A Night And Day Difference 

The importance of using the optimal HME for a good night’s sleep.

Audio version

The importance of a good night’s sleep

A good night’s sleep is an important part of our mental well-being and overall health. Poor sleep quality has been linked to increased stress responsivity, somatic pain, reduced quality of life, emotional distress and mood disorders, and cognitive, memory, and performance deficits.¹ For people with a laryngectomy, consistently using the optimal HME for sleep is a simple change that can make a significant impact on overall health and mental well-being.

A laryngectomy’s effect on sleep

Studies have shown that 50% of people with a laryngectomy struggle to get a good night’s sleep due to coughing. 28% wake their partner or other family members during the night due to coughing. And 23% of people with a laryngectomy struggle to fall asleep due to coughing.²

Choosing the right HME for a good night’s sleep

Clinical studies show that consistent optimal HME use, meaning using the HME with the highest humidification for the situation, day and night, improves pulmonary health and improves sleep.^3.4 Provox Life HMEs are available in Night HME, Home HME, Go HME, Energy HME, FreeHands HME and Protect HME variants, so users can choose the best HME for any situation.

Provox Life Night HME

Night HME provides higher levels of humidification compared to other HMEs in the Provox Life range. ⁴ Side openings are designed to prevent occlusion while sleeping. The soft, smooth design and the comfortable breathing resistance helps people with laryngectomy to sleep comfortably and wake up rested in the morning. The side openings can also be occluded for speaking, if needed.

For a more comfortable sleeping experience, Provox Life Night Adhesive allows the skin to rest and recover during sleep. The adhesive contains a skin-friendly hydrogel that soothes and cools the skin.

Tips for better sleep

• Create a sleep routine
  Going to bed and waking at the same time creates a natural rhythm for your body. Try to follow your sleep schedule as closely as possible to maximize the benefits of a routine.
  
• Make sure you have great sleep surroundings
  Maintain a comfortably cool bedroom temperature between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius (60- and 65-degrees Fahrenheit) and reduce light from outside sources with curtains or blackout blinds.
  
• Turn off screens an hour before bedtime
  Our smartphones, TVs and computers are great for entertaining us, but these devices emit a blue light, which suppresses the sleep hormone melatonin. ⁵ Turn screens off about an hour before bedtime so your body can prepare itself for sleep.
  
• Switch your daytime HME to a nighttime HME.
  Using a nighttime HME with the highest possible humidification as part of an optimal day & night routine can improve your lung health, reduce coughing during the night, and improve your sleep.

References

¹Medic G, Wille M, Hemels ME. Short- and long-term health consequences of sleep disruption. Nat Sci Sleep. 2017 May 19;(9):151-161.

²ReD Associates for Atos Medical. What is it like to live with a laryngectomy: A quantitative study. Data on file. 2019.

³Longobardi Y, Galli J, Di Cesare T, D’Alatri L, Settimi S, Mele D, Bussu F, Parrilla C. Optimization of pulmonary outcomes after total laryngectomy: Crossover study on new Heat and Moisture Exchangers. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2022. Dec;167(6):929-940.

⁴Ward EC, Hancock K, Boxall J, Burns CL, Spurgin AL, Lehn B, Hoey J, Robinson R, Coleman A. Post-laryngectomy pulmonary and related symptom changes following adoption of an optimal day-and-night heat and moisture exchanger (HME) regimen. Head Neck. 2023 Apr;45(4):939-951

⁵Tähkämö L, Partonen T, Pesonen AK. Systematic review of light exposure impact on human circadian rhythm. Chronobiol Int. 2019 Feb;36(2):151-170. doi: 10.1080/07420528.2018.1527773. Epub 2018 Oct 12. PMID: 30311830.