With all the headgear you have to wear when you have a CPAP machine, you end up feeling like a science fiction alien at night. Eventually, most patients get used to wearing the headgear, but what about a chin strap? When your pulmonologist decides that you should wear a chin strap as well, he or she has some very good reasons for it.  There are some benefits to wearing a CPAP chin strap too.

"Mouth Breathers" and the Need for Chin Straps

If your pulmonologist thinks that your CPAP is working but you still are not getting enough air at night, it is probably because you are a "mouth breather." Many people sleep with their mouths open because the muscles in their faces and necks relax. You might also sleep with your mouth open because you experience sinus issues.  If you are not using the humidifier on your CPAP machine at night, using it regularly can reduce your sinus issues and reduce your need to breathe through your mouth. The chin strap keeps your mouth closed and provides added support to your chin, jaw and neck muscles while the CPAP humidifier lubricates your nasal passages and airway.

Chin Straps Alter Sleeping Positions for the Better

Side sleepers tend to curl into a ball, tucking their heads into their chests and restricting their airways. Back sleepers suffer from backsliding tongues and uvulas, which causes them to snore. If you sleep in either of these positions, the CPAP chin strap forces you to change the position of your head and neck to avoid feeling the edges of the chin strap while you sleep. Side sleepers sleep with a more upright head and neck and back sleepers turn their heads, if not their whole bodies, to the side when wearing chin straps. Your airway opens up more and it is easier to receive the forced air through the CPAP tubing.

Wearing a Chin Strap May Encourage Better Muscle Tone

Patients with decreased muscle tone and an increased number of "chins" may be able to increase their muscle tone and decrease the appearance of extra chins with the consistent use of a chin strap. One study conducted on the use of a chin strap noted some differences in muscle tone. The study was not blind and controlled, or even double-blind, but that does not mean you could not benefit. It just means that it is a probability. If it might make "turkey neck" and double chins look better, why not try it? If it works for you, you have a new beauty regimen. If it does not, you still get a much better night's sleep because the strap holds your airway open and your mouth closed while you sleep.

To purchase an affordable chin strap, visit http://www.cornermedical.com.