Mankato Clinic Thrives Fall 2022

Get Better Sleep

By LAURIE TOMASZEWSKI LRT, CRT-NPS Handi Medical Supply

Do you get restful and regenerative sleep on most nights? If so, that is fantastic!

If not, do you have some of these symptoms?

• Snoring

• Waking abruptly, gasping, or choking

• You’ve been told you stop breathing during sleep

• Your mouth is dry or have a sore throat in the morning

• You can fall asleep easily when sitting down to watch TV or read

• Find it hard to concentrate during the day

• Getting up more than once per night to urinate

• Tend to get irritable quickly

• Wake up with a headache

If you have any of these symptoms, please talk to your medical provider about a sleep evaluation. This test, whether done at home or in a sleep lab, will monitor and analyze your sleep patterns. Your provider will make recommendations on how best to improve your sleep.

If it is determined that you have a sleep disorder called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is often prescribed. CPAP is the standard treatment for OSA. With CPAP, you will wear a comfortable mask over your nose while the CPAP machine provides a flow of air. The flow of air acts like an air stent to keep your airway open during sleep.

Once prescribed, CPAP equipment is available at Handi Medical Supply, Mankato Clinic’s J. Scott Sanders Center for Sleep Medicine and other local suppliers. Handi Medical and Mankato Clinic teams will educate and coach you to make sure you are successful with your therapy.

Compliance to therapy is important not only to you, but to your health care provider and to your health insurance.

CPAP has benefits beyond better sleep:

• More energy

• Increased alertness

• Your blood pressure may improve

• Lower your risk, or improve your glucose tolerance

• Better moods

• Reduce risk of traffic accidents

• Stronger immune system

If these symptoms describe you, please reach out to your health care provider and ask what you can do to improve your sleep. To learn more about a sleep evaluation, call Mankato Clinic Neurology at 507-389-8568. We want you to have a great night’s sleep! ■