ANCSLEEP BLOG

Alaska spans over 1,300 miles from north to south, making it a vast state with noticeable variations in summer light transitions. While the southern parts of Alaska experience light transitions that are somewhat uncomfortable but not markedly different from much of the northern part of the contiguous United States, the transition becomes increasingly extreme from Anchorage northward.

The extent to which individuals need to prepare for this transition and its potential impact hinges on three primary factors: their geographical location within the state, their sensitivity to light, and most significantly, the measures they have undertaken to normalize their circadian rhythm during the winter.

Individuals who have diligently pursued any of the following measures may experience a smoother transition:

• Employing light therapy
• Maintaining consistent pre-sleep routines
• Regular physical exercise and adhering to consistent eating and drinking patterns
• Utilizing vitamin D therapy

See: Ways to keep a normal sleep schedule in Alaskan winters

What is a CPAP Machine?

CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. This machine is considered the gold standard treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and ensures that you are breathing continuously throughout the night while you sleep.

A CPAP machine is a small box with a motorized fan inside that is connected to a tube that leads to a breathing mask, that you wear. The fan gently pressurizes the mask and delivers air to your nose and/or mouth (depending on which type of mask you get) as needed. This results in no more lapses of breathing at night.

CPAP machines also have a humidification chamber built in so that you don’t get a dry, scratchy throat/mouth or nasal passage. While a humidification chamber is optional, it’s generally recommended as a lack of humidification can irritate the nasal passage and throat.

How Sleep Changes as We Age

Changes in your sleep patterns are a normal part of aging. In general, people tend to have less satisfactory sleep and more sleep disruptions than when they were younger. Problems can include both falling asleep and staying asleep. As a result, an extremely common misconception about sleep is that we need less sleep as we get older, simply because older individuals are able to function daily with less sleep.

In actuality, the need for sleep remains constant throughout life. If nighttime sleep becomes more challenging, then the remaining sleep needs must be made up during other parts of the day. This may be why the need or desire for naps increases with age. Another sleep-related change may be early rising and early bedtimes, making it more challenging to stay asleep or stay awake as long as you would like.

What is a Travel CPAP Device?

CPAP therapy is the gold standard treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. Without it, millions of people around the world suffer from the negative health effects of this sleeping disorder. This is easy when one is at home, but while traveling, CPAPs can be cumbersome and difficult to pack. However, forgoing it for a few days also increases one's risk of a complication related to CPAP therapy. One option, however, is a travel CPAP.

Travel CPAPs are TSA-friendly, can be FAA approved for in-flight use, are easy to disassemble and reassemble, and are portable so they can fit in a carry on bag. One of the reasons they are more travel-friendly is that they tend to use smaller tubing, have fewer parts, and are battery powered so they don't require power cables.

Travel CPAP machines are made specifically for traveling. They are a bit more expensive than regular CPAP machines and are not made to “replace” your regular CPAP.