May is the month of new beginnings, spring has burst forth in full bloom of flowers and fresh air and long energizing days full of sunlight! May is also designated as a month devoted to Women’s Health, Care and Well-Being.
This significant and important health awareness campaign began on Mother’s Day here in the USA. The goal is to empower women to make their health a priority and to help women understand the steps they can take to improve their health. As the month ends, we want to cap this campaign off with our own advice to carry into the rest of the year.
The cornerstone of any healthy lifestyle is sleep. Without sleep our cells cannot provide the tissue repair, muscle growth and protein synthesis that occurs almost exclusively during sleep. With insufficient sleep, we also risk serious medical health diagnoses such as cardiovascular health, weight management issues, diabetic risks, and, potentially, a shortened life span. Lack of sleep also influences moods and behaviors, causing crankiness, forgetfulness, and a higher number of accidents.
Today, we know that there are more than 70 diagnosed sleep disorders ranging from anxiety to sleep apnea. For any chronic insufficient amount of sleep that you might be experiencing, you need to schedule a doctor’s appointment. If there is a suspicion of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) the doctor will prescribe that you have a sleep test at an accredited sleep lab. If you are diagnosed with OSA, the next step will be to get treatment. In 2023, you can make many choices about what type of sleep apnea mask you would like to wear. There are many masks out there too! And many of them are wonderful masks that will help you become healthier and wake up feeling refreshed and energized.
However, as women, one of the first thoughts we often have is “Will this new mask leave lines on my face?” With the traditional hard, plastic masks this could happen. However, there is a lightweight, all-cloth mask called the SleepWeaver which is a proven “skin friendly” mask. Clinicians have called this mask “the skin friendly option”! SleepWeaver masks are made of cloth—nothing plastic touches your face. There are no allergens, no latex, no silicone and no by-products of plastic. It is one of the lightest masks on the market and provides two amazing, proven features: comfort and compliance!
As women, we worry about what our face may say about us. We know that adequate sleep will allow our skin tissue to rejuvenate nightly, so we should be aware of the all-cloth option that doesn’t leave lines on our faces as we comply with the treatment of OSA. We spend tons of money on skin products to look younger and healthier and, if there is a medical device that can provide a skin-friendly option with the proven medical benefits of treating our sleep apnea, maybe it is time to try a SleepWeaver mask.
Check the masks out. As part of the Women's Health campaign, SleepWeaver products are on sale at Direct Home Medical and CPAPX.
Remember: Sleep is precious! So are you!
-Kathy Groll, SleepWeaver Product Manager