Need extra oxygen to sleep?

At our ski resorts, some luxurious homes have it all from elevators to snow-melting driveways, but these days, we're invited to add certain bizarre amenities like extra oxygen in the bedrooms to help us sleep. 

We just received that postcard from these in-home oxygen providers claiming that “Air at altitude has 30% less oxygen than at sea level. This thin air causes fatigue, poor sleep, moodiness, and altitude sickness. Increasing oxygen eliminates the cause of poor sleep and fatigue at altitude.” 

This sounds all well and good except that healthy people don’t need it in Park City where altitude ranges between 6750 to 8500 feet. It’s interesting to note that cabin pressure during a flight is around an altitude equivalent of about 8000 ft and besides walking a tiny bit in the aisle or going to the bathroom is never to strenuous! 

Sure, individuals with severe lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or diffuse interstitial lung disease, a safe maximum altitude to reside at is generally considered to be around 2,500 to 3,000 feet above sea level. At elevations above this range, the decreased oxygen availability can exacerbate respiratory symptoms and lead to complications. 

However, individual tolerance can vary significantly, so some patients may be able to tolerate higher altitudes, while others may experience difficulties even at lower elevations. 

As you might expect, such oxygenating systems don’t come cheap starting in the $30,000 range, including installation, oxygen equipment, digital sensors, touch-screen panel, industrial-grade electrical controls and remote online access. 

I think I’ll still pass installing one in our house for the year!