What Our Experts Are Saying...

Healthy Sleep Tips from our Experts

kperkins — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:25:00 GMT

Setting and following a sleep routine can be a difficult task in today’s busy world, but the importance of healthy sleep habits is paramount for having a healthy and happy life. Read the following tips for healthy sleeping habits to sleep better and feel your best each day:

Don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy.
Relax and ensure you are actually ready for bed before retiring each night.
If you are not asleep after 20 minutes, then get out of the bed.
Find something to occupy your time and when you begin to feel sleepy again, return to bed.
Begin rituals that help you relax each night before bed.
Routines can help our bodies trigger feelings of sleepiness and readiness for bed.
Get up at the same time every morning.
Get a full night’s sleep on a regular basis.
The amount of sleep each individual needs to feel well-rested can vary, but make sure you are getting enough sleep each night to feel well-rested and alert in the morning.
Avoid taking naps if you can.
If you feel you must take a nap, make sure it is under one hour and happens prior to the late afternoon/evening hours.
Keep a regular schedule.
Don’t read, write, eat, watch TV, talk on the phone, or play cards in bed.
Do not have any caffeine after lunch.
Do not have a beer, a glass of wine, or any other alcohol within six hours of your bedtime.
Do not have a cigarette or any other source of nicotine before bedtime.
Do not go to bed hungry, but don’t eat a big meal near bedtime either.
Avoid any tough exercise within six hours of your bedtime.
Exercise is best done in the earlier hours of the day.
Avoid sleeping pills, or use them cautiously.
Try to get rid of or deal with things that make you worry.
Make your bedroom quiet, dark, and a little bit cool.
Dark, cool, and quiet places are extremely conducive to uninterrupted sleep.

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Newly Launched - The CPAP Comfort Center and an Introduction from our RT

debbie shirley — Thu, 08 May 2008 19:32:00 GMT

There is a tremendous amount of information available these days about the dangers of sleep apnea. We know that untreated sleep apnea can increase your chances of having increased blood pressure, worsened diabetes, and increased risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease. Untreated sleep apnea can also cause depression, impotency, morning headaches and weight gain. Did you know that an individual with untreated sleep apnea can cost our overly burdened health care system twice as much as a treated individual?

Having reminded everyone of all the dangers of sleep apnea What’s the good news?

CPAP(Continous Positive Airway Pressure) is a highly effective and is the preferred therapy for treating sleep apnea. I have been working with sleep apnea patients for over 15 years and have seen many advances. CPAPs are much smaller, more comfortable, quieter. Masks are more comfortable and you now have many, many types and styles to choose from. If you are a faithful CPAP user, you are to be congratulated and I truly hope you are experiencing the benefits of CPAP. Often CPAP users don’t obviously see the benefits, but we know that compliant CPAP use can take the workload of your heart, you may live longer, you may be more pleasant to be around and your spouse may love you more for not snoring. I have had patients that were able to improve their blood pressure so much, they were able get off their blood pressure medicine.

I truly love working with sleep apnea patients. Having worked as a respiratory therapist for so many years with chronically ill patients, it is great to work with people that I know I can truly make their lives better. I am committed to helping those with sleep apnea. I am fortunate to be with a company that is so dedicated to making lives better. I invite you to look at our new CPAP Comfort Center especially created to make CPAP use more comfortable and to help new CPAP users be able to use their CPAPs. Just recently launched on CPAPSupplyUSA.com, the CPAP Comfort Center is an area where users can find many items to increase the comfort and convenience of their sleep therapy. Visit today to see CPAP Moisture Cream, Headgear Strap Cushions, and Tubing Holders.

Our many years of experience and listening to you helps us to help others. Spend some time on our website. Look over our newest additions. I did some research and found that the most common cause of people not using their CPAP is the lack of education. Lack of education for both the providers and the patients. We have added an Education area for visitors to address this concern. I am personally available as a respiratory therapist to help you and to help you understand the importance of CPAP use. We have a full staff of highly trained customer service representatives dedicated to helping you. Other factors that decrease CPAP compliance included a poor relationship with providers of the equipment and common complications of therapy such as marks on the face, discomfort on the bridge of the nose, and nasal congestion. That’s why at CPAP Supply USA, we carry a huge inventory of machines and masks that will meet your individual needs. Our CPAP Comfort Center offers help with these common problems. I welcome your comments. Your experience and knowledge may make a big difference in someone else’s life. Please let me hear from you - Share your experience, good or bad. This is the first of many informal blogs from me. Send in your requests for topics to discuss, helpful hints and your personal recommendations. Let’s work together to improve your comfort and quality of life

Remember - Your choice, Your life, Our promise.

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Welcome! A New View into the Minds of our CPAP Experts...

kperkins — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:05:00 GMT

Welcome to the "Ask Our Experts" blog written by our on-staff sleep experts here at CPAP Supply USA. Newly created as a compliment to our "Ask the Expert" forum and email programs, this blog is designed to allow our customers to the opportunity to see what is on the minds of the individuals who work with CPAP products, patients, and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) research every day. On staff we have Debbie Shirley, a licensed Respiratory Therapist whose primary focus has been on CPAP and OSA for the last 20 years of her career, and our medical director Dr. Doug Puryear, a Board-Certified pulmonologist and sleep physician. Through these two "Sleep Experts", we will be introducing some relevant industry topics, discussing CPAP masks and machines, and talking about the health concerns and statistics surrounding OSA. Sleep therapy and CPAP use are extremely relevant medical topics in the current environment because statistics show that up to 20% of the population could be experiencing a sleep disorder such as OSA (up to 80% of who are presently undiagnosed). Research, product development, and insight into the disorder will continue to mount in quanity and our Community is the place to stay involved with the newest information on sleep apnea.

We hope you enjoy our newest blog, and please remember, if you have a specific question for our Experts, visit the Ask the Respiratory Therapist forum in our Community and Debbie will be available to answer.

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