Anybody with sleep apnea understands how difficult it is to deal with. You should learn what you can from your doctor and follow his treatment recommendations. Also do some things yourself to help lessen the symptoms of this disorder. Read on to learn some tips that have worked for many people.
Stopping bad habits may help with your sleep apnea. Two of the most common offenders are drinking and smoking. Drinking causes respiratory depression, which makes it more difficult to breathe. Cigarette smoke is full of cancer-causing chemicals which are bad for your lungs. If you can give up these bad habits, you’ll see a significant reduction in your sleep apnea symptoms.
A reason that a lot of people have problems with sleep apnea is due to excessive weight. If this applies, it is is important to shed some excess weight. Try changing your diet and ramp up your activity level. Reducing carbohydrate intake can help greatly, as well.
If you have sleep apnea because of naturally narrow airways, get a sleep mouth guard. This opens up your airways, letting you breathe fully while you sleep. Ask your doctor to help you get fitted for a mouth guard.
Do you smoke and drink? Get rid of these bad habits. Your airways are affected by using both of these substances. Smoking swells up your airways, while drinking depresses your nervous system and muscles into excess relaxation. This can both cause and exacerbate sleep apnea. Eliminate drinking or smoking before bedtime if you can’t avoid them entirely.
Sleep apnea afflicts children too. Children who breathe through their mouth rather than their nose can suffer from sleep apnea. Other symptoms can include hyperactivity, poor grades, irritability or hostility. Sleep apnea symptoms can mimic those of ADHD, but only a doctor can give the proper diagnosis.
Sleep Apnea
Going to bed on your side can be something you can do to help you get better rest if you have sleep apnea. Back sleeping promotes airway obstruction. Make it a habit of falling asleep on your side, which hopefully does alleviate some of these sleep apnea symptoms.
Sleep apnea is not to be taken lightly. If you have symptoms of sleep apnea, make an appointment with your doctor. Once you have been diagnosed, your next step will be a sleep specialist, who may administer a sleeping test using a small monitor to determine the extent of your condition.
Try to sleep on a regular schedule if you have sleep apnea. Your regular sleeping patterns already suffer due to your condition. This is why it is important to maintain a consistent sleep pattern, which will eliminate sleepiness in the day. Try retiring and waking at consistent times.
Going to sleep on your side may be beneficial. A lot of people that suffer from sleep apnea lay down in bed at night on their backs. When you sleep on your back, you are warping the shape of your airways. Avoid sleeping on your back and go on your side to make breathing easier. Prop pillows on one side to prevent you from rolling on your back while sleeping.
Take your CPAP anywhere you go, even if you make a trip to the hospital. Your CPAP is set to your specifications so it will be easier for medical staff to help you out because you already have your own device. Your mask has been fitted to you or maybe you have a special humidifier attached to your mask that a hospital won’t have. Having your own machine will make using a CPAP while in the hospital much easier.
If you wear a CPAP for your sleep apnea symptoms, but are still bothered by your mouth opening when you try to sleep, get a chin strap. It’s simply fabric that keeps your chin up and mouth closed. CPAP devices don’t work well when your mouth is wide open, so this device can help.
If you have sleep apnea, consider dropping some weight. A lot of people find that if they shed weight they will help the apnea. Even a loss of a few pounds has been beneficial in opening the airway.
Nasal sprays can help you sleep when your nose is being a nuisance to you. You will get relief from this for a little while. Nasal spray is not a permanent solution to nighttime breathing issues, though; prolonged use will cause irritation and possibly sinus damage. A quick trip to the pharmacy can turn you onto a host of different treatments that can help reduce nasal congestion.
Use a single, normal-sized pillow for sleeping. Having too many pillows, or one gigantic one, may interfere with good breathing posture. It will make breathing harder than it needs to be. This means that one pillow is most appropriate to help alleviate your sleeping concerns.
Cut down on your chances of developing sleep apnea. Some sleep apnea risk factors cannot be changed, like genetic or hereditary reasons. But many others can be easily avoided, like smoking and drinking.
If you shed some weight it will likely help with apnea. Sleep apnea is more common in patients who are overweight and have a large neck circumference. If you lose that weight, the pressure on your air passage will be lessened, which will improve the quality of your breathing.
Do not sleep on your back if sleep apnea affects you. Sleep apnea strikes back sleepers the most. A good way to get around this is to use a pillow so that you sleep on your side in bed.
Sleeping face-up is something to avoid if you’re having sleep apnea issues. A lot of people suffering from apnea have problems with blocked airways because they sleep not on their side, but on their backs. You can prop yourself up on one side with cushions or pillows to discourage face-up sleeping.
How you sleep can affect your condition. This is why proper positioning is so critical. Lift up the top half of your body with a foam wedge. Or, if you are up for it, raise up the top part of your bed itself four to six inches.
If you are a sleep apnea sufferer, it is best to avoid drinking alcohol. If you regularly drink, your throat muscles will relax too much, which will block your airways and cause snoring. If you are going to drink, have only one a few hours before bed. This will help you know that alcohol is not affecting the quality of your sleep.
If you are going on a long plane trip, call the airline you will be traveling with to ensure that you can bring your CPAP machine on the plane. As long as you let them know ahead of time, many airlines will make an effort to seat you in an area where you can use your machine. Don’t forget your power adapter!
If you are taking a flight and bringing your CPAP machine, contact the airlines ahead of time. Friendly airlines are happy to seat you where there is sufficient room for you and your machine. Also, don’t forget the power adapter you will need if you are booked with a foreign airline.
Those with sleep apnea generally agree that the condition can be debilitating because of the problems it causes. Fortunately, taking the time to educate oneself about all of the options and treatments can really help to manage this condition. Use what you’ve just learned to eliminate the stranglehold that sleep apnea has on your life.
Sleep apnea is often easy to treat, and it’s just a matter of becoming educated it and putting these treatments in place. Fixing your sleeping schedule and sticking to a regular bedtime every night can be a great help. Make your bedroom conducive to getting a good night’s sleep. Insomnia is a real danger if your sleeping arrangements are sub-par.