fitness enthusiast. Winston Churchill was another snorer who had to make other sleep arrangements for himself. He was said to take two hour naps during the day, usually about late afternoon, and then get up and work deep into the night. Lady Churchill was said to prefer it this way. She often slept in a soundproofed room so that nothing could wake her. Churchill, however, lived to be ninety, despite health issues and his unusual sleep habits. Tom Cruise is another person with his own ‘snoratorium,’ a room where no sounds can disturb anyone. Of course, in a home worth $20M US there is definitely room to build one. When Cruise was married to Katie Holmes, The Daily Mail in the UK pointed out the current popularity of these rooms, saying that “they are proving popular among ageing action heroes who are now in or reaching their 40s”. Other famous celebrities were also known for the sound of their snores – Elizabeth Taylor was a noisy sleeper, as well. Thomas Edison didn’t sleep at all. Edison, apparently, found sleep such a waste of time that he invented the lightbulb just so that he could work all night (allegedly, of course)! Most of these mentioned as some of history’s most prolific snorers had other things in common. They were those with the weight of the world on their shoulders. From “aging action stars” to world leaders, these people had stressful and busy lives. They found their own ways of coping with their need for sleep. Like Churchill, many of these leaders were stressed, overworked, and overweight, as well as being in poor health and heavy smokers and drinkers. These notorious snorers may have also suffered from sleep apnea, a condition where the airways close in sleep and the snoring sleeper must wake to breathe. It affects many people, not only those considered to be in poor health. If your snoring is such that it keeps you or your family awake, then find out what is causing it. Don’t lock yourself away in a sound-proofed bedroom. Visit the sleep specialists at CPAPSolutions.ca to find out how you can get a better night’s sleep.

Summary: When you can’t sleep because your partner’s snoring is keeping you awake, it can be frustrating. But before you get a divorce, try these tips. You could sleep apart, or you could check to see what is causing the snoring. Maybe they have allergies, but they may have sleep apnea. Convince your partner to do a sleep study. It’s frustrating when you can’t sleep, but when you can’t sleep because of an issue that is going on with someone else in the house, it is even more frustrating. Here are three ways to cope when it’s your snoring partner keeping you awake. How do you bring the subject up in the first place? Sometimes that’s the hard part. Don’t wait until you are so tired and frustrated from lack of sleep, however. Many people who snore already know that they snore, but they may not be aware of how difficult it is for the partner. You could move into a separate bedroom, or send your partner to another room, but to do that permanently is a bit of a rejection. Sleeping somewhere else is one way of coping. It may be a permanent solution, or just a temporary one. If the snoring isn’t serious, and you don’t think your partners snoring is anything to worry about, you can just give him or her a bit of a prod to make them turn over. Often the change of position will kind of reset the vibrations long enough for you to fall asleep. Another thing that you can do is see if your partner snores every night, or if it is just sometimes. Some people are not chronic snorers, but only snore during hay fever season, or perhaps around the holidays when they have had a bit too much food and drink. In that case, solutions are easy. Check to see if there are any common triggers that make him or her more wheezy at night, or if there are foods that open up the nasal passages and will help your partner breathe easier. Some people actually gargle with garlic and onions before bed. Well, never mind the snorer — if you gargle with the garlic, then they might volunteer to sleep somewhere else! But one more thing. Remember that snoring isn’t always a joke. If you think that the snoring is a problem for your partner and of course for you, then then visit a sleep specialist at CPAP Solutions Inc. and have a sleep study done. If your partner is constantly tired the next day, falls asleep in dangerous situations and wakes frequently to catch his breath, then they may have sleep apnea, and this can be treated with a breathing mask or other apparatus to open their windpipes and make sure that they are getting the required amount of sleep every night. Sleep apnea can be life threatening. Snoring is not always something serious, but sleep apnea is. And not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, but everyone with sleep apnea does snore, sputter, cough and gasp for breath in their sleep. It can be frustrating, but it’s no joke. Sometimes, only the sleep partner realizes what may be going on. So, bring the subject up with your partner, and visit CPAP Solutions Inc. to see what’s going on.

Summary: There are three sleep issues that usually indicate a sign of a problem in sleepers. Loud snoring, frequent waking, and excessive daytime tiredness that occur regularly are signs of sleep apnea and an indication of problems that need to be addressed. See a sleep specialist for advice if you have these symptoms. Sleep apnea is usually a lot more than just a sleep disorder and is something that needs to be taken seriously. One of the biggest issues about sleep apnea is that those who have it often don’t realize that they have it or how serious sleep apnea can be. Sleep apnea causes numerous pauses in breathing during the night. Not only can the apnea be fatal if the sufferer becomes too tired to wake his or herself, it can also lead to suffering when extreme tiredness from not getting a good night’s sleep also causes problems throughout the day. What Are Some of the Signs That Those with Sleep Apnea Usually Share? The most common one is snoring. There are many reasons why people snore and most of them are not serious issues and have nothing to do with sleep apnea. However, it is commonly stated that although not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, everyone with sleep apnea does snore. Snoring with sleep apnea is not gentle, but loud, rhythmic breathing. When you have sleep apnea, snoring is the kind of night-time sound that keeps others in the house awake. It is loud and includes snorts, gasps, and loud rasping noises. If this happens regularly, and others complain, you may have sleep apnea. Another common sign that is related to the snoring is the way that the snoring affects you in the morning. This kind of snoring leads to very dry mouth in the morning and headaches from the oxygen deprivation caused by not breathing at night. Someone with sleep apnea will experience night after night of poor sleep, a lack of oxygen, and waking of up to hundreds of times in the night. Another sign of sleep apnea is extreme tiredness, and may have periods of micro sleep during the daytime. This tiredness is confusing since the sleeper is unaware of the amount of times they may have woken up, and think they had an adequate night’s sleep. Often it takes a sleep partner to make you aware of how you are actually sleeping. Lack of oxygen at night can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes. A lack of sleep also leads to symptoms that are dangerous by association. Depression, poor concentration, and lack of motivation to change harmful behaviours that are worsening the sleep apnea such as diet and weight loss also make things much worse. Sleep is absolutely essential to wellness. Help Is Available If you think you may have sleep apnea, there are things that can be changed. The initial change is to help yourself to breathe comfortably in the night — once the sleep issue is addressed, you will be more motivated to make further changes. There is one simple way to start. See a CPAP specialist to learn about different sleep masks and breathing apparatus that can keep your airways open at night, so you can deal with the sleep issue. The sleep specialist will advise you on other lifestyle changes to help strengthen your airways and become healthier. Make an appointment as soon as possible to begin to work on positive changes in your life.

Because different sleep apnea sufferers have different needs, there must be different kinds of sleep apnea masks so that the user will be able to sleep comfortably. If your mask is not comfortable, there may be other options that will work better.

Snoring can be funny, but also frustrating for the sleeper and their partner. Snoring spouses have been comedic material for centuries, but it’s no joke in reality.

Summary: CPAP therapy is an excellent way of controlling sleep apnea, but different patients require different solutions. New research has found another possible solution called hypoglossal nerve stimulation. Could this be the next frontier in sleep technology? Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common. According to Alberta Health Services, it is estimated to affect about 10 per cent of Albertans (about 400,000 people). Sleep apnea is harmful in itself, but it is also harmful because the effects of poor sleep can make it more difficult to manage other chronic health conditions. Being diagnosed and treated for OSA is a necessary step in recovery. Studies suggest there might be a new treatment coming from a device called a hypoglossal nerve stimulator (HGNS). What Makes HGNS Different? The hypoglossal nerve is the cranial nerve that controls the muscles responsible for the movement of the tongue and helps with voluntary and involuntary functions like swallowing and blocking or allowing airflow. Muscle tone can become weak in the hypoglossal nerve just as it can in other muscles in the human body, and it may need some activation from time to time. The HGNS stimulator is sometimes referred to as a pacemaker for the tongue, as it prevents those muscles from relaxing too much during sleep. HGNS studies and tests are looking positive so far. The device seems to work to a double advantage as it can monitor the patient’s sleep patterns and stimulate the hypoglossal nerve as needed, without the sleeper waking up. The other benefits of the device suggest that it works for a broad range of sleep apnea sufferers across the spectrum of severity. HGNS is an implantable electrical stimulation device, like a pacemaker, and so requires surgery. It is also quite a bit more expensive than a CPAP mask, and the effects of long-term use of the device are not yet known. Why Look for a New Way? CPAP therapy masks are a very effective method of treating sleep apnea. They are simple to use, but one concern expressed by many medical professionals and sleep researchers is that they can’t work if they are not being used. There are many cases when CPAP devices are not being used, as they are perceived as being uncomfortable, unsexy, noisy, or cumbersome to wear or to pack when travelling. Patient error, and lax behaviour, is a concern. For some, a device like HGNS may be a viable option. Sleep Well Lack of sleep is one of the most debilitating health issues, and sleep apnea is one of the most common causes. Before diagnosis, people are often unaware that they have OSA, and that it can lead to greater health risks such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, diabetes, depression, and obesity. The excessive tiredness can also be a factor in workplace and motor vehicle accidents. If you think there might be a reason why you are tired during the day or waking with a dry mouth or a headache, see a sleep specialist at CPAP Solutions Inc . about the treatments available.