Illinois Shift Work Sleep Disorder - In Your Local Area

CPAP Masks: Sleep Well, Stop Snoring, and Overcome Sleep Apnea

A CPAP mask fits over your nose and delivers a steady stream of air all night long, minimizing or eliminating snoring and other sleep apnea symptoms. With a steady supply of oxygen, you sleep better, wake more rested, and experience less daytime sleepiness.

The CPAP machine feeds you a continuous stream of positive air pressure. The air travels from the breathing machine, through a flexible tube, and into a sleep mask held in place with headgear.

CPAP masks come in different styles, and it's important that your sleep mask fit you properly for your CPAP sleep apnea therapy to be effective. Without a good seal, the CPAP machine's pressurized air could end up in your bedroom, not your lungs.

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Apnea: Skipping Breaths at Night Equals Sleep Apnea

An apnea is what happens when you stop breathing for a moment during sleep. Apneas are defined as pauses lasting 10 seconds or longer; a shorter pause is known as a hypopnea. It's most often caused by your breathing passageways becoming blocked while you sleep, a sleep disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea.

During an apnea, blood oxygen levels fall. The brain doesn't get the oxygen it needs. REM sleep, which is supposed to be the most restful, is compromised. Sleep apnea leaves people feeling daytime fatigue, but that's not all: it also leaves sufferers more vulnerable to a host of other health problems. Heart disease, stroke, diabetes, brain damage and memory loss have all been linked to sleep apnea.

Not all people who snore have sleep apnea, but most people with sleep apnea do snore. Snoring is loud, rumbling breath during sleep. Sleep apnea, on the other hand, is characterized by stopping breathing or skipping breaths during sleep.

Treating obstructive or central sleep apnea improves a person's overall health and well-being. But a significant side benefit of sleep apnea treatment is that it can eliminate snoring. Ask anyone whose spouse snores just how valuable that can be! In fact, when people who snore seek treatment, the marriage tends to improve as well.

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.