A Wise Person Once Said: “If You Love Someone, Let Them Sleep.” Why Is Sleep SO Important?

We hope your enjoying March! – which just so happens to coincide nicely with Sleep Awareness Week (March 13-19th).

If you’re wondering, “Why is there a week dedicated to sleep”? The answer is a simple one:

• 62% of adults don’t feel they sleep well, or get enough sleep
• Lack of sleep/poor sleep impacts a lot more than just your number of yawns throughout the day!
• It actually plays a big part in your health – more on that below:

 

3 REASONS WHY GETTING A PEACEFUL NIGHT’S REST IS SO IMPORTANT

1. Sleep is an Essential Function

Without adequate sleep, your brain simply cannot function properly.

This has a trickle-down effect; whereby other body functions and parts of your daily life won’t function as efficiently either.

Sleep is also the time where lots of exciting things happen; cortisol levels lower, energy is restored, your nervous system relaxes, and hormones are released to stimulate cellular repair.

In a sense, our body undergoes a sort of “healing process” (muscle repair, tissue growth, etc.) – but we need good quality, adequate sleep for that to happen!

2. Sleepy Side Effects

If you’re constantly tired, you will be more prone to:

• Feeling frustrated or upset (sleep is just as important for our mood and mental health as it is to our physical)
• Make more mistakes
• Find it harder to concentrate
• Tend to not have good memory recall/be more forgetful
• Have “brain fuzziness”

3. More Serious Health Issues

We’re not here to fearmonger, but the truth is, consistent tiredness/lack of sleep (aka chronic sleep deprivation) can lead to a higher risk for medical conditions like:

• Obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and more.

The good news is these risks can be reduced significantly with a few healthy habits.

Here are some helpful tips to try and follow in your daily life:

• BED TIME: Research shows each hour of sleep before midnight counts as double
• ROUTINE: Your body won’t know what to do with itself if you’re going to bed at 9pm one night and midnight and 2am the next! Consistency is important; choose a bedtime and stick to it
• LIGHTS OFF: Your brain prefers a dark environment during sleep, so try to minimise light as much as possible
• WHAT GOES IN: Avoid sugary or caffeinated food/drinks, alcohol and large meals in the hours before bed. If you’ve ever made the mistake of drinking a Red Bull in the evening, you’ll know why!
• EXCESS ADRENALIN: Exercising during the day can help release excess adrenalin, leading to an easier slumber at night

If after you try the above, you still wake up feeling tired, low on energy, it’s time to take further action.

Why? Because it may signal a sleep related issue like sleep apnoea, where early intervention is important and often life changing to your health.

Rockingham CPAP can help! A sleep study can determine what might be causing you grief when you are asleep, or a CPAP trial can help you breathe a little easier and awaken at your best. Click here for more information on our sleep studies.

Call 08 6186 6636 to ask any questions or make an appointment!

Until next time, take care,

 

Brett Lukatelich

Rockingham CPAP

We hope you are well.

Let’s revisit one of our all-time favourite activities: S L E E P!

It is an essential practice and great for your mind, body and wellness, after all.

However, there’s quite the difference between “an okay sleep”, and well rested, deep slumber – the kind of quality ZZzzz’s Rockingham CPAP is concerned with helping you achieve!

A RECAP ON CPAP

CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) or APAP (automatic positive airway pressure) –are ventilation systems that provide a constant level of pressure to the upper respiratory tract to improve breathing.

What does that mean for you? A much better, more comfortable (and safer) sleep (no sheep counting required)!

CPAP/APAP might be right for you if you experience chronic snoring (or maybe your partner or someone else in the family does), wake up low on energy/feel tired in the morning, are unable to breathe at night properly, etc.

These are often symptoms of Sleep Apnoea that causes breathing to repeatedly stop and start. Treating this with CPAP/APAP can prevent heart issues and high blood pressure (which are potential sides effects if it’s left untreated).

GLOBAL SUPPLY ISSUES

It goes without saying there is a lot happening in the world, and part of the trickledown effect is the impact that many businesses are experiencing with regards to manufacturing and freight.

• Lots of items you could once purchase quite easily, are now out of stock and on indefinite backorder
• Rockingham CPAP is a provider for ResMed, the world’s largest manufacturer of the highest quality CPAP devices
• We have direct access to stock, and as such, are able to maintain high stock levels of masks and accessories
• We’ll always have what you need, and you won’t have the stress or frustration of dealing with manufacturer supply issues!

FIND THE PERFECT PAYMENT PLAN

We understand that the right CPAP/APAP machine can be expensive; but it shouldn’t have to cost an arm or a leg!

We want you to finally sleep without interruption or breathing issues (imagine that!), so we offer great payment plans that are backed by ResMed (who have a incredible selection of effective, leading devices in this area).

The biggest benefit of this is that you get to deal directly with the manufacturer and the payment plan is still interest free.

You shouldn’t have to miss out on healthy sleep just because you can’t afford a CPAP/APAP machine upfront – and you don’t have to with the right payment plan. You can learn more about it here!

DO YOU NEED CPAP SLEEP HELP?

If you’ve just been diagnosed with Sleep Apnoea or have sleep difficulties, we offer 4 week intensive CPAP Trials.

These are a guided introduction into CPAP, and suggested for anyone who has never used a device before.

You’ll be fully monitored throughout the experience to achieve the best possible outcome. From here we offer the option to rent the most suitable equipment for your sleep and health needs!

If you’d like to book a consultation and talk through any questions you have, click here or call (08) 6186 6636!

Wishing you a peaceful night’s rest ahead,

 

Brett Lukatelich
Rockingham CPAP

Have you heard the phrase “all Mercedes are cars, but not all cars are Mercedes?”

It’s a line of thought we can extend to snoring – although many (we won’t say “all”) individuals with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) snore, not all snorers have OSA.

For some, snoring is more of an annoyance (especially if there’s a person beside you in bed), than a serious sleep disorder.

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnoea:

There are three forms of sleep apnoea: central, complex and the most common, obstructive (OSA).

OSA occurs when air can’t flow in or out of the nose/mouth despite your body’s best efforts when you rest.

When can snoring cross the line into OSA Territory?

• When snoring becomes louder and/or more frequent
• Pauses in breathing, choking/waking up during sleep
• Feeling tired even after waking up/daytime fatigue and irritation

Unfortunately, most of these are hard to notice as a snorer.

You usually either need your partner to tell you, or a diagnosis from your doctor or a sleep specialist. The below may help you identify your potential risk.

Do you meet any of the below?

Snoring is more likely to occur:

• From middle-age onwards
• In men or post-menopausal women
• In individuals who are overweight or obese and have wider necks
• In those who drink alcohol frequently or have diabetes
• In some cases, OSA is hereditary or can be exacerbated from certain medications

Beginning the journey to Better Sleep

Whether you have OSA and need treatment depends on the severity of your own diagnosis, and how much your sleep and health are impacted.

OSA generally deteriorates your health over time, which is why it’s a great idea to be proactive in checking your risk and seeking help. For example, this sleep disorder can increase your chance of contracting other serious health conditions and having a heart attack.

Now on to the main event: we just can’t stress enough the importance of sleep! There’s a reason why we spend approximately one third of our lives doing it (and it’s not just because it’s a nice, quiet, part of the evening)!

Sleep is an essential function, your body relies on it for major cellular repair and regeneration (among other things).

Are you ready to take action?

We’re called Rockingham CPAP because CPAP is widely considered to be the “gold standard” by experts in the field when it comes to OSA therapy.

That being said, we have several treatment options available, all tailored to your exact circumstances and needs.

You can shop online or in our physical showroom, where the knowledgeable and experienced sleep team can help you find the perfect option to improve your breathing and sleep.

Remember; there are lots of life changing benefits (and good news – almost no downsides) to seeking help for snoring and sleep apnoea.

If you aren’t diagnosed, but think you or a loved one may have a sleep disorder that goes beyond regular snoring, we suggest beginning with an easy Sleep Study (learn more here).

Whatever the case, let’s bring back better sleep and improve your airflow so you can sleep (and breathe) safely and soundly.

We’d love to answer any questions you may have. Phone us on 08 6186 6636 to chat through your needs.

Until next time, take care,

Brett Lukatelich
Rockingham CPAP