Is your snoring keeping you from getting the rest that you need? Without knowing it, you may have actually been fighting with sleep apnea for years, and snoring was only a minor symptom. Don’t fret if this is your situation. This article can really help you out.
Drop your bad habits to relieve your sleep apnea. In particular, alcohol and cigarettes are bad for you. Alcohol relaxes the muscles in the throat, which restricts the airway while a person sleeps. Cigarettes can hurt your lungs, possibly even causing lung cancer. When you stop doing these things, your sleep apnea symptoms should be reduced.
Believe it or not, wind instruments can help you deal with your sleep apnea. Researchers from Germany found that practicing with the didgeridoo on a regular basis strengthens throat muscles. Muscles in this area stiffen the airway walls and control the dilation. These are great reasons to take up playing this instrument and easing the symptoms of sleep disorders.
Overweight people are more prone to suffering from sleep apnea. Anyone who is overweight and suffers from sleep apnea needs to lose weight for the sake of their health. Follow a strict diet and exercise regimen for awhile to see if this makes a difference. Reducing carbohydrate intake can help greatly, as well.
Try to sleep on your side at night. Sleeping on the back can cause air passages to constrict. Make a point of falling to sleep on your side and see if that doesn’t alleviate some of your sleep apnea symptoms tonight.
If your sleep apnea is the result of narrow airways, try using a mouth guard when you sleep. Devices like these can align your airways properly to allow you better sleep. Talk to your doctor about whether or not a mouth guard can solve your sleep apnea problem.
Try out different things besides pills to help you sleep. Just like alcohol, taking sleeping pills will make your throat muscles relax. They can also cause a significant number of additional complications for sleep apnea patients. Ask your physician about sleeping aids that are free of harmful effects or risks to your night-time breathing.
Quitting smoking and drinking can relieve sleep apnea symptoms. Both of these habits are bad for the muscles in your air passage and can worsen apnea. As an added benefit, keep in mind that ditching these bad habits will put extra money back into your pocket, whereas extensive medical treatments will cost you a great deal.
Sleep while on your side. A lot of people who suffer from sleep apnea are back sleepers. Sleeping one one’s back can cause constriction of the throat muscles. Sleeping on your side makes breathing significantly easier. If you move around at night and tend to always wind up on your back, try propping yourself up with pillows.
You can both shed unwanted pounds and reduce the effects of sleep apnea with a nutritious and healthy diet. 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.
Sleeping Pills
Don’t drink a lot of alcohol. Drinking alcohol relaxes the muscles of your throat and airway. While this might often be a desirable side effect of drinking, it can also cause sleep apnea. Your throat muscles may be affected, causing breathing difficulties. If you feel like you have to drink, try to not do it prior to going to bed.
Sleeping pills are not the answer if sleep apnea is your problem. These pills can cause your throat muscles to relax and keep your airways from properly functioning. Sleeping pills can actually really harm you and prevent any air from coming through your body, so stay away from them as much as possible.
If you aren’t sleeping with a partner each night who can let you know of any irregularities in your sleeping patterns, it can be hard to know if you have this condition. You can remedy this problem by setting up a recorder that can film you while you’re sleeping at night. Make sure that the microphone on your recording device picks up any snoring or other noises you make while sleeping, because your physician needs to hear them.
In order to make a proper diagnosis, your doctor may have you maintain a sleep journal. Keep track of how long you are able to sleep at night, as well as anything else related to your sleeping process. Ask your partner to keep track of your snoring, movements, and whether you stop breathing at night. This helps the doctor discern whether you have sleep apnea or not.
If you have sleep apnea and use a CPAP, be sure to carry a medical ID with you. You don’t need people questioning you and your device all the time, so it makes it easier when you bring your medical ID. The ID should mention that you have sleep apnea, you use a CPAP, and your CPAP should be set to a particular pressure level.
Sleep Apnea
Avoid alcohol if you have sleep apnea. When you drink, the alcohol causes the muscles in your throat to relax, which will impede your airway and cause snoring. You should either quit drinking, or try and limit it to an occasional drink before going to bed. This will ensure alcohol doesn’t affect your sleep.
Alway travel with your CPAP machine if you suffer from the symptoms of sleep apnea. When sleep apnea affects you, do not attempt even a single night without your CPAP machine. Most machines come with a bag that they can be transported safely in. Use this to easily transport your CPAP with you whenever you are away from home.
Please do not waste time believing that a CPAP maching is something to be ashamed of. Inform people about the necessity of your actions and avoid being overcome by self-conscious feelings when you use it in front of friends or your significant other. 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.
Use nasal spray if you have a nose issue. Using nasal spray a couple of nights in a row should help you sleep. Nasal spray is not a permanent solution to nighttime breathing issues, though; prolonged use will cause irritation and possibly sinus damage. Talk to your pharmacist about your options.
Your sleep position can impact the severity of sleep apnea. Therefore, you need to be careful about the way you sleep. Use a foam wedge to raise the top part of your body higher. Alternatively, you can elevate the upper portion of your bed a few inches.
Never sleep on your back if you experience the symptoms of sleep apnea. The majority of sleep apnea sufferers sleep on their backs, which makes it easy for their airways to become blocked. To prevent yourself from rolling over while you sleep, use pillows or cushions.
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. This will help your airways.
Do not drink too much alcohol if you have sleep apnea. Alcohol consumption relaxes throat muscles beyond normality and can block an airway. If you are going to drink, have only one a few hours before bed. This way, the alcohol will not disturb your sleep.
If you have sleep apnea, you are not likely to realize it during your sleep. General daytime sleepiness may be a sign of sleep apnea, so let your doctor know if you are experiencing this. These symptoms may be indicative of sleep apnea, despite the fact that you don’t struggle to breathe at night.
Take lessons on a woodwind instrument. Playing a wind instrument exercises your throat muscles to make breathing easier and gives you the pleasure of beautiful music at the same time. Strengthening these muscles can help you better control them when sleeping, which can lessen apnea symptoms.
Avoid drinking alcohol, especially before bed. Alcohol can worsen sleep disorders, like sleep apnea. It depresses the central nerve system which can both exacerbate the apnea itself as well as make it more difficult to rouse yourself in the event you do stop breathing. Potentially, that could be fatal.
Let the airline company know far in advance when you plan on traveling and you have to take your CPAP machine with you. The airline may seat you in a convenient place to make using your machine easier. If you happen to be flying overseas on a foreign airline, make sure you have the right power adapter.
Some cases of sleep apnea stem from an excess of throat tissue that obstructs your airway. Surgery can be the answer if this is your situation. A surgeon can use a surgery known as UPPP to help you get rid of your extra tissue. This will make it easier for your airways to stay open. This particular procedure usually removes your tonsils as well.
Remember, it’s not easy to spot your own sleep apnea when sleeping. If you’re having difficulty in staying awake during the day, especially while you are behind the wheel, immediately talk to your doctor. Even if you do not realize it while sleeping, you could have sleep apnea.
You might need to get your own custom-fitted mouth guard. These plastic conveniences help clear your airways and relieve your snoring, which is sometimes the cause of sleep apnea. The position your jaw sits in can cause your sleep apnea symptoms.
Your family doctor can help you find the appropriate treatment to deal with your 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.
Talk with your partner about your condition. You may find that they have been frustrated by your snoring, and that is important to know. You can open up to them about your sleep apnea and how it is affecting you, and reassure them that such restless sleep should end soon.
Sleep apnea is caused by many factors, but thankfully there are many solutions to this problem. Reading this article was great starting point for your education on this subject, so make sure to share it with those around you who should understand sleep apnea better. A great night of sleep is still very possible for you.
If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, it should never be taken lightly, and all doctor’s instructions for treatment should be followed, including the use of a CPAP device. Sleep apnea is a dangerous disorder. It can lead to insomnia, at best, and at worst, depression, heart disease, and other diseases.