You can not live without sleep, but if you are afflicted with sleep apnea, then good sleep probably feels like a distant memory. This article will provide you with useful information on managing the symptoms of sleep apnea, so that you can finally get a decent night of sleep and get back to more productive days.
Some people’s sleep apnea can be traced to morbid obesity. If this is the case, a sleep apnea sufferer should try to lose weight. There should be a weight loss plan in place that restricts calories. Exercising should be a part of this plan as well. According to recent scientific work, many people looking to lose weight can also benefit from reducing their intake of carbohydrates.
Drop some of your vices to fight against sleep apnea. As with many other health problems, alcohol and tobacco will worsen sleep apnea. When you drink, your respiratory system is depressed and breathing becomes difficult. Smoking introduces known carcinogens into your lungs and damages them over time. Dropping these habits can help ease your symptoms.
Shed a bit of weight if you can. It is widely known that being overweight is the cause of sleep apnea for some people. Losing a little weight can have a big affect on your sleep apnea. Try a calorie restriction diet and exercise.
Extra weight is a primary cause of sleep apnea. If you suffer from sleep apnea and are overweight, try losing a few pounds. There should be a weight loss plan in place that restricts calories. Exercising should be a part of this plan as well. After a couple of weeks you should see a difference with how much sleep apnea effects you.
Try your best to use your CPAP machine as much as possible if you get one. Although it can be difficult to become accustomed to wearing a CPAP, it is an important tool in improving sleep apnea. For the CPAP therapy to work, it must be used a minimum of four hours per day. If you struggle to adjust to it in the beginning, try using the CPAP for about four hours while you sleep.
Lose weight if you need to. There is evidence that sleep apnea is correlated with obesity. Therefore, just losing twenty pounds or so could help provide significant relief from your sleep apnea.
Cut back on your alcohol consumption. Alcohol relaxes your muscles in a way that harms your breathing. 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 are a person who needs a drink sometimes, then aim to not drink it very frequently. Definitely do not drink any immediately before hitting the sheets at night.
Sleep Apnea
Seek out something else rather than taking sleeping pills. Sleeping pills can make your throat muscles relax in an undesirable way. They can also make other problems associated with sleep apnea worse. Stress relief through meditation or exercise can also help you fall asleep safely.
Even children can suffer from sleep apnea. If you child seems to be distracted in class, cannot focus, and is breathing through his mouth, then he may have sleep apnea. Such symptoms may mimic ADHD, so discuss the matter with your family physician and consider the possibility that your child has sleep apnea.
If you have sleep apnea and your mouth keeps falling open while you sleep with your CPAP every night, try wearing a chin strap. A chin strap is a strap on fabric that can hold your mouth closed. Use this device to solve this annoying problem, as leaving it unfixed will make your CPAP therapy ineffective.
Sleep apnea is diagnosed through a medical exam and consideration of your and your family’s medical history. Also, there may be a sleep study performed and even a sleep specialist recommended if the doctor treating you feels that your condition is severe enough to get it looked at further.
Bring your medical ID every you travel with your CPAP device. If you need medical attention, it’s crucial that others realize that you’ve got sleep apnea and that you use a CPAP. Your ID should tell people about your sleep apnea, your use of a CPAP, and the proper pressure level for it.
If you’re dealing with sleep apnea, it’s important to set a regular sleep schedule for yourself. Your condition is already messing with your regular sleep cycle every night. Whatever you are able to do to keep a regular sleep pattern will help you to be in better health and less exhausted during the day. The best thing you can do is to be sure you’re going to sleep and getting up every day during the same time.
Those with sleep apnea should treat any symptoms of sinus or allergy problems. Because you already suffer, this should at least alleviate one of many sleep problems. One issue is enough when battling for air when you are asleep. Addressing nasal problems ensures you a better chance at sleeping from dusk until dawn problem-free.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, make sure to get sinus and allergy problems treated. It will help you breath better in general, especially during your sleep. You have to avoid anything else that is going to affect your ability to breathe while you are asleep. Keeping your airways clear and free by properly treating nasal issues can help you sleep better at night.
Think about using nasal spray if your nasal passages are stopped up. This should clear your airways, at least temporarily. However, you should not continuously use nasal sprays as this may cause nose damage. Head to your pharmacy to see what your options are to deal with your nose bothering you in your sleep.
An excellent method of reducing your sleep apnea symptoms is simply losing some weight. A lot of people find that if they shed weight they will help the apnea. Even a nominal amount of weight loss will go a long way in improving your breathing at night.
Some useful tongue exercises can help alleviate many sleep apnea symptoms. Place your tongue on your mouth’s roof and keep it there for at least three minutes. This will make your throat stronger and prevent the muscles from relaxing too much during sleep and causing apnea.
Single Pillow
Curb drinking heavily if you have sleep apnea. Alcohol makes the throat muscles over-relax, resulting in blocked airways and snoring. Either stop drinking entirely, or limit your consumption to only one or two drinks well before you go to bed. You will make sure that your sleep is not affected by the alcohol.
Only sleep with a single pillow of standard size. An over-sized pillow or multiple pillows can actually skew your position. This causes you to lie in a way where breathing is more difficult. So pick out a single pillow you feel comfortable with to sleep on at night.
Speak with your doctor about adding a heated humidifier to your routine use of a CPAP machine for treatment of sleep apnea. When your sleeping in conditions of warm and moist air, you will most likely adhere to the CPAP therapy. Humidifiers are built into a lot of CPAP machines. Ask your doctor about prescribing you one.
Try using devices that help with snoring. Snoring is caused by mostly-closed airways, and apnea is fully-closed airways. As you can guess, devices that help one will help with the other. Anti-snoring devices help you reduce apnea as you sleep.
Try not to feel embarrassed by your CPAP machine. Be forthright about your need for it, and don’t worry about having to use it around other people. Anybody who doesn’t understand doesn’t deserve your time.
Minimize your risk from the conditions causing sleep apnea. Some sleep apnea risk factors (like genetic predisposition or being a man) are impossible to escape. But others, such as weight smoking and drinking, can be controlled.
Let the airline company know far in advance when you plan on traveling and you have to take your CPAP machine with you. Many will make arrangements so that you have a seat with plenty of room to use it. If you are flying a foreign airline, remember to bring a universal power adapter.
Sleeping in certain positions can also impact your sleep apnea. You must figure out which position is best for you. Lift up the top half of your body with a foam wedge. You can also lift up your bed by several inches at the head end.
Getting relief for your sleep apnea may be simpler than you think. Give yourself a normal bedtime and follow your self imposed rules. Ensure that your room is set up for comfortable resting, also. People who don’t make their bedroom conducive to a good night’s rest can easily bring about insomnia.
If you don’t get enough sleep then you might hurt your long-term health. You need to address your problems immediately for your health and well-being. You need your rest. Don’t make life tougher than it needs to be. Work toward an effective treatment that will help you get a good night’s sleep.
There are oral devices that can help in the treatment of some sleep apnea cases. Some people have an overbite or narrow jaws that are set in such a way that cause the apnea. More air can enter the airway if a corrective device is used to reposition the jaw.