Sleep. As humans, we devote up to one-third of our lives sleeping. But many of us do not sleep well, and it may be having negative effects on the rest of our lives. More and more, primary care physicians are connecting patients’ quality of sleep with their overall health.
“A lot of people are walking around tired,” said Al Thomas, who owns The CPAP Store in Waycross, Georgia, with his wife, Amanda. “You can see it in their faces and in their eyes because they’re not sleeping,”
The CPAP Store specializes in equipment and supplies prescribed by doctors for sleep therapy.
“Everything revolves around sleep,” he said. “If you’re not sleeping, you don’t feel good, and you don’t function well.”
More than 22 million Americans are currently diagnosed with sleep apnea, in which breathing stops and restarts while sleeping. It is estimated that 80 percent of people with sleep disorders go undiagnosed.
One of the primary treatments for sleep apnea is a device known as a CPAP, or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure device. A mask worn while sleeping, a CPAP ensures a constant flow of air to prevent breathing stoppages and helps the person sleep more soundly.
Thomas spent the last 20 years working as a respiratory therapist with different medical equipment companies. He realized that people in the community who wear CPAPs were finding it increasingly difficult to locate a provider for their devices and supplies. That is when he and his wife decided to open The CPAP Store in Waycross earlier this year.
“I’ve always been a social person,” Thomas said. “But I’ve been stuck behind a desk for 15 of the last 20 years.”
Indications of a sleep disorder include being constantly tired and unable to concentrate during the day, labored snoring, and falling asleep at odd times and places.
“If you get on the right sleep therapy, you will see all of that change,” Thomas said. “You will be happy again and be able to enjoy life again. The process is a lot easier than it used to be and a lot less expensive.”
He added that people with those symptoms should discuss it with their doctors and have sleep studies performed.
The CPAP Store is in network with most health insurances. Once a person has been diagnosed by a doctor, The CPAP Store works to make sure they get the right device for their needs.
With a selection of different masks in stock in different sizes and different styles, they will let you try on the mask and make sure it fits, and works, correctly.
The CPAP Store motto: “Exceptional care. Exceptional Service. Without Exception.”
They also help those who have unsuccessfully tried sleep therapy in the past by helping them get back on track with new supplies and equipment. They are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. at 512 City Boulevard, Suite G in Waycross in the Los Palmas shopping center.
You can call The CPAP Store at (912) 590-6546, find them on Facebook, or go to their website at loveyourCPAP.com.
“If you have problems sleeping, if you are tired all the time, if you fall asleep at the drop of a hat, talk to your doctor about your symptoms and get tested,” he said. “When you get it treated, you will feel much better and have a better quality of life.”
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Business Spotlight for Oct
The CPAP Store
By Rob Asbell
It’s All About Sleep
