We All Have Mental Health - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxIDKZHW3-E
“We All Have Mental Health is an animation designed to give young people aged 11-14 a common language and understanding of what we mean by mental health and how we can look after it. It has been created for young people in Key stage 3 and can be used with accompanying teaching resources.”
What Is "Normal," Anyway?
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/what-is-normal-anyway/
“In psychology and psychiatry, it really means average or typical, but we too easily think of it as a synonym for how everyone is supposed to think and feel”
CPAP tips
As someone who’s used CPAP/BiPAP successfully for years (and credits it with saving my life), I pass along this advice to new CPAP users.
- It can take a while to get used to CPAP treatment. Don’t give up. Good sleep is *very* important to health, and not just how you feel the next day. This is worth doing.
- All kinds of people use CPAP/BiPAP. Some people get to reduce their pressure, or even stop using it (commonly after weight loss), ya never know. But even if you use it the rest of your life it’s s small price to pay for the health, and energy level, it will give back to you.
- It’s common for beginners to rip the mask off during the night, and not even remember doing that… this will stop over time, especially if you get the right mask.
- Using a CPAP can make your mouth dry (see mouth leak below), which is hard on the teeth and oral health, so be sure to brush/floss well before bed especially. I use a sonic toothbrush (the Aquasense, a great toothbrush), a Waterpik Water Flosser, and a tongue scraper. We’re only just now finding out the relationship between oral health and overall health; it pays big time to keep your mouth in as good a shape as possible.
- If your headgear uses a headband made of real or synthetic cloth, you will find that it loosens up as the night goes on, resulting in mask slippage. I have mine kind of tight at bedtime to account for this. But you don’t want a mask to be too tight, as this can cause a bad fit and air leaking.
- CPAP looks goofy, no doubt about it. My sleep improved so much with it, though, that I was able to go bed after my spouse, and wake up before her, thus sparing her the site of sleeping with a scuba diver. :-) But chances are they’ll be so happy you’re no longer snoring like a freight train that they’ll welcome the device.
- CPAPs tend to lead people to sleep on their backs, or turn less often. If you are a side-sleeper, get a mask that is built for that (such as a nasal pillow mask the doesn’t have anything on the sides, just runs right up the middle of your face). I got a memory foam mattress which has been *fantastic*, as it sort of “melts” due to pressure and body heat, so you end up laying in a mold of your own body, which means no pressure points and a reduction in the need to turn. Note that even memory foam mattresses are only memory foam in the top few inches, so you might do just as well getting a memory foam topper for your existing mattress. You may also find a different/thinner/no pillow to be a consideration as well. They also make CPAP bed pillows that may be helpful.
- Given the importance of CPAP therapy: I keep a spare mask/hose/water chamber in storage, just in case. I did this by asking for those things when offered when I didn’t really need them, and now when I get a new mask, I store that one and use the backup one (to make sure the backup one doesn’t get super old, as even when unused things can break down and not work as well).
- My initial BiPAP pressure was pretty high (18/14), but after some weight loss I was finding I was able to reduce the pressure and have it be more comfortable with less leaking. Normally you’d need another sleep study to justify this, and then your DME would adjust it, but you might be able to find the instructions online for adjusting it yourself in the device’s menu system… just be really careful doing this, may adjust a point or two at a time and check yourself for continued CPAP effectiveness (fatigue level, reports/recording of snoring, etc.)
- Masks:
- There are many masks out there, for good reason: many people have to try multiple masks before they find the one that works best. I tried many of them, and ended up with nasal pillows (nose-only) mask. Your DME (durable medical equipment) supplier should be willing to help with that process.
- New masks may not provide a good seal. When I get a new mask I put a very light coat of KY (or other water-based latex-friendly substance) on the parts that contact my face, just once, and it does the job.
- If you find the initial pressure of the air coming out of the mask to be off-putting, check if your CPAP has a Ramp function, which will start the pressure out lower and slowly increase it to the full pressure.
- Mouth leak: If you use a nose-only mask, you may find that your mouth opens while you sleep and the pressurized air rushes out of it, defeating the purpose of CPAP and feeling weird. You will likely eventually teach yourself to keep your moth closed, but you may also benefit from a chin strap (to complete the awesome look of using a CPAP, ha), or “taping”, where you tape your mouth closed. Taping: use a wide medical tape, and be sure to make a folded-over pull tab on one or both ends for quick removal (for sneezing, waking up in a panic, etc.).
- If your DME wants to switch masks, and you’re using one that works for you: dispute that. You shouldn’t have to try a new mask just because they get a better price on another one. Or consider buying the mask or the replaceable part that touches your face yourself when needed, it may be no more expensive than with your insurance’s copay/deductible.
- Moisture:
- You’ll find that using heated, humidified air is best for comfort and respiratory health. Make sure your system offers that.
- Although all the documentation says to use distilled water (which is the best), I use filtered water. I do get some mineral residue building up, but a vinegar wash every week or two takes care of that. Just soak half water half white vinegar inside it for 5-20 minutes, then swish it around good and rinse it out. (Vinegar never leaves a smell after it dries.) The metal plate in the water chamber that does the heat transfer may need a bit of finger/toothbrush scrubbing.
- When you wake up, empty the water our of your water chamber. Every day. And set it up so that it dries: turn it upside down at an angle, so gravity and airflow help it dry out. You will end up throwing out some water each day, but don’t give in to the idea of saving water/making things simpler by just leaving it in there: you’ll get biofilm growth. Remember: the water you put *in* may be distilled/clean, but the water acts as a filter for air passing over it, even if your device already has a filter; and any water you let sit can grow its own garden of organisms, even if you can’t see it. I used to leave a folded hand towel next to my CPAP and just leaned the water chamber and lid against the CPAP with the bottom edges on the towel… now my bedside table is a black wire shelf, and I just turn the chamber and lid upside down on that.
- If you keep a jug of water at bedside, make sure it’s not in direct sunlight.
- You may experience “rain out”, when the heated humidified air causes condensation in the tube, leading to a buildup of water and weird bubbling (and excess moisture in the tube, which should be dry when not in use). The cure for that: a hose cover. I have a microfleece hose cover that not only stops rain out, but also make the tube much more comfortable to accidentally touch at night, and less noisy when it hots the wall or headboard.
- Cleaning:
- If you keep your hose dry and your water chamber emptied and dry, you may not have to clean things often; your mileage may vary.
- Your DME will probably offer routine replacements, which will cost money (including your copay/deductible), so it’s in your best interest to keep things clean and dry.
- I will occasionally take my headgear in the shower and give a good wash, with Ivory bath bar soap (or similar gentle soap with no moisturizers or fragrance), then shake it as dry as possible and hang it to dry, preferably in front of a fan.
- Be sure and clean your reusable filter as well, with the same safe soap, and let it dry before use. I have allergies, but never found much benefit from the disposable allergy filters that go behind the regular filter, so I stopped getting those.
- Travel:
- When I travel with my CPAP, my morning routine is: empty the water chamber, put everything back together, and run the CPAP for 20 minutes or so with no water and the water heater turned to zero, with hose and mask and everything, to dry it out. Don’t forget to turn the water temp back up when done or before next real use. Keep the CPAP stuff tidy, or even put away, if you don’t want the cleaning staff to touch it during room cleaning.
- You never know if a hotel room is going to have a power outlet within reach. I carry a 10-foot extension cable in my CPAP kit just in case.
- Airlines allow your CPAP to be a carry-on for free, this is a federal law thing. Make sure you have/get a carrying case or backpack to make it easy. Don’t pack anything non-CPAP related in the case or it could be deemed regular luggage. If your CPAP gets sampled by the TSA, you can request a fresh swab be used (because: ewww).
- Filtered/distilled water is easily obtainable when you get to your destination, don’t bother carrying it when you travel. Your hotel may provide distilled water upon request, they’ve probably dealt with CPAP users before.
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