Do you remember how excited you were when you got your first cell phone that snapped shut? How about that new 40-inch TV that was about 4 feet thick? At the time, you didn’t know any better. That was the smallest phone and the biggest TV you had ever seen. Fast forward to today, and that phone and TV are nothing more than ancient history. You probably couldn’t give them away if you tried. That’s the world we now live in. Every year, you can buy a better phone, bigger TV or faster computer at a lower price. As a whole, we’re getting more and paying less. You may not have heard, but CPAPs have followed that same trend.
Is Your CPAP Old?
Is your CPAP machine noisy, keeping you and/or your partner awake at night? Does it weigh more than a couple of pounds? Is it capable of only one pressure setting? If your CPAP is three years or older, there’s a good chance that you’ve just belted a resounding “Yes!” for all three. Well, we have good news for you… The major manufacturers of CPAP supplies (Resmed, Respironics, Fisher & Paykel) have been hard at work, developing new generations of CPAP devices that make your CPAP look like the dinosaur that it probably is. They’ve utilized advanced technology to create CPAPs that are quieter, lighter, and most importantly auto-titrating – meaning they automatically adjust to the optimal pressure settings. Go ahead – take that bulky CPAP machine of yester-year and toss it or turn it into a paperweight – just get rid of it. A new age of CPAP therapy is upon us! Now let’s talk auto-titration…
Auto-titrating? Let me explain…
Auto-titrating is a fancy word for a simple concept: the CPAP finds the optimal pressure on a breath-by-breath basis. An auto-titrating CPAP measures snoring and apneas and finds the minimum pressure to eliminate these events. Yes, it does this in real time. You were probably given a pressure setting after your sleep test but did you know that your optimal pressure settings often change over time? Your pressure needs can vary on a nightly basis and are affected by several factors including: weight gain/loss, sleeping positions, and body temperature. With an auto-titrating CPAP you will never have to worry about setting your pressure again! Just sit back and let the CPAP dial in the right pressure.
So which auto-titrating CPAP should you buy?
There are a few out there from the DS560 by Philips Respironics to the Icon-Auto by Fisher Paykel but the S9 AutoSet by ResMed has been widely acclaimed as the best auto-titrating CPAP on the market. Customers rave about how quiet the S9 is – sound level of only 24 dBA’s – and how light it is, weighing only 1.79 pounds – ideal for travel. You could say that the S9 is the Cadillac of CPAP’s – depending on what generation you’re from of course. Whether you choose the S9 or the DS560, the point is that there is new CPAP technology out there for you that will enhance your CPAP therapy experience and help you sleep better at night – that’s what really matters.
Don’t have a prescription to get a new CPAP machine? No problem…
There are services that make it easy for you to get a CPAP prescription online. You can get a new CPAP prescription from a licensed licensed physician in as little as 24 hours. For a charge of around $100 depending on which company you use, you will be able to get a new CPAP prescription and upgrade to an auto-titrating CPAP in the snap of a finger – well maybe a few snaps.
Think you need to go a to sleep lab to get a new pressure setting? Think again.
Like VHS tapes and LaserDiscs, sleep labs are quickly becoming history as we know it. You can jump for joy now! Remember driving out to a sleep lab, getting “wired-up” and trying to do your best to fall asleep in a bed that’s not yours with technicians watching you sleep? You’ll never have to go to one again to get your pressure settings if you have an auto-titrating CPAP! Oh and for those of you who have not yet experienced just how miserable sleep labs are, consider yourself lucky because you’ll never have to. With home sleep test packages you can find out if you have sleep apnea and if CPAP therapy can work for you, all in the coziness, convenience, and familiarity of your own home.
So what are you waiting for? Make the change – It’s time you gave yourself the best night’s sleep possible…
