Clinical research has proven that most people will spend about a third of their life asleep! That’s a lot of time spent counting sheep over and over again! But as for funny as sleep may seem, it’s actually pretty serious business. After all, sleep is a vital metabolic function that’s an important part of one’s overall health, and failure to get enough of it on a regular basis — or even for one night — can result in difficulty sleeping, concentrating, and compromised immunity.

For example, people that work overnights have a higher likelihood of developing chronic illness. It’s thought that this is because staying awake overnight and working goes completely against the body’s natural circadian rhythm. Have you ever wondered why you get tired when the sun goes down and feel more awake more the sun comes up? That’s because the body naturally begins to produce melatonin, a hormone that makes you feel sleepy, in darkness. People that work the night shift go against this natural rhythm, and in some case this can take a toll on their body.

Similarly, people that pull all nighters can also suffer from health consequences. Feeling groggy or tired the next day may not seem like that big of a deal, but it is — in fact it can potentially fatal. Excessive sleepiness can make it difficult to crawl out of bed and get ready for your day, but it also can potentially hazardous for you and for others. That’s because drowsiness can make it difficult to stay awake at the wheel. In 2008, a study from the National Sleep Foundation found that drove while drowsy or even fell asleep at the wheel. This can have serious, if not deadly, consequences, as drowsy driving is just as dangerous as driving under the influence of a substance.

Getting a good night’s rest helps to maintain and improve your memory, cognitive ability, and overall brain function. After all, there’s a reason why people are often told to sleep on a decision. Sleeping can bring a renewed sense of clarity! It also helps to boost immunity and your body’s natural defenses, which in turn, decreases your likelihood of becoming ill.

So knowing all of this, imagine what would happen if you couldn’t get a good night’s sleep night after night after night. Imagine not feeling well all day, every day, and not knowing exactly why. Such is the case for roughly 18 million Americans who suffer from sleep apnea, a condition in which restricts a person’s ability to breathe while they sleep. In turn, this prevents vital oxygen from getting to the body’s tissues, including the brain, the heart, and the organs. Over time, sleep apnea can have dire health consequences.

Without oxygen, your body’s tissues struggle to function and stay alive. As such, sleep apnea sufferers face an increased risk of chronic and serious illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and more. Sleep apnea causes vary from person to person, but doctors and sleep researchers know that obesity is a contributing factor. Unfortunately, the majority of people who have sleep apnea don’t even know it! It’s estimated that as many as 80% of sleep apnea sufferers don’t even know it! As such, they’re not able to get the treatments they need, such as CPAP machines.

Continuous positive airway pressure machines, often simply referred to as CPAP machines, are a kind of sleep apnea machine that is a common treatment for sleep apnea. They’re highly effective, and work by keeping gently forcing air into the airways. this ensures a person is breathing at all times, which means they’re constantly receiving vital oxygen.

CPAP machines are attached to a sleep apnea mask that is fitted over the nose and mouth. Once the patient gets used to the sound of CPAP machines as well as the fit, they can actually be quite comfortable. If the discomfort is too much, there are a variety of other sleep apnea treatments such as nasal pillow masks, as well as BIPAP masks. Try them all out!