• Flows your airway to be kept open while you sleep
• Corrects snoring
• Improves your quality of sleep
• Helps to relieve sleep apnea symptoms
• May decrease or help prevent high blood pressure

Your airway is made up of your nose mouth throat and windpipe. Often health problems are more likely to arise when the body is deprived of the necessary oxygen intake on a daily basis. Apnea is when airflow is completely blocked and there is no airflow. This apnea prevents the proper amount of oxygen to reach your lungs. When your breathing is obstructed for short intervals of under ten seconds this may be a milder sleep, breathing problem known as UARS or upper airway resistance syndrome. Using your CPAP machine will provide you with continuous positive airway pressure to keep your airway open during sleep resulting in a good nights rest!

The National Institute of Health posts that about 18 million Americans, or 1 in 15, suffer from sleep apnea. There are many health conditions which cause breathing difficulties resulting in respiratory problems such as asthma, COPD, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Heavy snoring may also be a sign that a more serious health problems exists. Since snoring is a symptom that your airways are obstructed using your CPAP machine will most likely correct your snoring which in turn will allow others to sleep better when their sleep is interrupted by your snoring.

Symptoms that you are not getting a restful sleep due to a breathing disorder may appear as daytime sleepiness or fatigue that interferes with a persons daily life and their ability to function resulting in a decrease in their quality of life. While not all breathing disorders require a CPAP machine, such as a temporary congestion from a cold or seasonal allergy, when your doctor prescribes this breathing treatment for you it indicates that a more serious health problem may exist.

There is an ancient proverb which states that Breath is life, and if we are only half breathing, then we are only half living. When your sleep is fragmented by intervals of waking throughout the night your body is deprived of the necessary time to allow your body rest, energize and rejuvenate. Long-term effects of sleep deprivation may include weight gain, insulin resistance and heat disease. Slow, deep breathing, increases the flow of oxygen resulting in overall improved physical health. According to Karen Srollmeyer, Founder/Director of Bliss Yoga Studio, breathing that is long, slow and deep stimulates a calm, relaxed and balanced state of mind.

Using your CPAP machine is a non-invasive way to allow your airway to be kept open while you sleep. There are two main types of machines which utilize hose and mask, typically during the night, to deliver much needed pressurized air to your airways; CPAP and Bi PAP. The most commonly used machine is the CPAP which is defined by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, CPAP, continuous positive airway pressure is a treatment that uses mild air pressure to keep the airways open. CPAP typically is used by people who have breathing problems and may also be prescribed for the treatment of severe respiratory distress seen in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive hear failure (CHF) and to a lesser degree in asthma. Many CPAP users will see an increase in energy, improved mood, and renewed interests in their work, social activities and hobbies. They may even be able to follow through with their weight loss and fitness goals or quit smoking plans. Other CPAP users may even see medical benefits such as a reduction of their blood pressure or heart medications after consulting their doctors.

Studies have shown that approximately 1 in 3 patients will stop using heir CPAP machine within their first year. There is an adjustment period to getting used to sleeping with your mask on as well as the new sounds in your room from the noise your CPAP machine will make. Using a traditional pillow with your CPAP therapy may interfere with mask performance and cause your mask to leak and shift during sleep. There are specialized CPAP pillows which will help prevent your mask from slipping and moving during your sleep which may help to increase the success of using your CPAP machine which in-turn will improve your overall health.

To help make your CPAP Therapy as comfortable and as effective as possible, please checkout our CPAP Comfort Accessories

Resources:

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/cpap/

http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/symptoms/breathing-difficulty/overview.html

http://healthyliving.msn.com/health-wellness/sleep/7-signs-you-have-a-sleep-problem-you-dont-know-about-1

http://www.sleepservices.net/CPAPTreatment.htm

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=fact-or-fiction-can-you-catch-up-on-sleep