Sleep Bytes & Blog

Traveling with your CPAP Internationally This is Kenny McCollum with part two of my video about traveling on a plane with CPAP internationally. So, let's talk about it before you go. Make a list. I have a list of everything that needs to be in my CPAP bag. It’s in there all the time. So, when I'm in a hurry in the morning, I won't forget. Only use the original CPAP bag. They are designed for getting through the TSA fast. There is a reason for those open compartments. Put a luggage tag on your CPAP bag with your name, and also to help you differentiate from all those other CPAP bags. Do not put any non-medical supplies in your CPAP bag, only your CPAP and the CPAP supplies. When traveling internationally, carry a prescription for your CPAP, and place it in the bag with your CPAP machine. Also, carry an FAA travel compliance letter with your device. Search for “FAA compliance letter” on the internet. If you plan to use a full-size machine in flight, you must call the airline ahead of time. They're going to be a little bit distraught. If you just show up, saying that you want to use your machine in flight without calling them ahead of time. Consider purchasing a small travel CPAP. They are a little expensive, but they're certainly a lot easier to use on a plane. They can also be used with a small battery, one that you can use on a plane. So another thing you definitely do not want to forget is your power adapter/power converter. The one that I have is by Ceptics. This one also has a place where you can plug in a USB charger at the end, and it has two outlets. Also, the bonus of having an extra extension cord. Then you just need to figure out what plug adapter you need for that particular country. That just slides into the end, plug it in, then your CPAP machine, and you're good to go. Let's talk about boarding your flight and getting through the airport. CPAP machines do not count towards the allowed limits of carry-on luggage. So, it can be an add-on and they're not going to charge you extra for that. Do not check the CPAP bag with your luggage, and don’t place it in your suitcase. The TSA may ask you to take the machine out of the bag for inspection; this is normal. Allow extra time for that. Flight attendants see CPAP bags all the time, but occasionally, you might get asked about it. Usually, they'll be asking you why you have an extra bag. Just tell them it's a medical device. If you use a CPAP machine in flight, you will need to change it to airplane mode if it has a wireless modem. You can bring up to 3.4 ounces of distilled water on board with you for your CPAP machine. If you choose to just purchase a little 3.4-ounce spill-proof container, you can just use bottled water from the plane or even tap water. Don't forget a neck pillow, blackout mask, and earplugs; those are great for sleeping on a plane. Of course, after the flight, don't forget to gather everything, especially the power cord or your battery. It's ok to use bottled water or tap water while you're traveling. It's really hard to find distilled water when you're traveling. Just clean that chamber thoroughly when you return home, and then go back to distilled water. So, by following these few simple tips, you will be able to fly with your CPAP machine, both domestically and internationally, with ease. Whether it's a short trip or long haul flight, you can rest assured that your CPAP needs are covered!

Sleep Better, Travel Further Good or bad sleep during travel can affect everything from your mood and energy levels to your immune system and overall health. As a healthcare provider, I travel to Saipan (Northern Marianas Islands) every year to care for medically underserved patients. Over time, I have gained valuable experience in sleeping across time zones and have picked up some useful tips along the way. In today’s video, I will be sharing how I prepare for my trip, along with some of my favorite sleep-promoting travel products. These are truly products that I use and love with no affiliations or kick-backs. Most of the products can be easily found on Amazon. Check it out! If you would like to join me on my adventures, I will be documenting my experience on Instagram at @kimberlymdsleep. Come see what all the buzz is about.

Can I Trust My At-Home Sleep Study Results? Hey sleep warriors,  In this part 2 of my 2-part series on at-home sleep tests, I’m going to cover who is best suited for having their study done at home vs in the lab, Then I’ll touch on how the differences in the two studies can impact the diagnosis and treatment of your sleep disorder.  People who are well-suited for doing their studies at home include: People at high risk for sleep apnea - meaning you have several risk factors, such as loud snoring, being overweight, non-refreshing sleep, daytime sleepiness, or fatigue.  People who don’t want to spend the night away from home People who are comfortable hooking up the testing equipment at home (which is ‘moderately’ simple) People with insurance plans that require a home apnea test first. After all, the cost of doing the at-home study averages about $500, but costs over $3,000 in the lab.   People who are being evaluated only for sleep apnea. If you have unusual behaviors during sleep or are concerned about leg jerks, you will need to head to the lab.    Next, you may remember last week when I mentioned that an in-lab study is a more sensitive test for sleep apnea (because of that whole EEG and arousal thing). The AHI (which is the measure of the severity of your apnea) is often HIGHER in an in-lab test than in an at-home study. I had a patient last week whose AHI was less than 10 in her at-home study and was over 30 in the lab. That’s the difference between mild and severe sleep apnea in the same patient!  And because the severity of your sleep apnea can influence what treatment options are recommended, you will want to remember that whatever your AHI number is on an at-home study, it is likely an underestimate of the true severity of your disease.  To be clear, this doesn’t mean that everyone with an at-home sleep study should follow it up with an in-lab study. I just want you, my educated sleep warriors, to understand these differences.  That’s it for today, I’ll see you next week!

Do At-Home Sleep Studies Work?  Hey sleep warriors, If you have a diagnosis of sleep apnea, I bet many of you had a home apnea test, or HAT, for short, to get the diagnosis. Well, you aren’t alone!  Home apnea tests are cheaper, easier, and more comfortable than in-lab polysomnograms (or PSGs), which require spending the night away from home hooked up to a bunch of wires.  With a large number of people out there that need sleep studies and long wait times to get into a lab, home apnea tests are quickly becoming the most common diagnostic sleep test for obstructive sleep apnea.  But are they accurate? Well... it depends.  I’ll help simplify this issue in part one of this two-part series on at-home sleep testing. I’m going to discuss 3 primary differences between at-home and in-lab sleep testing (besides the obvious difference of one being at home in your own bed and the other being more at a sleep center!). In the lab, brain waves are measured, which is called EEG. And EEG measures whether you are asleep or awake as well as your sleep stages - like REM, or dreaming sleep. EEG also determines if sleep apnea is disrupting your sleep, or causing “arousals”. In at-home sleep studies, breathing events are scored only if there is an associated oxygen desaturation with them. While in the lab, a breathing event can be scored if it causes an oxygen desaturation OR if it disrupts your sleep by causing an EEG arousal. Because of this, in-lab sleep studies are generally felt to be more sensitive at picking up sleep apnea and a more accurate measure of the severity.   In the lab, technologists are present throughout the night to be sure the signals are accurate. If the oximeter slips from your finger - no problem, the techs put it right back on. They can also help be sure you spend time in all different sleep positions, such as on your side and on your back, which can have different levels of apnea severity. CPAP treatment for sleep apnea can be started. If your sleep apnea is significant, most in-lab sleep centers will wake you up and start you on CPAP therapy. This hands-on treatment during your first night with therapy can really be helpful.  The question then becomes, who should have which study and when do the additional measurements of being in the lab actually make a difference in the diagnosis and treatment of your sleep disorder?   Stay tuned for next week when I will address this question in more detail, but the short answer is that if your home apnea test is negative for sleep apnea, but you have symptoms of sleep apnea (like sleepiness, loud snoring, or non-refreshing sleep), then I recommend you have an in-lab study. Because a home test can “miss” sleep apnea up to 25% of the time! Thanks for being here. I’ll see you next week!

Tips and Tricks for Air Travel with your CPAP Hello, sleep warriors! This is Kennedy McCollum with your Sleep Tech Byte. We are going to be talking about traveling with your CPAP machine, especially while flying. The first thing is you always want to use the bag that your CPAP came in. They are designed for going through security at the airport. They have these open compartments, so that TSA can open it up, look right in, and see what's going on in there. The next thing you'll want to do is make sure, of course, to get your CPAP machine. Make sure that your water chamber is completely empty - so empty that out. Sometimes, if I'm in a hurry in the morning and packing it up, I don't get it completely dry, I'll just take a paper towel or a tissue, put it in there to get any little droplets out, and just close that up. Of course, don't forget you're tubing. Make sure you've got tubing that's in good repair. Sometimes, I'll even grab a new one if I have one, just to make sure it's in good repair. Don't forget your power cable. Now, I have a spare power cable, so I always keep a power cable in my travel bag at all times, but if not, make sure you grab your power cable. That's the thing that people forget the most often. Don't forget your mask. This is my mask right here. It's a big mask, so I take the elbow off, and I put the elbow inside the cushion and then I wrap that up in a little ball and place it there. Let's talk about extra stuff that I always bring with me when I'm traveling long distance. The first thing I always bring is an extra cushion, just in case my cushion gets damaged.  Second, I bring an extension cord. I've been in too many hotels that when you get in there, there isn't a place to plug your machine in close by. Now, sometimes you can call the front desk, and they can get you one. But just in case, I recommend bringing an extension cord, so that you can always make sure that you have a place to plug in. One more thing that you can pick up is a small surge protector to protect your machine. These are relatively inexpensive. I'm just going to put this in my actual suitcase. All right, so I'm all packed up, ready to go, and we're off! So, in case you're wondering, I will cover international travel with your CPAP machine in an upcoming Sleep Tech Byte, but for now, I've got my luggage, I’ve got my CPAP machine, and I'm ready to go!

Find CPAP success with online groups Hey Sleep Warriors, Have you ever been discouraged by the solitary nature of sleep apnea journeys? Imagine helping someone else just by sharing your own experience! Whether you are new to CPAP or you’ve had CPAP for a long time, you likely have questions - I know, because my patients show up with questions every day. And while I can provide science-backed sleep information, there is something unique that CPAP users offer to each other. By taking a moment to ask your questions or share your story, you could give someone the information they need to keep going and reassure them that they’re not alone. Community is one key to success. In my two decades of practicing sleep medicine, I’ve noticed how valuable community can be in helping people stick with sleep therapy. That’s why I’m excited to offer two ongoing options for cultivating community using online groups: #1 - a Free monthly live Q&A over Zoom – This will be the first Tuesday of each month at 4:30 pm – and starts February 7th! Kenny or I will offer a brief presentation on a common CPAP concern and then open it up to YOUR questions. Sign Up Now. #2 - The Huddle – which is live weekly group coaching or one-on-one coaching on CPAP use and sleep apnea. I have already started offering this live group coaching alongside my new CPAP 101 course. And while you get the most benefit if you show up live, there is also the option to submit your questions in advance and receive the recording within 24 hours. These online support communities are the way of the future. My goal is to help facilitate these sessions and provide science-backed answers so my community can be confident that the shared information is medically trustworthy. And that leads to better outcomes for everyone. Thanks for being here. I’ll see you next week! 

3 Ways to Use a Sleep Tracker The impact of sleep deprivation and sleep disorders is real – they both can negatively impact the heart, the brain, and even our weight. Sleep is as important as diet and exercise. So if we can improve sleep health through wrist-worn feedback, I am in favor. But be cautious about putting too much emphasis on data that is not scientifically proven, especially if it can cause harm. Fretting about sleep scores and precise sleep stages without understanding the accuracy or science behind the numbers isn’t useful. It’s classic fake news, even if there is a version of the truth in there somewhere. The truth is, we don’t have much control over our specific sleep stages. Focusing on the intricate details of whether we’re getting enough of one stage or another can be counterproductive. For example, “light sleep” is necessary and normal and does not suggest poor sleep quality. A sleep tracker collects large amounts of data each night and generally uses movement and heart rate to determine sleep stages using formulas that aren’t available to the public. This makes it impossible to confirm the accuracy of data or verify if conclusions are based on the best science.  For example, if you have a disorder like sleep apnea, your tracker may underestimate your sleep time due to body jerks or overestimate sleep time because it doesn’t pick up associated brief awakenings that occur when breathing stops. So how can sleep trackers be helpful? Here are 3 ways:  Help you get more sleep. Prioritizing sleep can be difficult. A sleep tracker can help you stay focused on your goal. Besides just looking at a single night's sleep time, I recommend focusing on your weekly average, and try to keep it in the 7-8 hour range.  Help you keep a regular sleep schedule. Going to bed and getting up at approximately the same time every day contributes to better sleep. By monitoring bedtimes and wake times, your tracker can help you stick to a routine schedule. Try to keep your bedtime and waketime within a 30-minute window, 7 nights per week. And the third way I believe a sleep tracker can be helpful is getting feedback on your general sleep quality in different situations. It’s helpful to learn how your body sleeps after a night of heavy drinking, or better yet, meditating. While the data on specific sleep stages is difficult to trust as 100% accurate, it can be helpful to look at trends. For example, I find that if I am exercising regularly, my “deep sleep” percentages tend to increase. I also think it is fun to see how increased stress affects my overall sleep score.  Sleep tracking is a widely available and relatively inexpensive way to help people learn about sleep and monitor trends in sleep time. Just be cautious not to let your phone’s algorithm determine how you truly feel.  Thanks for being here. I’ll see you next week.

How To Choose A CPAP Machine Mask Have you ever wondered if you’re wearing the right mask to go with your CPAP machine? Well, it’s never too late to try a better sleep tool. First, congratulations on making the commitment to better sleep—and a better life—by starting CPAP therapy. As a neurologist and sleep medicine physician, I’ve been helping patients get the most out of CPAP therapy for nearly two decades. One of the most important components for success in using a CPAP machine is choosing the right mask. Below, let’s learn some of the questions you should be asking when choosing a CPAP mask. Free CPAP Mask Workshop First, I’m inviting you to join me and my superstar CPAP medical technologist, Kenny McCollum, in a free upcoming Q&A and CPAP Mask Workshop. During this event, we’ll help you learn everything you need to know about choosing a mask that perfectly matches your needs. This educational workshop is taking place next Tuesday, January 17th, at 7:00 pm ET. You won’t want to miss it.  Register Here. CPAP Questions To Ask When determining the correct type of mask to wear while completing your CPAP therapy, these are some of the questions you should be asking: Do you know if you prefer to sleep on your side, back, or stomach? Do you breathe better through your nose, mouth, or somewhere in between? Do you know the difference between a nasal pillow and a nasal mask? Are you maybe worried about strap marks on your face? Which mask works best with facial hair? And what if you’re claustrophobic – what are your best options then? Maybe you have a more general question about CPAP, like: What’s the difference between BiPAP and CPAP therapy? When will I start feeling better? Well, we have answers. Kenny and I have more than three decades of combined experience working with CPAP patients. We truly understand the obstacles you face when choosing a CPAP mask. We’ve seen it all, and we’ve helped thousands of patients achieve their goal of a better sleep – and a better life – through CPAP therapy. I hope you join us. I’d love to meet you. See you next week!

Quality sleep helps new habits stick Hey, sleep warriors. Happy New Year! I love this time of year. It’s a fresh start. And everyone is talking about it - It’s a perfect time to commit to improving your sleep. So, if you really want to make your new habits stick this year, it’s worth acknowledging the powerful role that sleep can play in helping you achieve your goals. In today’s video, I’m going to briefly discuss three important ways that sleep deprivation sabotages even the best-laid plans for improved health. Better decisions. Adequate, quality sleep helps us make better decisions. When we don’t sleep enough, the frontal lobes of our brain are affected more than other parts of our brain, and it's this region responsible for judgment and impulse control. So, if you want to avoid the leftover Holiday goodies and instead opt for a trip to the gym, be sure to get enough sleep. Inadequate sleep is directly related to weight gain. This is because sleep deprivation leads to changes in appetite and satiety hormones. In other words, when you are sleep deprived, your body actually signals you to eat more, and it's less likely to tell you that you are full. It also increases cravings for sugary and fatty foods - so combine this with the lack of impulse control I just talked about, and you are on the fast track to weight gain. Inadequate sleep leads to low energy and motivation. This means it will take more willpower to exercise and take on challenging tasks. And if you haven’t heard, willpower is finite, and it isn’t effective at changing habits in the long run. Instead, adequate sleep allows us to feel vital and energetic, which causes us to naturally want to make healthy decisions, including exercising, choosing healthy foods, and feeling motivated to do hard things. If you want to learn more about how sleep impacts optimal daily function, check out my masterclass entitled “Why We Sleep”, and for the next week, it is available for only $9.97. That’s 50% off the regular price! But don’t delay, this deal is only good for the next week (ends January 12th, 2023). I encourage you to use education to help put your new habits in motion.  Thanks for being here. I’ll see you next week.