The relationship you have with your sleep clinic is important to your long-term treatment of sleep apnea.

When diagnosed with sleep apnea many patients find themselves looking for a sleep clinic to provide treatment. Many people will be treated well on the initial devices they are titrated with and subsequently treated on. Some patients may have issues with mask fit and CPAP pressure, and hopefully have found a sleep clinic that can easily address any problems that may occur. Failure to adhere to CPAP treatment can be disastrous for some individuals. A study showed that truck drivers with sleep apnea who failed to adhere to treatment had a rate of preventable crashes five times higher than that of truckers without sleep apnea.

Regular replacement of equipment, mask, tubing and filters, helps to ensure optimum treatment levels and reduces the chance that patients will stop using CPAP.

The continued use of CPAP is important to overall health and restorative sleep. Many issues occur when a mask starts to age, within 6 months, leaks may start to occur. This can lead to poor adherence with the CPAP machine. Having easy access to a sleep clinic whether in a lab setting or at home services can help prevent and overcome such problems. Regular replacement of equipment, mask, tubing and filters, helps to ensure optimum treatment levels and reduces the chance that patients will stop using CPAP.

Finding a sleep clinic that is easily accessible helps patients that may experience problems with CPAP therapy. Most patients undergo a period of adjustment with both wearing a mask and breathing with continuous pressure. Dry mouth and dry nasal passages are common side effects that can be remedied in most cases with the use of a heated humidifier. Heated humidity may be used daily or only when a patient feels the need to. There are patients who only use heated humidity during certain times of the year i.e. during the winter when most homes are drier.