VENDOR FAIR FEATURES NEW CPAP MASKS

The July Support Group meeting hosted the annual Vendor Fair and was attended by representatives from Respironics, ResMed, the Contra Costa Sleep Center and Oxygen Plus, Inc. The manufacturers present displayed and demonstrated their new CPAP masks and existing line of CPAP machines. Doug Lockwood from Respironics presented their newest full-face mask, the Amara.

The “Amara” is smaller, lighter and quieter than traditional full-face masks. It has only four parts including a one-piece cushion. A simple full-face mask design, it requires just a single “click” to assemble the cushion to the mask frame or to detach it for cleaning, It also features: quiet micro exhalation port, fine-glide forehead adjuster, strong and easy-to-use talon clips for connecting the headgear. You can see a video review at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx8GwD4MHAE For more information about the Amara mask and Respironics “System One” line of CPAP machines see your DME or http://masks.respironics.com/

ResMed’s Laurie Moellering demonstrated their new nasal pillow mask, the “Swift FX.” The Swift FX offers minimal design, unprecedented softness, simplicity and stability.

The soft frame and nasal pillows allows for a freedom of movement without discomfort or interruption of therapy. For more information on the Swift FX or ResMed’s S9 series of CPAP machines contact your DME or www.resmed.com/us/index.html

The Contra Costa Sleep Center was on hand with information about their services for the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders, and informational brochures concerning Sleep Apnea, its effects and treatment. With a staff of seven physicians and 14 years experience as the only accredited, state of the art, sleep center in Contra Costa County. Contact them at (925) 935-7667 or by e-mail at: info@ccsleepcenter.com 

Oxygen Plus, Inc. was represented by Matt Chirco their owner. This Durable Medical Equipment (DME) supplier is located across the street from John Muir Medical Center and the Contra Costa Sleep Center at 130 La Casa Via in Walnut Creek. They provided a handy brochure outlining their services, the Medicare schedule guidelines for CPAP supply replacement, and the recommended Maintenance and Cleaning Schedule for CPAP equipment and masks. Contact them at (925) 363-7474 to request a copy.

Famous People With Sleep Apnea

If you have Sleep Apnea you are in the excellent company of Presidents, Kings, Queens, inventors and NFL football players. There is a very high likelihood based on written reports of their lifestyle and habits that these people had Sleep Apnea: Grover Cleveland, Johannes Brahms, Henry VIII, Queen Victoria, Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, William Howard Taft, the comedian John Candy, Thomas Edison and Napoleon Bonaparte.

More recent celebrities who have had it come out in public that they have Sleep Apnea: Reggie White (NFL football player), Rosie O’Donnell (comedienne and talk show host), Jerry Garcia (Grateful Dead Guitarist), Billy Connolly (actor), Anne Rice (writer), Johnny Grunge (professional wrestler), William Shatner (actor), George Kennedy (actor), Jason Rutcofsky (musician), Hall Sutton (PGA Champion), Mark Calcavecchia (PGA Golfer), and John McEuen (founder of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band). It is suspected that Sleep Apnea was a contributing factor in the death of actor Chris Penn; actor Sean Penn’s brother. Source: apneasupport.org, NEJM (Jan 2003) urce:cpaptalk.com, NEJM(01.03.

Taking a Nap

(Excerpted from National Sleep Foundation)

More than 85% of mammalian species sleep for short periods throughout the day. Humans are part of the 15% minority, meaning that our days are divided into two distinct periods, one for sleep and one for wakefulness. It is not clear that this is the natural sleep pattern of humans. Young children and elderly persons nap, for example, and napping is a very important aspect of many Latin cultures. As a nation, the United States appears to be becoming more and more sleep deprived. And it may be our busy lifestyle that keeps us from napping. While naps do not necessarily make up for inadequate or poor quality nighttime sleep, a short nap of 20-30 minutes can help to improve mood, alertness and performance. Nappers are in good company: Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison and George W. Bush are known to have valued an afternoon nap.

TYPES OF NAPS:
Planned napping (also called preparatory napping) involves taking a nap before you actually get sleepy. You may use this technique when you know that you will be up later than your normal bedtime or as a mechanism to ward off getting tired earlier. Emergency napping occurs when you are suddenly very tired and cannot continue with the activity you were originally engaged in. This type of nap can be used to combat drowsy driving or fatigue while using heavy and dangerous machinery. Habitual napping is practiced when a person takes a nap at the same time each day. Young children may fall asleep at about the same time each afternoon or an adult might take a short nap after lunch each day.

TIPS FOR NAPPING:
A short nap is usually recommended (20-30 minutes) for short-term alertness. This type of nap provides significant benefit for improved alertness and performance without leaving you feeling groggy or interfering with nighttime sleep.

Your surroundings can greatly impact your ability to fall asleep. Make sure that you have a restful place to lie down and that the temperature in the room is comfortable. Try to limit the amount of noise heard and the extent of the light filtering in. While some studies have shown that just spending time in bed can be beneficial, it is better to try to catch some zzz’s.

If you take a nap too late in the day, it might affect your nighttime sleep patterns and make it difficult to fall asleep at your regular bedtime. If you try to take it too early in the day, your body may not be ready for more sleep.

BENEFITS OF NAPPING:
Naps can restore alertness, enhance performance, and reduce mistakes and accidents.

Naps can increase alertness in the period directly following the nap and may extend alertness a few hours later in the day. Napping has psychological benefits. A nap can be a pleasant luxury, a mini-vacation. Most people are aware that driving while sleepy is extremely dangerous. Still, many drivers press on when they feel drowsy in spite of the risks, putting themselves and others in harm’s way. While getting a full night’s sleep before driving is the ideal, Sleep experts recommend that if you feel drowsy when driving, you should immediately pull over to a rest area, drink a caffeinated beverage and take a 20-minute nap.

STIGMAS TO NAPPING:
While research has shown that napping is a beneficial way to relieve tiredness, it still has stigmas associated with it; Napping indicates laziness, a lack of ambition, and low standards, Napping is only for children, the sick and the elderly. These statements are false.

A recent study in the research journal Sleep showed that a 10-minute nap produced the most benefit in terms of reduced sleepiness and improved cognitive performance. A nap lasting 30 minutes or longer is more likely to be accompanied by sleep inertia, which is the period of grogginess that sometimes follows sleep.

When fatigue sets in, a quick nap can do wonders for your mental and physical stamina.