Sleep Aponea & CPAP Therapy

If you are suffering from sleeping disorders, you might have heard of CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines, also referred to as sleep aponea machines. A number of individuals are having difficulty in breathing while and may experience (REM) rapid eye movement and snoring. These are all signs of obstructive sleep aponea or OSA. When a person is diagnosed with sleep aponea, he or she temporarily stops breathing for a few seconds while in his or her sleep.

If you are experiencing the symptoms of OSA, you should heed medical advice immediately. This ailment can actually lead to more serious conditions like diabetes, heart attacks and other chronic diseases. Your doctor would let you undergo a sleep study where your heart rate and breathing during sleep is closely monitored. Depending on the gravity of your condition, your doctor can recommend you to go through a CPAP therapy.

The simple concept of CPAP is to force enough air into your throat and lungs to prevent any obstructions that causes sleep aponea. In order to achieve this, you are advised to use a sleep aponea machine, also referred to as a CPAP machine.

The basic components of a sleep aponea machine are composed of a compressor and tubing. A CPAP mask is also needed, which is sold separately. The CPAP mask is then held against a patient's nose in order to take in the air from the sleep aponea machine.

Your doctor can also help you select the right sleep aponea machine for you. There are a lot of options that you can choose from. Aside from choosing the right CPAP machine, you also need to choose the right CPAP mask.

The most common CPAP mask is the nasal mask. A lot of people find using this type of mask easier than other kinds of CPAP masks. It covers the nasal area and the mask is held in place by a strap or a headgear. You can also opt to use a nasal pillow device where the edges of a person's nostrils are sealed unlike a nasal mask, which covers the entire nose. It also comes in various pillow sizes for a better fit.

If you are someone who often tends to drop his or her mouth open while asleep, you might consider using a full face CPAP mask. The mask puts equal pressure to a patient's mouth and nose. It is also often recommended to individuals with nasal congestion.

You can also use an oral mask where the CPAP pressure goes through the patient's mouth. Just make sure that you purchase a humidifier together with your sleep aponea machine, which can effectively prevent dry mouth.

Keep in mind that a CPAP machine does not breathe for you. It simply prevents any obstructions in your airway that causes difficulty in breathing while you sleep. A sleep aponea machine is not a cure to OSA. It simply helps a patient in relieving the symptoms of sleep aponea like snoring and REM. And most importantly, it can effectively help you achieve a better and more relaxing sleep.



Visit the homepage to watch sleep aponea video's, talk about sleep aponea with other sufferers in the chat forums and to find out a lot more about sleep, snoring, OSA and CPAP in general.

P.S. The official British spelling is "sleep apnoea" whilst in the US they write "sleep apnea"!