Many people believe that long-term sleepiness is just something that we deal with in life and nothing more can take care of it. This simply isn’t true. Many individuals suffer from sleep apnea, and it is a condition that everyone should understand.
In order to improve sleep apnea, eliminate some bad habits from your life. Drinking and smoking are the biggest offenders. Drinking potentially causes extreme breathing issues because it reduces the ability of your respiratory system to function. Cigarette smoke is full of cancer-causing chemicals which are bad for your lungs. Dropping these habits can help ease your symptoms.
To help with your sleep apnea, you need to consult with your doctor about the best CPAP machine to use. Factors such as the machine’s noise level and its size are important to consider. Quality CPAP machines are nearly noise-free and easily fit on a bedside table. You can consult with your doctor to see who you should talk to in order to get a good machine.
A reason that a lot of people have problems with sleep apnea is due to excessive weight. If this is true for you, try getting a little thinner. Look for a sensible plan that includes both caloric restriction as well as exercise. Carbohydrate restriction has been shown to help people lose weight in recent studies as well.
Giving up smoking and drinking can help to improve your sleep apnea. Both of these habits are bad for the muscles in your air passage and can worsen apnea. Giving up these habits can save you a lot of money as compared to expensive surgical procedures that might be needed later if you continue.
Do you regularly smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol? Address your bad habits if you have sleep apnea problems. Smoking irritates your air passages, making them narrow. Smoking swells up your airways, while drinking depresses your nervous system and muscles into excess relaxation. This can both cause and exacerbate sleep apnea. Avoid second-hand smoke and do not drink immediately before going to bed.
Mouth Guard
If you are dealing with sleep apnea and you’re a smoker and drinker, you should quit now to help improve the symptoms of this condition. Both habits cause the muscles of the airway to relax, which increases both snoring and sleep apnea. Getting rid of these habits can save you money as well.
Have a mouth guard made for you. These are a great aid to sufferers of sleep apnea. 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. A mouth guard works by keeping airways open and giving the soft tissues stability.
Shedding some excess pounds is a good idea if you’re overweight. It is widely known that being overweight is the cause of sleep apnea for some people. A loss of 10 or more pounds can significantly reduce our sleep apnea symptoms.
If your doctor has prescribed a CPAP machine for you, make sure you use it every night, for at least 4 hours. Unfortunately, adjusting to this device while sleeping can be hard for some people. For the CPAP therapy to work, it must be used a minimum of four hours per day. If you find it hard to get used to your CPAP, use it for only 4 hours at a go.
Eating right can keep you healthy and well rested. A lot of people would be surprised to learn that eating badly makes sleep apnea worse. It has been shown through many studies that people who eat a poor diet usually suffer with worse sleep apnea than someone who is just overweight but manages to still eat somewhat healthier.
Drink Alcohol
Your doctor might ask you to write down when you sleep and wake. In it, you’ll record the number of hours you sleep, as well as any symptoms you have during the night. Ask your partner to note anything unusual noticed during the night while you were sleeping. This can help your doctor figure out if you’ve got sleep apnea or if you don’t.
Don’t drink alcohol to excess. Your muscles will over-relax when you use alcohol, especially before bed. Although you may think this improves your sleep, it actually just worsens it. Alcohol will relax the throat muscles, which ends up making it harder for the body to control the airways. If you must drink alcohol, consume it sparingly and at least a few hours before heading to bed.
If you are using a CPAP to treat sleep apnea, be sure to take it when you’re going to the hospital. It doesn’t matter whether your hospital visit is planned or an emergency, your CPAP should be there with you, along with your mask. It will already be at your personal settings and pressure, and be the mask you know you can sleep in. This will make your stay a little more comfortable.
Try to sleep on your side instead of your back to breathe easier when you sleep. When you sleep on your back, the airways get obstructed due to the throat and nasal passages being more prone to obstruction. See if sleeping on your side doesn’t help your sleep apnea condition.
You need only one regular pillow to sleep with at night. Larger or stacked pillows can put your airways in an awkward position and limit your breathing. These mean you sleep in positions where it is hard to breathe. For this reason, stick with just one pillow to alleviate your sleep apnea symptoms.
Your physician may suggest that you start recording your sleeping habits in order to zero in on your sleep apnea symptoms. In it, you’ll be expected to log the hours you sleep nightly, any symptoms you may feel and the overall quality of your sleep. You can ask your spouse or a family member to let you know you how often you snore at night. This can help the doctor determine if you actually have sleep apnea.
If nasal dryness or congestion is an issue, try a nasal spray. You will get relief from this for a little while. Avoid using nasal sprays over a long period of time; your mucus membranes could become damaged and irritated. Ask your pharmacist what other options you can try to keep your nasal passages clear.
Losing Weight
Consider trying devices that reduce snoring. Snoring is precursor to sleep apnea. Snoring indicates the airway is blocked. Sleep apnea indicates the airway is fully blocked for a period of time. A device that can help with snoring may also work to help with apnea. Anti-snoring devices can help to reduce your sleep apnea symptoms as you rest.
Losing weight is a simple and proven effective method of decreasing your chances of suffering from sleep apnea. It’s possible to get rid of this condition just by losing weight. In fact, you don’t have to lose a lot of weight to open up the airways and the throat.
You shouldn’t be smoking if you are afflicted with sleep apnea. Your air passages swell when you smoke, which is no good for sleep apnea sufferers. In order to stop smoking you should think about a cessation program or one of those nicotine replacement therapies. The first month is pretty tough for most people, but it gets better. Following that time, the nicotine will start leaving your body, and you’ll have decreased cravings.
Use only one, regular-sized pillow to sleep at night. Using more than one pillow, or one that is too large, can make you sleep in an odd position. Your breathing will become more difficult for you to complete during sleep. Because of this, you should only sleep with a single pillow to combat sleep apnea.
There are some good tongue exercises you can do which can help lessen the effects of sleep apnea. One simple exercise is to put your tongue against the roof of your mouth and hold it there for a couple of minutes. This exercise strengthens the tongue and throat muscles, making it less possible for them to allow the blocking of your air passage during sleep.
Many people can reduce the severity of their sleep apnea symptoms by losing excess weight. Those who are overweight usually suffer from sleep apnea due to the circumference of their neck. Losing some weight can help improve the amount of air you can take in.
Snoring and sleep apnea can be soothed by playing a musical instrument. Learning to play a wind instrument can strengthen the muscles in your airway so you can breathe easier. Mastering this music form means you can retain control of your respiratory system.
People that have sleep apnea need the help of a doctor. Various treatment regimens and choices are effective for certain individuals, but not necessarily all. Very often, losing weight has a profound effect on sleep apnea symptoms; however, some very thin people have sleep apnea. Non-invasive options like the CPAP machine are highly successful for millions of sufferers. Some people do prefer surgery over any other types of sleep apnea alleviation methods. Whichever route you choose should provide treatment that makes you happy.
Do not let your sleep apnea go untreated. If left untreated, sleep apnea can cause serious health consequences and will get worse as the years go on. Don’t allow your lack of sleep and snoring problems to become unbearable. Consult your physician immediately if you experience symptoms associated with sleep apnea.
How you physically sleep each night can really affect your sleep apnea. This is the reason why it’s vital to sleep in a proper position each night. Lift your body up on a foam wedge. You can also lift up your bed by several inches at the head end.
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 such exercise is to use your tongue and press on the top of your mouth. Maintain this pressure for around three minutes before releasing. Do this at least once a day.
Go to sleep on your side because sleeping looking straight up can make sleep apnea worse. Try sewing a large, lumpy object like a ball onto your PJ’s to prevent you from rolling on your back while sleeping. You will not want to lay on your back on these objects.
Make sure you’re using your throat and jaw muscles. Sleep apnea can be exacerbated by weak muscles in your throat, so taking the time to strengthen them can help you manage your apnea. You can make a significant difference with your sleep by doing this.
Certain behaviors can improve the symptoms of sleep disorders and help you get a good night’s sleep. Choose a time to go to bed every night and stick to that schedule. As well, take out any distractions that your bedroom may hold like televisions and computers. If you are trying to rest in a loud setting, you can miss valuable sleep.
Find a way to get peer support. You will not know many people who suffer from sleep apnea. You may not know anyone who is suffering with sleep apnea, but there are many others out there. Find a group for those who have apnea. Online forums and support groups give you anonymity and bring together a diverse group of people with the same problem.
From here on out you know what to look for, and you should be better prepared to face sleep apnea. Being tired all the time is not normal, and you do not need to suffer in silence.
If you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, take it seriously and follow your physician’s recommendations for treatment, which may include the use of a CPAP machine. Depression, heart problems and other chronic health issues may be the result if you ignore the daily fatigue that sleep apnea can cause.
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