‘Sleep Apnea Travel’ Is Topic of Sept. 2nd ‘CPAP Chat’ Virtual Support Group

For People with Sleep Apnea, Compact Devices Can Help Travelers Sleep Better

Being too tired to go to a show, to join in your bus tour’s next excursion, or to play with grandchildren can ruin a vacation.

For people who suffer from sleep apnea, CPAP therapy can be a godsend. But traveling with a CPAP device can be cumbersome. There are other choices.

‘Sleep Apnea Travel’ is the subject of the September edition of CPAP Chat set for Wednesday, September 2 from 7 – 8 p.m. (ET), hosted by Eric Cohen, inventor/engineer and president of National Sleep Therapy.

While there are a few lightweight, portable travel CPAP devices on the market, Cohen says some people prefer not to bring CPAP on trips. He will discuss two effective short-term options that may work for some:

• Provent – Works without batteries or electricity – fits over the nose and creates back pressure to treat sleep apnea. Must be fitted and can take a week to get accustomed to.
• Oral appliance – Moves the jaw to aid air passage while asleep; resembles a sport mouth guard; an alternative when a patient can’t tolerate CPAP.

Although CPAP is the gold standard for treating OSA, some people use one of these options in place of CPAP while traveling, or take them along as a backup.

CPAP Chat, marking its second anniversary, is the world’s only virtual support group for individuals with sleep apnea. The monthly sessions, on the first Wednesday of each month, are free and open to all. The unique town meeting-style conference call regularly attracts participants from about 10 states who ask questions, share tips, and get advice from noted sleep and health experts.

Cohen says airlines, cruise ships and train and tour operators will make special accommodations if a CPAP user needs to transport and/or use their machine on route. There’s a portable, lightweight model with multi-night batteries, and a model with a solar-powered charger.

Over 20 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, though 80% remain undiagnosed. Left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, chronic heart failure, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems. Chronic fatigue is associated with type 2 diabetes and depression, and is a factor in many traffic and workplace accidents. Studies also show that insufficient quality sleep can be as much a factor in obesity as too much food and too little exercise.

CPAP Chat has extended a challenge to participants between now and the October 7th session when fitness and nutrition guru Tim Mills will pay a return visit to check their progress. Mills is offering a free, no-obligation 10-minute one-on-one consultation to help people get on the right track. Those who take the challenge are invited to share their progress with the group. To join the better health challenge at no cost, email timsfit@gmail.com.

Just prior to the session on Wednesday, September 2nd at 7 pm (ET), call 1-800-204-6655, enter access code 342-2187#. Questions may be submitted in advance either via Facebook or email info@cpapchat.org . For more info, visit www.cpapchat.org.

By Stanley Hurwitz / stanhurwitz@gmail.com

Fitness Guru Offers First Online Group Fitness Challenge for Sleep Apnea Sufferers

Motivational fitness and nutrition guru Tim Mills, founder of Tim Mills Fitness based in New Hampshire (timsfit.com), is trying something new: The first online group fitness challenge specially designed for people with sleep apnea. 

The unique offer is an outgrowth of Mills’ appearance on the July edition of ‘CPAP Chat,’ the only virtual support group in the world for people with sleep apnea. Host Eric Cohen, president of sponsor National Sleep Therapy, said, “We put participants to a challenge between now and our October 7th session when Tim will return to check everyone’s progress.”

Mills is offering a free 10-minute one-on-one call to help people get on the right track, asking each participant to share their progress with the group during October’s CPAP Chat. He coaches people to make small adjustments in their everyday routine: taking the stairs whenever possible, parking a little further from the store, avoiding high calorie snacks before bed, and even walking your dog a little farther and more briskly. “These simple changes can make a big difference and get people motivated to do more. It’s great to start small and work up to more,” Mills says.

To help people change habits and “eat healthy,” Mills suggests his ‘6-Day Clean Eating Reset,’ a meal plan and grocery list available on his website and mobile app. “This is where I send people who need help with the eating part before we invite them to the online challenges.” His foods are entirely optional. He also has healthy recipes and tips for good eating.

For questions or to arrange a free 10-minute support call with Tim, contact him directly at timsfit@gmail.com. For more about his program, click here.

“Many of us also have weight issues,” Mills says. “Lack of sleep and low energy and motivation to exercise can lead to depression, low self-esteem, and a reduced quality of life – even a shorter life. Several years ago, after I ballooned to 225 pounds and my doctor called me a ‘ticking time bomb,’ I pledged to turn things around. I wanted to live to watch my young son and daughter grow up. Now, I have a proven track-record of helping people reach their goals and get their nutrition in order. That’s where 90% of us struggle the most.”

It’s estimated that 20 million Americans have sleep apnea, though most have yet to be diagnosed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called it an epidemic.

Mills says, “I help people unlearn bad habits and give them emotional reasons to get motivated to achieve their goals. It’s more about WHY power rather than will power. Many can eliminate or improve their sleep issues once they change their lifestyle using my Beachbody Challenge, simple meal plans, fitness program, and a supportive coach who’s been through it. Once you find your motivation, everything falls into place.”

‘CPAP Chat,’ held on the first Wednesday of each month from 7 – 8 pm (ET), attracts participants from many states. Participants and experts provide tips for people with sleep apnea and anyone else interested in the topic of sleep. Sessions are hosted by Eric Cohen, inventor/engineer and a founder of National Sleep Therapy (www.nstherapy.com). CPAP Chat is free, anonymous and open to all. To join in: Just prior to the next session on Wednesday, September 2nd at 7 pm (ET), call 1-800.204.6655, enter access code 342-2187#.) Visit www.cpapchat.org.

-Stanley Hurwitz / stanhurwitz@gmail.com

Noted Researcher Discusses Link Between Sleep Apnea and Alzheimer’s Disease

Dr. Ricardo Osorio

Participants from 9 States Join in ‘CPAP Chat’

“CPAP treatment of sleep apnea may delay progression of cognitive impairment,” Dr. Ricardo Osorio, a world-renowned expert on the correlation between sleep apnea and various forms of dementia, discussed as the featured guest during the August edition of ‘CPAP Chat,’ the world’s only virtual support group for people with sleep apnea and for health care professionals.

He added, “The presence of sleep disordered breathing is associated with an earlier age of cognitive decline.” (CPAP is the therapy of choice to treat sleep apnea – an acronym for continuous positive airway pressure.) These are among conclusions in a study co-authored by Dr. Osorio that appeared in the journal Neurology.

Dr. Osorio told participants, “Because people are living longer due to healthier habits, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are occurring at a later age. Also because people are living longer, the total number of people with Alzheimer’s is expected to rise dramatically.”

Each month ‘CPAP Chat’ features guests with unique personal stories, motivational tips, or sleep-related research. This session drew participants from 9 states, including from as far away as Washington state. Held on the first Wednesday of each month from 7 – 8 pm (ET), sessions are free and open to all. The host is Eric Cohen, President of National Sleep Therapy. Past guests have included a retired NFL football player and professional body builder who defeated his sleep apnea, a mindful meditation guru, and a nutrition and fitness expert, among others.

During ‘CPAP Chat,’ Dr. Osorio, a researcher and faculty member at the New York University Medical School’s Center for Brain Health, described one experiment in which mice who were deliberately sleep deprived lost much of their memory, but when they started to get adequate sleep, their memories improved. He said that 70% of the people in his sleep study at NYU – ages 60 – 85 -- had some degree of sleep apnea, with 20% severe cases.

Research shows that too little sleep leaves us drowsy and unable to concentrate the next day. It also leads to impaired memory and physical performance. Some experts believe sleep gives neurons used while we are awake a chance to shut down and repair themselves. Without sleep, neurons may become so depleted or polluted that they begin to malfunction. Sleep also may give the brain a chance to exercise important neuronal connections that might otherwise deteriorate from lack of activity.* It’s estimated that 20 million Americans suffer from some form of sleep disordered breathing such as sleep apnea. Left unchecked, chronic lack of proper sleep can result in dementia, anxiety, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and highway and workplace accidents – and an all-around lower quality of life.

CPAP Chat is free, anonymous and open to all. To join the chat: Just prior to the session on the 1st Wednesday of each month at 7 pm (ET), call 1-800.204.6655, enter access code 342-2187#.) 

By Stanley Hurwitz / stanhurwitz@gmail.com

*Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (an agency of the National Institutes of Health).

A Sleep Apnea – Alzheimer’s Connection? Noted Expert ls Guest on ‘CPAP Chat’ Call-In Session August 5 from 7 – 8 pm (ET)

Dr. Ricardo Osorio

Is there a connection between sleep apnea and dementia? 

Dr. Ricardo Osorio, a world-renowned neuroscientist and faculty member at the New York University School of Medicine’s Center for Brain Health, will be the featured guest on ‘CPAP Chat,’ the only virtual support session designed for people with sleep apnea and anyone with an interest in the topic. Much of Dr. Osorio’s research focuses on the correlation between sleep apnea and Alzheimer’s disease.

‘CPAP Chat,’ on Wednesday, August 5 from 7 – 8 pm (ET), is free and open to all. It is the only conference call program of its kind. During the session, Dr. Osorio will discuss his research and answer questions from participants. The sessions, held on the first Wednesday of each month, are hosted by Eric Cohen, an inventor and president of National Sleep Therapy based in Boston, MA, and Concord, NH. (www.nstherapy.com),

Dr. Osorio’s findings related to age-dependent sleep changes and their relationships with neurodegenerative diseases that affect cognition such as Alzheimer's disease, have been widely published in scholarly journals. At NYU Medical Center Center for Brain Health, Dr. Osorio oversees patient enrollments for sleep studies and conducts Psychiatric and medical history interviews for Spanish subjects seeking enrollment in both CBH and Alzheimer Disease Center. Dr. Osorio’s focal area of research interest is to use neuroimaging and biomarkers to assist in the study of sleep disturbances as risk factors for cognitive impairment in aging and for dementia. A native of Spain where he received his degrees and began his research, Dr. Osorio was recruited by CBH at NYUMC in 2009.

CPAP Chat is free, anonymous and open to all. To join the conversation: Just prior to the session on Wednesday, August 5 at 7 pm (ET), call 1-800.204.6655, enter access code 342-2187#.) For more info, visit www.CPAPchat.org .