Has snoring been disturbing your sleep for years? You could be possibly suffering from a type of snoring referred to as sleep apnea. Don’t fret if this is your situation. The article below can help.
There are some bad habits that should be stopped because they make sleep apnea worse. Drinking and smoking are a couple of the biggest concerns. Drinking can overly relax your respiratory system and may cause breathing problems. Cigarette smoke is full of cancer-causing chemicals which are bad for your lungs. Eliminating these habits is going to help alleviate sleep apnea symptoms.
Drop your bad habits to relieve your sleep apnea. Drinking alcohol and smoking are very bad for the condition. Drinking helps depress your respiratory system, causing breathing issues. When you smoke, you fill your lungs with carcinogens and cause severe damage. Losing these terrible habits will help a great deal when it comes to alleviating your sleep apnea symptoms.
You must use your CPAP at least 4 hours nightly after receiving your unit. Sometimes it is hard for people to get used to the CPAP. Good health over the long term is what is important, and you need to build up the amount of time you use it until you can use it throughout the night. Using it for the minimum of four hours a day will allow yourself to slowly transition to full time use.
Mouth Guard
Try to sleep on your side at night. Back sleeping promotes airway obstruction. Make a conscious effort to fall asleep on your side, and that will probably reduce some of the symptoms caused by your sleep apnea.
If your sleep apnea is the result of narrow airways, try using a mouth guard when you sleep. This will help you breathe better at night. If you think a mouth guard might help you out, consult a physician and ask her to fit you with one.
Get a chin strap to keep your mouth closed when you are sleeping with a CPAP or BIPAP machine. This device keeps your jaw up as you sleep. Your mouth must remain closed in order to get the best results from your CPAP therapy.
Ask your doctor to recommend a good CPAP machine to treat your sleep apnea. Think about the machine’s size and noise levels. Certain CPAPs are tinier than bread boxes and are barely heard. Your physician can recommend the best manufacturers in the industry.
No matter where you travel, you must bring your CPAP if you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. A diagnosis of sleep apnea is serious and means that you cannot forgo the use of your CPAP for even a single night. Most machines come with a bag that they can be transported safely in. You should be able to use this to carry your CPAP machine with you no matter where you go.
Do you smoke or drink? Quit these vices. They can do bad things to your airways. Smoking can cause your airways to swell up while alcohol will make your airway more relaxed, which can cause sleep apnea. If it is not possible for you to quit cold turkey, then try not to smoke or drink immediately before bedtime.
Make sure your CPAP comes with you when you need to go to the hospital. Whether the stay is for a planned surgery or sudden emergency, make sure you have access to your CPAP for the duration of your stay. This is because it is already customized to the pressure you need, and the mask won’t be awkward. It will be much simpler to continue using a CPAP machine in the hospital if you don’t have to deal with unfamiliar equipment.
If you’ve got a prescription for a CPAP for your sleep apnea, try using it for around four hours each night. Some people have a really hard time sleeping with the device. In order for your CPAP therapy to be effective, you need to use it at least four hours a day. You’ll be comfortable using it on a regular basis in no time.
Consult with your doctor about surgery if you find that none of the less invasive options are helping with your symptoms of sleep apnea. There are people that don’t respond well to traditional sleep apnea treatments, and sometimes they have to have surgery. This surgery may involve removing the adenoids, enlarging the airway or removing the tonsils.
Sleep Apnea
One way to help with sleep apnea is to quit smoking. Your air passages swell when you smoke, which is no good for sleep apnea sufferers. Try different things to help you quit smoking. It is the initial 30 days after you quit that are usually the hardest. Once you get through this, nicotine begins to exit out of your body, which decreases your cravings.
Be sure to eat well and maintain a proper weight to help control your sleep apnea. A lot of people are surprised that a bad diet can affect sleep apnea. There is scientific data that suggests that eating a poor diet can worsen sleep apnea, independent of a person’s weight.
If sleep apnea afflicts you, don’t drink too much. When you drink, the alcohol causes the muscles in your throat to relax, which will impede your airway and cause snoring. Do not drink or smoke before you lay down to sleep. That way, your sleep will not be affected.
In order to make a proper diagnosis, your doctor may have you maintain a sleep journal. You will need to make note of how many hours of sleep you get each night, and anything else notable. Ask your partner to note anything unusual noticed during the night while you were sleeping. This can help the doctor determine if you actually have sleep apnea.
If you think that sleep apnea is something you may have, it is best to consult with a doctor right away and get a sleep test. The sleep test can determine whether you actually have sleep apnea or not. Even if you’re experiencing relatively mild sleep apnea, having a firm diagnosis of the condition enables you to take steps towards treating it.
You need only one regular pillow to sleep with at night. The position of your body can become awkward and harmful to your breathing when you use too many pillows. You’ll be resting in such a way that makes breathing difficult. Because of this you should only use one pillow for easier sleeping.
Since sleep apnea is actually a throat problem and not a nose problem, strengthening the muscles in the throat can be a great way to reduce apnea issues. If you would like to know how to strengthen the throat muscles, then continue on and learn about some helpful exercises.
Minimize the risk factors associated with sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can run in the family, and that is one factor that can’t be changed. Being overweight, drinking, smoking and weak throat muscles can all bring on sleep apnea.
Back sleepers are more likely to suffer with snoring or sleep apnea. If this is the case, you may want to consider changing your sleeping position. There is scientific evidence that sleeping facing sideways can reduce sleep apnea symptoms and improve sleep quality.
Tongue exercises are useful in reducing sleep apnea. One exercise includes pressing your tongue on the roof of the mouth and keeping it for several minutes. This will make your throat stronger and prevent the muscles from relaxing too much during sleep and causing apnea.
Be in constant contact with your physician with regards to a recently diagnosed case of sleep apnea. Your physician can keep you up to speed with great information and advice. If you try something new, follow-up with your doctor in about a month so you can tell him how the treatment is working.
A great method of reducing your sleep apnea symptoms is strengthening your throat muscles. Relaxed or excessive tissue can obstruct air passages and make breathing difficult. If your muscles are stronger, their chances of collapsing and blocking your airways are minimized.
Try exercising your throat and jaw. Weak muscles can intensify the symptoms of sleep apnea, so add a couple of these types of exercises to your daily routine. You can make a significant difference with your sleep by doing this.
Avoid excessive drinking if you are a sleep apnea sufferer. Drinking alcohol can cause your throat to relax which can make sleep apnea worse. You should either quit drinking, or try and limit it to an occasional drink before going to bed. You’ll be less likely to suffer from alcohol-related sleep disturbances this way.
Minimize alcohol use, particularly before bedtime. Alcohol can worsen sleep apnea and other sleep disorders. Alcohol is a depressant, which dampens your nervous system. This both makes sleep apnea worse, and also makes it harder for your body to wake itself up if your breathing stops. The effect this has can be extremely harmful or even flat-out life-threatening.
Sleeping face-up can worsen sleep apnea symptoms, so make an effort to face sideways when sleeping. Some people sew a tennis ball or other lumpy object into their pajamas to keep from rolling on their back. This will make back sleeping very uncomfortable.
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. The removal of excess tissue will widen your airways, making it easier for you to breath. This particular procedure usually removes your tonsils as well.
People get sleep apnea for many reasons, but thankfully there are almost as many solutions for it. The information in this article was a great place for you and your loved ones to learn more about sleep apnea. You are well on your way to a great night’s sleep.
Catching the occasional nap during the day can help you deal with the sleep loss caused by sleep apnea. Sleep deprivation can seriously compromise your health, as well as your ability to function. Setting aside a few afternoon hours to catch up on your overall amount of sleep time can be a great way to take care of yourself.