A lot of people think that their sleep deprivation is a problem that doesn’t have a real solution. In reality, many could be suffering from sleep apnea without their realizing it. Get the knowledge that you need to deal with sleep apnea by reading the article that follows.
If you suffer from sleep apnea and you smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol, quitting could improve your symptoms. These habits can cause airways to relax too much, which can worsen sleep apnea and snoring. Remember that surgery and medications are expensive. Correcting bad habits is free.
Think about changing a few of your habits to help with your sleep apnea. If you drink and smoke, it can make your sleep apnea worse. Drinking suppresses your breathing and causes a lot of harm to your respiratory system. Smoking, of course, causes both long and short term damage to your lungs and airways, as well as putting you at risk for cancer. These are both habits which can make sleep apnea worse.
Some people give up using the CPAP machine they have been prescribed and this is not a good move. Use it for at least four hours each night, until you become used to it in full. Sometimes it is hard for people to get used to the CPAP. However, you must use your CPAP a minimum of four hours for it to be effective. If you find it hard to get used to your CPAP, use it for only 4 hours at a go.
Sleep apnea is not to be taken lightly. If you suspect you have sleep apnea, see your doctor right away. Then, if you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, you can talk with a specialist and even use a sleep monitor to understand the severity.
Sleep apnea sufferers often benefit from laying on their side during sleep. By sleeping on your back, you’ll notice that your throat and nasal passages may become obstructed. Make a point of falling to sleep on your side and see if that doesn’t alleviate some of your sleep apnea symptoms tonight.
Sleep Apnea
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.
Sleep apnea sufferers often benefit from laying on their side during sleep. The airway obstructions that cause sleep apnea are far more likely to occur if you sleep on your back than in any other position. Be sure you try sleeping on your side to get rid of a few of your problems caused by sleep apnea at night.
If you do not have a partner to let you know how you sleep at night, it can be difficult to assess if you have sleep apnea. Think about recording your sleep patterns. The video should also have audio to listen for any noises.
Do not take sleeping pills if you have sleep apnea. Sleeping pills can interfere with your throat muscles and with your airway. Though they may help you sleep, you need the ability to wake should your airway colse too much.
Mitigate the risk factors associated with sleep apnea. However, there are risk factors which aren’t changeable, such as being a male or that the condition is prevalent in your family. There are many other factors, though, that can be minimized or eliminated through lifestyle changes, such as excessive weight, alcohol use, or smoking.
If you’re dealing with sleep apnea, it’s important to set a regular sleep schedule for yourself. Sleeping at weird hours of the day can worsen your sleep apnea. Using simple sleep hygiene techniques like this one will help you avoid health problems and falling asleep during the day. The first change you should make is setting a specific time to go to sleep and wake up each day.
Many people can reduce the severity of their sleep apnea symptoms by losing excess weight. Sleep apnea is more common in patients who are overweight and have a large neck circumference. Even a modest amount of weight loss can increase air flow and decrease airway pressure.
If someone close to you, or even you yourself has struggled with sleepiness, go talk to a physician right away. It may be time to receive a diagnosis, and attempt to remedy it. Apply what you’ve learned here, and start living a better life through better sleep.
You should always consult a physician when you have sleep apnea, but there are things you can do for yourself too. Everyone can benefit from getting thinner or quitting smoking, but this goes double for those suffering from sleep apnea. Other vices to avoid are caffeine, alcohol and large meals right before bedtime.