CPAP for Travel
I just got equipped with a CPAP machine and it is also already set up for travel as well. The model I have is shown in the picture and have been using it for 6 weeks now. I am so happy with this CPAP machine that I will travel every where with it. Sure it is another piece of luggage to carry and you must also use distilled water with the humidifier. But it is well worth the hassle to get a good nights sleep. There are some things you can do to make your CPAP for travel more convenient and easy to accommodate. Diet and sleep are linked very closely.
You might wonder why we are including posts about CPAP machines on a diet web site. Well it turns out that if you do not get a slot of sleep then you start to eat more to give you that energy boost during the day when you are fatigued and just need that pick me up. Also when you are tired, you also rest more and do a lot less. Your metabolism declines and next thing you know the pounds are just rolling on. One of the reasons for being so tired is sleep apnea. There are many reasons for tiredness. So regardless of what you do, talk to your doctor and if he thinks you need a sleep test, then do it.
CPAP for Travel by Car and lack of Sleep
CPAP machines are often prescribed for people who have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is described many different ways, but for me who also has sleep apnea, it meant that I would snore really badly, I would stop breathing for awhile until my brain went into panic mode and woke me up. Then I would gasp or snort making it really difficult for anyone sleeping with me or even in the next room.
Another side effect is that you are always very tired. In fact after my sleep study, I was informed that I had a sleep disturbance 39 times on average every hour during the night. How can you ever get a good sleep under those conditions? Well when it came to driving, I would frequently have to pull over and take a nap or get out and walk around until I was re-energized enough to continue driving. This was the result of extreme fatigue from not sleeping enough and not soundly enough. I never even got to the point of dreaming.
This was dangerous since falling asleep at the wheel was a constant worry. But it turns out that I was not as bad as my friend. He apparently has sleep apnea far worse than I do. This guy would fall asleep at the wheel on a regular basis. He would even fall asleep at stop lights and his wife would have to wake him up when the light turned green! Hard to believe, but it is a true story. Now that he has a CPAP machine, he rarely falls asleep at the wheel. Or even during the day any more. CPAP for travel is one of the best things that you bring with you.
Traveling Over Night with your CPAP Machine
As you can see from the picture this particular machine comes with a handy travel case which is easy to pack up and carry. My friend takes him with him wherever he goes. If he happens to forget it for a night, he knows that he is trouble and will have a very difficult time driving.
Most machines have a humidifier built in. Humidity makes it much more comfortable for patients since it keeps your nasal passages open and moisten. If you happen to be a mouth breather it is even more important since your mouth will become extremely dry and uncomfortable. You are supposed to only use distilled water in these machines to prevent calcium build up and other impurities that might be in your tap water from getting into your lungs.
Traveling by Plane
Traveling by plane these days with any kind of liquid is a problem. You can travel with your CPAP machine. However most people should be prepared to purchase distilled water at their final destination to fill their CPAP device. Once you get used to sleeping at night, having a full nights rest and getting used to the machine itself, most people will never be without their machines.
The noise of the CPAP device is very low. In fact it is much lower than even the noise from a small fan set a low speed. Patients will take some time to get used to wearing the mask. Which may take a week or as along as month depending on how adaptable they are. But once you become comfortable with wearing the mask, we are sure you never will be without one of these devices.
I have one now for the past 6 weeks and I am already convinced that I will travel everywhere with it to avoid losing sleep, not to mention other possible side effects such as heart attacks and strokes. If you have been prescribed a machine, don’t hesitate, get one right away. You will be so happy with getting a good nights sleep! If you need more information about CPAP for travel or CPAP in general, click here.
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October 1st, 2012 at 1:43 pm
this is a great post about traveling with a CPAP machine. I found that you need to take an extension chord with you for hotel rooms without wall plugs in the right place. Take some distilled water as well in a small bottle too, since it might not be easily available were you are going.