It is important to realize that when you travel or go on vacation, your CPAP wants to come to. Not only that, your CPAP knows you need him to come with.
Spring break is almost around the corner, and so is summer break – if you live Down Under, it may be summer already. If this is the case, you are probably making travel plans. But just like you are tired and exhausted, you want to imagine that your CPAP machine is as tired and exhausted as you (it takes a lot to keep you alive), so you both need to get out of town. If you want to enjoy your vacation, your CPAP will be your ultimate travel partner. Sure, your wife, your spouse, your friends – they’ll make great travel partners too, but your CPAP will be life sustaining.
Even a few days without treatment could spark your sleep apnea symptoms and you could be in a lot of trouble. In one study, conducted in Switzerland, researchers split up CPAP users into two groups: one used their CPAP for two weeks and the other group did not. After only a few days, the group that discontinued therapy saw a return of symptoms. After two weeks, there were more serious complications, ranging from increased heart rate and blood pressure to deterioration of vascular function.
The last thing you want is to be on that waterslide on a cruise in the Bahamas and start experiencing heart palpations. Also, you don’t want to be body boarding in Costa Rica and pass out in the waves. It doesn’t matter if you are leaving town for a weekend getaway or a two-month excursion through Southeast Asia, you want to bring your CPAP along for every leg of the journey. From the plane flight to your hotel stay to your tent in the jungle, you don’t want to sleep without CPAP therapy, because it could be life threatening. Indeed, it won’t be the mosquitoes that get you; it will be your sleep apnea.
At the end of the day, this is why you want to stock up before you and your CPAP go on a romantic vacation together. Not only do you want to think about purchasing a travel size CPAP, like the ultra-light Z1 Auto, but you also want some supplies like a CPAP battery pack and you want to bring some adapters, so you don’t have any trouble plugging in. Not only will traveling with your CPAP hold off your sleep apnea symptoms, but it will also allow you to have the best vacation, which is something you deserve. When you actually get back to your hotel room after a long day, you want to be sure to actually plug your CPAP in instead of letting it sit in your suitcase.
