Get The Sleep You’ve Always Dreamed Of

Sleep Apnea means that a person often stops breathing for 10 seconds or longer during sleep. Sleep Apnea can be mild to severe: based on the number of times each hour that a person stops breathing or has shallow breaths during sleep. This may happen anywhere from 5 - 100 times per hour.

The most common type is Obstructive Sleep Apnea. There are less common types of Sleep Apnea, talk to your doctor to find out more. Saskatoon CPAP helps all patients to find the correct treatment necessary.

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Blocked or narrowed airways in your nose, mouth, or throat can cause Sleep Apnea.

Your airway can become blocked when your throat muscles and tongue relax during sleep. Sleep Apnea can also occur if you have a problem with your jawbone. In children, the main cause is large tonsils or adenoids. Sleep Apnea is more pronounced if you are overweight, use certain medications or alcohol before bed, or sleep on your back.

This is a very common question. Depending on where you live and the time of year, CPAP use can cause dryness in the airway.

If you have a CPAP humidifier, it may need to be adjusted to increase humidity. If you don’t have a CPAP humidifier, you may need one.

Another consideration is mask leakage. If you are experiencing leaks from your mask, you may become very dry. CPAP is designed to attempt to overcome leaks and the machine will increase flow to maintain the CPAP pressure. A small to moderate leak can increase flow dramatically and with that high flow blowing past your nose and mouth, that can increase the possibility of dryness. If your mouth is dry and you wear a nasal mask, you may need to consider a chin strap or even a full face mask.

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This is usually due to rainout in the CPAP tubing.

When you have a CPAP humidifier, the air leaves the unit warm and moist. As it travels down the tubing to your mask, it cools. When the air cools, it cannot hold onto all the moisture, therefore, it turns to water and collects in the bend of the tubing. As the air passes by or through the water, it will make noises like gurgling or popping. You may need to lower your heat setting or consider a tubing wrap. Room temperature, air conditioning, external fans and open windows can all have an impact and changes may need to be considered. One of the best solutions is using a Climate control heated hose.

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This is common when there is a small mask leak around the bridge of the nose blowing into the eyes. Your mask may need to be adjusted or it might be time for a new mask.

The most common advice is proper and effective daily mask and cushion cleaning.

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CPAP masks need to create a seal in order to be effective. Creating this seal can cause pressure around or on the nose. Sometimes the pressure is irritating at first, but then you become used to it.

If you are new to CPAP and you have redness after 3 to 4 days, you may need to consider the fit of your mask. If your mask is fitting too tightly, it will cause pressure sores that can become infected. If you have redness that persists, contact the fit specialist and make them aware of your problem. Your mask may need a simple adjustment, or it may not be the right mask.

Don’t let the pressure sore get worse! You may have to modify or stop treatment in order to let the wound heal. There are comfort strips that can be used to improve pressure in certain areas. Patients that wear a full face mask may experience a sore nose from the mouth opening under their mask. When their mouth opens, it pulls the mask tighter on their nose and can cause sores.

Consider also the position in which you sleep. You may be leaning on your mask against your pillow, causing increased pressure to that side of your face. With proper and effective daily mask and cushion cleaning the CPAP mask should not need to be worn so tight to create an effective seal.

Depending on the shape of your face and the tension of your mask, you may experience marks on your face. They should go away early in the morning. You may need to wash your face with a warm cloth and rub to increase circulation to your skin. Persistent marking is rare, but can occur.

This may be related to a number of things:

• Your mask is too tight
• Your mask and cushion are not cleaned properly every day
• Your mask is not fitted properly
• Swelling in the face
• Mask not positioned properly
• Position of mask against pillow

You can purchase or make soft covers for straps to reduce marking.

CPAP works for everyone that makes it work. It is a proven therapy and the least invasive treatment for sleep apnea. The most important time is in the first 3 to 4 weeks. Most people struggle in this time. You need to consider that you are required to change your sleep pattern completely. You are wearing a foreign object on your face. You are breathing against a machine and you have to accommodate the CPAP tubing in your sleep movement. This can take time, particularly for light sleepers and anxious people. We suggest between 3-6 weeks of continuous and consecutive use at night, and sometimes longer before you adjust. You will adjust and you will sleep better. If you are having difficulty adjusting, you need to consider these options:

• Mask fit and comfort
• CPAP Humidification
• Features of comfort on your CPAP machine (contact CPAP specialist)
• Temporary change in pressure (contact CPAP specialist)