Having a good night’s of sleep without any fuss or distractions just sounds divine. Unfortunately, not everyone gets the chance to have a peaceful night of sleep. This is especially true for those who suffer sleep apnea.
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that happens when a person’s breathing repeatedly stops and starts at random times. It can be very scary because you don’t have a way of knowing when the situation would occur. When you suspect that your baby is experiencing sleep apnea, you should look for a baby sleep apnea monitor just to be sure.
What’s worse about sleep apnea is that you can’t take control of it.
There are three kinds of sleep apnea that a person might suffer from. Obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, and mixed sleep apnea. The most common type that a person usually suffers from is obstructive sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea happens when the muscles that help to support the soft tissues of your throat temporarily relax. While it reads to be harmless, it means that the airway is narrowed or closed, allowing little to no air get into your body. When this happens, you should immediately do something about it as it might cost you your life.
One of the things that would be helpful for you is by giving yourself a few lifestyle changes such as losing weight, exercising, sleeping on your side, and avoid taking anti-anxiety drugs or sleeping pills.
But while they may be helpful, there’s no guarantee that it will work. That’s why some people opt for using a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine.
A CPAP machine is a device that helps to clear and continuously open your airway for a better night of sleep. A CPAP machine requires you to wear CPAP masks over your head. This works by providing enough tissue in the airway that helps to hold it open and prevent it from closing.
Who should wear a CPAP Machine?
If you’re been diagnosed by your doctor with obstructive sleep apnea by taking either polysomnography or home sleep apnea testing, they might recommend you into taking either a CPAP machine or a mouthpiece.
You’re most likely to take a mouthpiece that holds the tongue in place to prevent it from rolling back into your throat, blocking your airways. On the other hand, if you’re experiencing sleep apnea because the tissues on your airways are getting relaxed, a CPAP machine would be highly recommended. Either way, the CPAP machine works both ways even if there’s a problem with your tongue.
To answer the question short, people with obstructive sleep apnea should wear a CPAP machine to help them sleep better at night and comfortably knowing that they won’t get trouble with sleep apnea.
Why is a CPAP machine important?
While wearing a CPAP machine can be challenging and uncomfortable for the first few nights, it should be extremely helpful in allowing you to continuously breathe as you sleep. A CPAP machine can be annoying for some people as it may take a huge space in your bedroom. Even with these inconveniences, you should know for a fact the CPAP machine doesn’t only allow you to have a better sleep quality, but it may also save your life.
When you’re asleep, you’ll never know when you’ll stop breathing due to your sleep apnea. With obstructive sleep apnea, the airway on your throat closes dramatically which allows little to no air to your body. While it can be easy to hold your breath for 30 seconds, you’ll never know if you have to do that for the whole 5 minutes – which something that sleep apnea can do, and something you cannot control. A CPAP machine makes sure that this doesn’t happen. It doesn’t only guarantee your safety, it also gives you peace of mind.
Signs that a CPAP Machine Works for You
As humans, it’s normal that we take treatments differently. Some can settle for sleeping on their sides, wearing a mouthpiece, or eliminating their weight issues. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work and the use of a CPAP machine is highly encouraged.
If you’re taking a CPAP machine that helps with your obstructive sleep apnea, you should be having a better-quality sleep. You’ll be able to continuously breathe without any problems. These are the visible signs that help to show you that a CPAP machine is working for you just right:
- You no longer wake up in the middle of the night gasping for air
- Your partner says that you don’t snore as much as you did before
- You don’t suddenly wake up in the middle of the night
- You feel more rested and energized during the day
- You’re a lot more focused and can concentrate well
- You no longer experience headaches or migraines in the morning
These are all of the good signs that a CPAP machine is working for you. Along with this, you should check your AHI reading to be sure that you’re breathing well and fine during your sleep. The AHI measures the effectiveness of a CPAP therapy and it’s usually built-in in your CPAP machines. If you have lower scores in AHI it means that you were able to sleep better at night, assuring you that it’s effective and working just fine.
However, if you don’t see any improvement with the way you sleep and your symptoms are always present and don’t even eliminate it, CPAP therapy might not be your best option. But that doesn’t mean that it’s a hopeless case. There are other procedures or surgery that can be done and your doctor should be the one to advise you on which will work best for your condition.
Conclusion
Having obstructive sleep apnea is never a good place to be in. Aside from making you uncomfortable as you sleep at night and suffer the effects in the morning, it can be life-threatening, too. When something is interfering with your breathing and you can’t consciously do something about it, it can be highly dangerous and might cost you your life and it’s not even exaggerated but rather just a mere fact. You should always consult with your doctor first to see which treatment would work best for you or a loved one to achieve better sleep quality and longer life.
