///////////////////////////////////////////NEW PRODUCT INFORMATION///////////////////////

CPAP Supplies Plus/Direct is proud to announce our own line of CPAP Filters! We are now providing the same great high quality filters for most CPAP machines and we have filters for those “hard to find” models too. As a SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER – we have reduced the price of our filters by $1 per package. This offer is good through March 31, 2007. Simply by adding your CPAP Supplies Plus filters to the shopping cart, your price per package will be reduced by one dollar! This is a great opportunity to stock up and save money on your replacement supplies.

Keep watching our site for CPAP Supplies Plus/Direct Tubing at the lowest price on the internet you will find!

As always, CPAP Supplies Plus/Direct is proud to bring you quality products at the lowest prices!

//////////////////////////////////////////////INDUSTRY NEWS//////////////////////////////

Medtrade Spring, the semi-annual medical equipment show will be presented April 24-26th in Las Vegas once again. According to industry sources, there will be a few new sleep products showcased such as masks that might be the answer for someone to finally get a good night’s sleep with the right fitting mask. We will keep you informed as to what those products are as they are announced.

/////////////////////////////////////////////HEALTH INFORMATION///////////////////////////////////////
We wanted to showcase this month two articles for you to see the interesting, but disturbing statistics on how people are coping with the lack of sleep in their lives. And from this lifestyle many have, they bring on many health conditions, one which many times include Obtructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). The third article shows the correlation between an increasing and very serious health condition and OSA. Please pass these articles on to people you may know experiencing these conditions in their lives.

American Women Stressed and Sleep Deprived
Women’s lack of sleep affects virtually every aspect of their lives, leaving them late for work, stressed out, too tired for sex, and with little time for their friends, according to results from the National Sleep Foundation’s (NSF’s) 2007 Sleep in America poll.

More than half of women (60%) say they only get a good night’s sleep a few nights per week or less and 67% say they frequently experience a sleep problem. Additionally, 43% say that daytime sleepiness interferes with their daily activities.

“Women of all ages are burning the candle at both ends and as a result they are sleepless and stressed out,” said Richard L. Gelula, NSF’s CEO. “Poor sleep impacts every aspect of a woman’s life, as well as her health. This year, we are asking women to take the steps necessary to make healthy sleep a higher priority in their lives and the lives of their families.”

NSF’s 2007 Sleep in America poll looked at the sleep patterns of adult women (ages 18-64) and found that 80% of women say that when they experience sleepiness during the day, they just accept it and keep going. However, in order to keep going, 65% are likely to use caffeinated beverages, with 37% of all women consuming three or more caffeinated beverages per day. And, despite being frequently tired, women are not heading to bed earlier. In the hour prior to going to bed, instead of retiring early, 87% say they watch television, 60% complete the remainder of their household chores, 37% do activities with children, 36% do activities with other family, 36% are on the Internet, and 21% do work related to their jobs at least a few nights a week.

The Sleep in America poll also finds that a lack of a good night’s sleep is interfering with a woman’s quality of life. Women report that they often choose to put healthy activities last on their priority lists as they struggle through their daily lives. When pressed for time, one half of the women polled responded that sleep (52%) and exercise (48%) are the first things they sacrifice. Additionally, more than one-third of women said they also reduce the amount of time they spend with friends and family (39%), stop eating healthy (37%), and do not participate in sexual activity with their partner (33%) when they run out of time or are too sleepy in a day. Interestingly, work is the last thing that women say they sacrifice when pressed for time; only 20% of women responded that they would opt to put work on the back burner when they run out of time or are too sleepy.

Poor sleep is associated with poor mood. The majority of women reported being bothered by worrying too much about things (80%) and/or being stressed out or anxious (79%). Sleep problems often coexist with mood disturbances. In fact, 55% of the women polled reported that they felt unhappy, sad, or depressed in the past month, and one third reported that they recently felt hopeless about the future. The relationship between sleep and mood is bi-directional. Mood effects can cause poor sleep and poor sleep can put someone at greater risk for symptoms of depression and anxiety.

The NSF poll also indicated that lifestyle plays a significant, often negative, role in women’s sleep and daytime alertness. Working mothers (72%) and single working women (68%) are more likely to experience symptoms of sleep problems, like insomnia. But stay-at-home mothers report a high level of overall sleep problems, with 74% saying they are experiencing symptoms of insomnia at least a few nights each week and 59% saying they frequently wake up feeling unrefreshed.

In response to these findings, the NSF is offering these tips on getting a good night’s sleep:
1. Try to have a standard relaxing bedtime routine and keep regular sleep times. Make sure your bedroom is dark, cool, and quiet and that your pillows, sleep surface, and coverings provide you with comfort.

2. Exercise regularly, but finish your workout at least 3 hours before bedtime.
3. Avoid foods and drinks high in caffeine (coffee, colas, tea, and chocolate) and alcohol a few hours before bedtime. Caffeine and alcohol disturb sleep. Nicotine may make it difficult to fall asleep and lead to fragmented sleep; those who smoke should get help to quit.
4. If you have a new infant in the family, arrange for some help from family or friends in order to get a few more hours of sleep each week until your infant is sleeping through the night. When you return to work, additional assistance during this transition may be essential for keeping you safe at work and on your commute.
“Adopting healthy behaviors such as eating nutritious foods, being physically active, watching your weight, and getting enough sleep are important steps toward living a healthy life,” said Janet Collins, PhD, director, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “As a leader in public health, CDC applauds NSF’s efforts to educate all Americans about the importance of sleep.”
More Americans Popping Pills to Get Sleep
An article reported in The Record draws attention to America’s growing “addiction” to sleeping pills.

Research indicates that the number of people taking sleep aids has risen dramatically in the past 7 years. Dr John Villa of Holy Name Hospital told The Record, that the increase in sleep aids is in part related to the heavy marketing and advertising campaigns of pharmaceutical manufacturers of these drugs. The rise also may be due to Americans’ fast-paced, time-pressed lifestyles.

Physicians in the article expressed concern that patients could be using the pills over extended periods of time without considering the health concerns of long-term use. Furthermore, they were worried that sleep aids may be prescribed to children. “I’d be real concerned if pediatricians were using hypnotics for children,” Dr. Roberto V. Nachajon, chief of pediatric pulmonology at St. Joseph’s Children's Hospital in Paterson and a sleep disorder specialist at Holy Name told The Record.

Those interviewed by The Record also suggested that elderly patients could be over-prescribed sleep aids.

While the article says that the drugs are generally safe if taken properly, the physicians who were interviewed said that using behavioral modifications should not be discounted.
Sleep Summit Tackles Diabetes-snoring Link
Twenty of the world’s leading diabetes and sleep medicine experts met at a summit in Sydney, Australia, last week with the goal of developing recommendations to address increasing evidence that OSA may lead to type 2 diabetes and worsen the health of those with existing diabetes.

The summit was one of the first high-level international meetings to focus on the association between diabetes and sleep. Delegates evaluated the latest research and worked towards developing a consensus statement that will contribute to world health policy on diabetes, improve care for people with diabetes and sleep disorders, and recommend future research directions.

The conference was co-chaired by Professor Sir George Alberti, senior research investigator in the Division of Medicine at Imperial College, London, and advisor to the Blair government on emergency care, and former president of the IDF (International Diabetes Federation); and Paul Zimmet, AO, director of the International Diabetes Institute and professor of diabetes at Monash University, Melbourne.

“The world is in the grip of a type 2 diabetes epidemic,” Alberti said. “It is a disease that is commonly associated with obesity and cardiovascular disease. OSA also is often present among people with these conditions and is known to increase the risks that lead to heart attacks. The findings of the summit will assist health professionals in their approaches to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of OSA and diabetes, and assist the direction of future research efforts.”
The findings are expected to be released later this year.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
As always we hope that you find this information helpful and informative. We thank you for choosing CPAP Supplies Plus/Direct as your supplier for CPAP equipment and accessories. Also, don't forget, to prevent colds, sinus and respiratory infections, change your CPAP filters and tubing regularly!

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

You are receiving this email because you have signed up to receive information about CPAP therapy on our website. If you wish to be removed from our mailing list, please email remove@cpapplus.com with your email address in the subject line of the email. Since this is an automated removal system, all requests that do not contain the email address within the subject of the email will be ignored. Please do not send requests for information to this email address. Please send all requests for product information to info@cpapplus.com. Thank you.