Do you always feel extremely tired despite having just slept eight hours? Do you often hear your partner complaining about your snoring? Did you ever wake yourself up with your own snoring? These can be signs of sleep apnea, but don’t worry. You can use this article to help solve that problem.
Avoid contact with cigarette smoke and consumption of alcohol if you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. Alcohol and cigarettes are two of the primary culprits. Alcohol can put you into a very deep sleep and depress your respiration. Cigarette smoke is full of cancer-causing chemicals which are bad for your lungs. Letting these habits go can reduce your symptoms and make sleeping easier.
It is important to stay away from alcohol if you have sleep apnea because it can help you see some improvement with the condition. Snoring and apnea are common occurrences for those with these habits because they relax the muscles in the airway. Remember that surgery and medications are expensive. Correcting bad habits is free.
Try cutting out cigarettes and alcohol if you have sleep apnea. Both habits impact your respiratory system, complicating sleep apnea and snoring. Quitting these addictions may be the easiest way to address your sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea
Get a custom mouth guard. Sleep apnea patients can have mouth guards that are custom made specifically to treat their condition. It provides a more comfortable option to using a CPAP machine. The mouth guard keeps your jaw in the proper position and keeps your airway more open.
Speak with your doctor about getting a mouth guard that will help alleviate the symptoms of sleep apnea. You might have a narrow breathing passage, recessed chin, or small jaw naturally that can worsen sleep apnea. By aligning the position of your jaw and throat, you will find that you can sleep with fewer symptoms of sleep apnea.
If your physician has prescribed a CPAP machine, do try to sleep a minimum of four hours with it nightly. Many people find it very difficult to feel comfortable using a CPAP to go to sleep. Four hours of use every night is the minimum necessary time you need to realize the benefits of CPAP therapy. If you have a tough time with it, be sure you have the right size mask, and that the pressure is working right.
Sleeping on one of your sides when you have sleep apnea can help you sleep better. Sleeping on the back can cause air passages to constrict. If you can get to sleep lying on your side (and stay that way through the night), you may well experience a much less trouble night.
Eating healthier foods can help you deal with sleep apnea. Changing from a poor diet to a healthy one can transform your sleep apnea symptoms. People who do not eat well, or are overweight, may suffer from sleep apnea.
Try out a regular sleep schedule to help you through your sleep apnea. Your sleep condition already disrupts your sleep cycle nightly. Try your best to get a regular sleep pattern after you find out you have sleep apnea, this will help your overall health improve. The adjustment that is most important is your sleep schedule.
If you want to beat your apnea and get a healthy dose of sleep, roll onto your side the next time you go to sleep. Our airways can get obstructed if we sleep while on our backs. See if sleeping on your side doesn’t help your sleep apnea condition.
If you have sleep apnea and your mouth keeps falling open while you sleep with your CPAP every night, try wearing a chin strap. This device keeps your jaw up as you sleep. The CPAP only works if the mouth is closed, so try using the strap.
To actually diagnose your disorder, a doctor may require you to take notes in a sleep log. 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. Your partner can often say if you jerk limbs around, stop breathing for a second, or snore loudly. This can help your doctor figure out if you’ve got sleep apnea or if you don’t.
Your sleep position determines a lot in terms of your bouts of sleep apnea. It’s important to find the best position for you to sleep in. Lift up the top half of your body with a foam wedge. Try to also prevent yourself from falling off the bed in the middle of the night.
Bring your CPAP along with you if you’re going to the hospital. You need to have your CPAP along with the mask, with you at all times while you’re there. The machine that you bring will help you find comfort at the hospital because it is the one you always use. Even if you are hospitalized, you can seamlessly continue using your CPAP in this manner.
Learning to play a wind instrument can be an effective control strategy for those who snore or have sleep apnea symptoms. It is soothing, and a German study showed that using these instruments can strengthen your throat muscles. This new method will help you control your airways.
If you have tried everything to no avail, be sure to see your doctor about professional treatment. Standard treatment vectors of sleep apnea do not work for certain individuals, and they wind up going in for surgical options. These can include tonsil removal and airway enlargements.
Don’t sleep on your back. If you sleep on your back, you are sleeping in a position that can block your airways. Sleeping on your back is the worst possible position for people who suffer from sleep apnea.
Try using devices that help with snoring. Snoring occurs when airways are mostly closed up with a little air getting through, but sleep apnea occurs when the airways completely close up. Therefore, it is only sensible that a stop snoring device might also help with sleep apnea. Anti-snoring devices can help to reduce your sleep apnea symptoms as you rest.
If you are dealing with effects of sleep apnea, one solution is to perform throat exercises, which can help lessen the symptoms. These exercises strengthen the muscles surrounding the airway, which makes them less prone to collapsing. There are many exercises that are helpful, but one of them is to push your tongue very firmly up against the back of your front teeth. Then slide your tongue to the back of your mouth, and repeat this cycle for at least three minutes. Try this exercise daily.
Eliminate all the risk factors you can. Some sleep apnea risk factors cannot be changed, like genetic or hereditary reasons. There are many other factors, though, that can be minimized or eliminated through lifestyle changes, such as excessive weight, alcohol use, or smoking.
Sleep Test
You should not be embarrassed of your diagnosis or your CPAP machine. People will feel better about knowing why you are using it, and they will be supportive. Keep in mind that using your CPAP machine is in your best interest, and if anyone makes fun of you, you should probably find better friends.
You can contact your doctor to arrange a sleep test if you suspect that you’re having sleep apnea problems. This sleep test will help diagnose your sleep apnea and give you an idea of its severity. After you are diagnosed you have to figure out how to treat your sleep apnea.
Your sleep position can impact the severity of sleep apnea. Having a proper sleep position is necessary. Put a foam wedge under yourself to lift up your body. An even better idea is to lift the top part of the bed by about four inches, if you can.
Many individuals afflicted with sleep apnea sleep on their back. If you are one of these people, try a different sleeping position to get some relief. There have been studies and reports that show how side sleeping will alleviate many symptoms of sleep apnea and improve the quality of sleep.
People who snore or even those who have sleep apnea may benefit if they learn to play a musical instrument. This can significantly help you get through the night without bothering other people with your heavy snoring. Playing a musical instrument strengthens the airways and gives you greater control.
Sleep apnea is caused by inadequate oxygen during sleep. As is the case, it would behoove the sufferer of sleep apnea to avoid sleeping at an elevation. This is because oxygen levels drop the higher the elevation is, which can impact your sleeping. If you can sleep at a lower elevation, you should do it.
If you have a history of anxiety, try getting in a hot bath before bed. This can relieve symptoms of anxiety induced sleep apnea. The warm water will relax and soothe your muscles. Therefore, you can sleep better without waking up because of apnea symptoms.
Keep your throat and jaw muscles in shape. Sometimes strengthening your internal muscles can help correct your sleep apnea. There is a very real chance that you can help yourself with just a few exercises.
There are many simple solutions people suffering from sleep apnea can use to get better quality sleep. Always sleep at the same time every night. Lights in your bedroom can keep you awake, so turn off all electronic devices and any lamps or overhead lights, too. If it is uncomfortable, you might not be able to fall asleep.
Think about getting a guard for your mouth. These can be custom fitted by your dentist and keep the jaw from falling back and blocking your airway. A jaw that is correctly aligned makes it easier for your body to breathe properly at night.
If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, give up sleeping facing up. Your apnea will worsen if you sleep on your back because your airways are more likely to collapse in that position. Try sleeping on your side. You may need some pillow to keep you in this position.
Reading this article was the first step in dealing with your sleep apnea. This is crucial, as many skip this step. After today, you should know how to tackle sleep apnea and discover a good night’s sleep.
Throat exercises can help strengthen your muscles and fight sleep apnea. This is because when you exercise your throat it become stronger, allowing them to let air through them easier. One example would be pressing your entire tongue against the top of your mouth, holding it there for multiple minutes and then letting go. Try doing this at least once a day.