Are you confused about what is causing you to have a horrible night’s sleep even when laying in bed for 7 or more hours? If you have been unable to find a cause, you may be suffering from sleep apnea. If you think that is possible, read on for some excellent sleep apnea advice.
Lose weight if you need to. Studies show that sleep apnea symptoms are more common in people who are overweight. Alternatively, if you shed twenty five pounds you can see a tremendous improvement in the symptoms of sleep apnea, especially if you are dealing with obesity.
Get a mouth guard to help you sleep at night. This opens up your airways, letting you breathe fully while you sleep. Talk to your doctor about whether or not a mouth guard can solve your sleep apnea problem.
Use a fitted sleep apnea mouth guard. Mouth guards help keep your jaw in a proper position. If you don’t have CPAP, then this guard is an excellent alternative. Also, it’s a lot more comfortable wearing this mouth guard while sleeping. The mouth guard helps by keeping the airway open and providing stability for the soft tissues.
Do you sometimes drink or smoke? Eliminate bad habits. Both have a negative influence on your air passages. When you smoke you can harm your lungs, and it can be hard for you to breathe at night. Alcohol has a similarly negative effect. If you must continue with these habits, avoid doing them before bed.
Don’t drink a lot of alcohol. Alcohol is a natural muscle relaxant. While this is often considered a desirable effect, it can lead to sleep apnea. Your throat muscles may be affected, causing breathing difficulties. If you do drink alcohol, avoid drinking it 3 hours before bedtime.
Sleep Apnea
The most common way for a physician to diagnose you with sleep apnea is to conduct a physical examination and investigate the medical histories of you and your relatives. A sleep study can also shed some light on your sleep problems. Your primary physician may find that the best course of action is to send you to see a sleep specialist. These doctors have the specialized expertise necessary to diagnose and treat many sleep disorders including sleep apnea.
Quitting smoking and drinking can relieve sleep apnea symptoms. Both habits impact your respiratory system, complicating sleep apnea and snoring. Unlike costly surgeries or other medical interventions, dropping these habits will actually save you money.
If you are lacking someone to sleep next to you it might be hard to tell if you suffer from sleep apnea. Think about recording your sleep patterns. Ensure that you record audio also, which will allow the doctors to evaluate noises you are making during sleep.
Speak with a doctor about using corrective mouth pieces to control your symptoms of sleep apnea. It may be that your airways are narrower than average, and this is fine. You can get better rest if you wear a custom mouth guard that aligns your jaw properly.
Some people have great luck with stopping their snoring by using an anti-snoring device they wear in their mouth while sleeping. Both snoring and sleep apnea are caused by narrowed airways. It is sensible to get a tool that assists with snoring, since it might help with sleep apnea too. These devices might be just what you need for a better night’s rest.
Eating right can keep you healthy and well rested. Many people may be surprised how much a poor diet plays in the symptoms of sleep apnea. People who don’t eat healthy food have the worst sleep apnea conditions.
If you have sleep apnea you should not smoke. Smoking causes the upper air passages to swell up, which causes sleep apnea to be more debilitating. To quit smoking, try a smoking cessation program or use nicotine replacement therapy. Many people find the first month to be the hardest. Once you are past that point, your nicotine cravings lessen drastically.
It can be a very serious issue when you have sleep apnea. If you think you may have it, it is important to make an appointment with your doctor to discuss it. With an official diagnosis, you will have to see a sleep specialist and possibly a home based sleep test with a portable monitor to fully assess the condition.
The way you sleep can play a big role in the amount of sleep apnea episodes you suffer from. That is why it is important to sleep in the best position. Attempt to use pillows or foam wedges to help you stay in a good position to sleep in. Alternatively, you can elevate the upper portion of your bed a few inches.
Alway travel with your CPAP machine if you suffer from the symptoms of sleep apnea. CPAP therapy can have an extremely positive effect on your sleep apnea, but it relies on constant, continual use to be effective. A convenience travel pouch is usually included with purchase. You can use it to carry your CPAP easily and safely anytime you leave home.
If you suffer from snoring or sleep apnea, learn to play an instrument. It can be soothing, and it has been found that playing wind instruments calms sleep apnea symptoms. Your new talents can help control your airways.
If you have tried many treatment options and nothing works, then it is time to contact your doctor for more serious treatment alternatives. The removal of loose tissue at the back of the throat is one surgical technique that is a last resort treatment for severe sleep apnea that can’t be controlled with other less invasive treatments.
You may not even notice that you have apnea. If you feel exhausted or extremely sleepy during the day or find yourself falling asleep behind the wheel, talk to a doctor immediately. Your symptoms may mean sleep apnea even if you don’t know you gasp for air every night.
One of the best ways to lessen the symptoms of sleep apnea is by losing weight. Many sufferers of sleep apnea have found that shedding their unwanted pounds makes their sleep apnea go away entirely. Simply losing a small amount of weight can open your airways, improving your sleep apnea symptoms.
Take action and find a treatment for your sleep apnea. Putting off a doctor’s visit could lead to a worsening of conditions over a period of time. Don’t wait until you are getting absolutely no sleep every night. See your physician if you have even the slightest suspicion that you have sleep apnea.
Consider a snoring device. Snoring occurs if breathing passages become partially closed, and sleep apnea when they are closed entirely. This is why it makes perfect sense as to why this might work for you. These devices might be just what you need for a better night’s rest.
Throat exercises have been shown to help with the symptoms of sleep apnea. Doing this can help to make the muscles which surround the airways much stronger, which in turn prevents them from collapsing into your airways. One way is by pressing your tongue firmly to the top of your mouth, and hold it for several minutes. Try this exercise daily.
Risk Factors
If you believe that you’re suffering from sleep apnea, it would be wise to talk to ask your doctor to give you a sleep test. A sleep test can diagnose both your sleep apnea and its severity. Then, you can find the right treatment for your situation based off of the facts.
Get rid of as many sleep apnea factors as possible. Some risk factors, which include being male and family history, are innate and unchangeable. However, many other risk factors can be cut out, like being overweight, a smoker or a heavy drinker.
Don’t sleep face-up if you suffer from sleep apnea. Sleeping on the back leaves you more prone to having your airways become blocked. Try sleeping on your side instead.
Learn to play a wind instrument. You can pick up a new skill, but more than that you are able to exercise and learn to control the very muscles that have to do with breathing. Working these muscles make them stronger, and help you control them, especially when you sleep; this will reduce your sleep apnea.
Because sleep apnea is caused by weak throat muscles, strengthening these muscles makes good sense. If you are interested in learning more about how to strengthen your throat, there are dozens of quick exercises that can be done.
When going on long trips, inform the airline that you need to take your CPAP machine if you use one. Friendly airlines are happy to seat you where there is sufficient room for you and your machine. Make sure you bring a power adapter if you fly on a foreign airline.
Chronic fatigue can aggravate sleep apnea symptoms. Try to keep your sleep on a certain schedule to reduce this. Go to bed and wake up at the same times every day and stick with it. This can keep your sleep apnea from getting worse.
Cut down or avoid alcohol completely, especially right before going to sleep. Sleep apnea and other sleep disorders are worsened by alcohol. It suppresses your nervous system and that can worsen the apnea, it also makes it difficult for you to wake up when you stop breathing. When this happens, death could result quickly.
Learn how to play a wind instrument. You can help your apnea by learning something like the clarinet or flute. This can help you improve the muscles that are in your airway. After some time, your muscles will start to improve and your condition will start to get better.
Afternoon Nap
Proper fitting will insure a comfortable fit. These plastic conveniences help clear your airways and relieve your snoring, which is sometimes the cause of sleep apnea. Your sleep apnea symptoms can be intensified by how your jaw is positioned.
Anyone who has sleep apnea should try to take an afternoon nap to help make up for the loss of sleep they suffer during the night. Sleep deprivation can cause serious health risks and can negatively impact your ability to go about your day-to-day routine. If you can, take an afternoon nap so that you can get more sleep during the day.
Sleep apnea is a condition that should not be taken lightly. Every doctor recommended treatment should be followed, especially ones involving CPAP machines. Sleep apnea leaves you drained and under-rested, and chronic insomnia stemming from the condition can put you at a higher risk for depression, strokes and other health conditions.
Try to tone your throat muscles if you have sleep apnea. Any activity that strengthens your throat muscles assists your airways in staying open during your sleeping hours. A few humming exercises and playing with wind instruments can help you increase throat strength. These are just some of the many ways you can buff up your throat muscles.
Never allow your other breathing problems, such as allergies, to amplify. You need to quickly address any condition that affects your breathing if you already are diagnosed with sleep apnea. If you feel your allergies acting up, promptly take your allergy medicine or close your windows and limit your time outdoors. Avoid catching colds whenever possible, and treat colds promptly to avoid complicating your sleep apnea problems.
Talk with your partner about your condition. Chances are that you have done some snoring and awoke many times during many nights. Talk to them about how your sleeping is affecting them, and let them know that these things will cease as you continue to be treated for your apnea.
Sleep on one of your sides or your stomach to reduce the symptoms created by your sleep apnea. When you lie on your back, your throat tissues and tongue block your airway, impeding your breathing. Use pillows to make sure that you stay facing sideways even after you fall asleep.
If you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, then you need to handle the news with the appropriate severity. Make sure that you adhere to any physician instructions to the letter, and your possible CPAP machine prescription is not an exception. Sleep apnea is not only a condition that makes you feel fatigued, but it also increases the risk of depression, stroke and many other serious health problems.
If you don’t get a full night of sleep, take a nap during the day. A brief nap during the day can help you power through your schedule. Explain your situation to your employer, and they might be able to make an exception for you.
Now that you read the above article, do you feel assured that you can effectively deal with this condition? Now you know how to begin your battle with sleep apnea and finally get a good night’s sleep. Keep in mind that it is, as with many other conditions, a process of evaluating different treatments for results. Don’t stop trying and things will get better.
Sleep apnea’s biggest culprit is not getting enough sleep or getting poor-quality sleep. Many people have to change their lifestyle in order to deal with the sleep apnea problem. Leading an unhealthy and indifferent life can in fact contribute to sleep apnea.
Be sure to gather the greatest amount of information possible whenever you seek to learn something new. Now that you have learned what you can, you should be able to use it in the right way. After you go over what was presented here, you’ll have an easier time with this topic.
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