Not getting a good night’s sleep is no fun at all. You wake up grumpy and ill-rested and in no mood to face the day ahead. Sometimes it’s a sporadic thing, due to stress or other causes, but when it becomes a chronic issue, you may want to look at the root cause for why you’re not getting the sleep you need. If your partner or friends have complained about your snoring and you find that you’re not sleeping well, you may want to ask your doctor for a sleep study. About 20 million other Americans have it too — concerning, because it’s been linked to various health problems, particularly heart problems. if you take a sleep apnea test and are proven to have it, don’t worry! There are solutions to help alleviate your sleep apnea, commonly called CPAP (continuous positive away pressure) solutions, like CPAP nasal pillows.
What’s The Difference Between Just Snoring and Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is when you have many pauses in your breathing — anywhere from a few seconds to minutes. While in both cases, your airway is obstructed, snoring does not mean you necessarily have sleep apnea. Snoring can be a sign of sleep apnea, as well as other symptoms like falling asleep during the day, decreases in performance or changes in mood. If you snore, but don’t show these other symptoms, you’re probably fine.
How Can Sleep Apnea Hurt Me?
Many people may wonder: if it’s just loud snoring, how can it be so bad? If you continue to ignore it, you could be up to 4% more likely to have a stroke than those without sleep apnea and almost three times more at risk for having heart disease in your later years. Even scarier, the National Sleep Commission on Sleep Disorders reports almost 40,000 deaths annually from a heart related problem linked to sleep apnea. Men should be particularly aware — they’re twice as likely to suffer from sleep apnea than women.
So I Have Sleep Apnea. Now What?
Your doctor will probably advise you to seek out CPAP treatment. This treatment works by using a mild air pressure to increase your air. The pressure opens your airway up and ensures that your breathing stays regular, without any pauses. There are different kinds of CPAP treatments for various comfort levels, such as CPAP masks, CPAP nasal pillows, etc.
CPAP masks and CPAP nasal pillows tend to be the most sought after choices. A nasal mask that only covers part of your face is often preferred because it makes sleeping easier. Although some new users may be reluctant to use them, fearing them unwieldy, it’s best for patients to use CPAP at least 70% of the time in 30 days — at least four hours a night. This also ensures that you stay insured by your health insurance company.
Don’t risk heart related complications later on in life and save your partner or your friends the misery of listening to you snore! Ask your doctor for a sleep study if you’re concerned and talk with him or her about CPAP solutions.
