Are you still tired when you get out of bed every morning, or suffering with headaches and irritability? Are you told that you snore loudly? If this is the case, you might have sleep apnea. The effects of this condition are often serious, so start looking for ways to treat your apnea immediately.
You can fight sleep apnea by giving up certain vices. If you smoke and drink, you are almost sure to suffer from sleep disturbances. Alcohol relaxes the muscles in the throat, which restricts the airway while a person sleeps. Smoking can cause swelling in the throat, which also restricts the airway during sleep. Losing these terrible habits will help a great deal when it comes to alleviating your sleep apnea symptoms.
Get a mouth guard if your airways are the cause of your sleep apnea. This will help you breathe better at night. Ask your doctor to help you get fitted for a mouth guard.
Talk to your doctor to find out if a sleep mouth guard will work for your apnea. It may be that your airways are narrower than average, and this is fine. A device made to assist you during sleep can provide you with enough air to flow through your body.
Limit your alcohol consumption. Alcohol causes your muscles to relax. Although many people desire this side-effect of alcohol, it is not beneficial to people with sleep apnea. Your throat muscles may be affected, causing breathing difficulties. Reduce the frequency of your alcohol if you do continue to use it, and never drink close to bedtime.
Many people find that using a mouth guard while sleeping helps their sleep apnea. They make these mouth guards specifically for people that suffer from sleep apnea. These mouth guards are more comfortable than a CPAP. A mouth guard will work by positioning the jaw and tongue in a helpful way that will allow for easier breathing while asleep.
Sleep Apnea
You should know that aside from helping you to lose weight, healthy food can also help to lessen sleep apnea symptoms, too. A lot of people would be surprised to learn that eating badly makes sleep apnea worse. People who eat unhealthily tend to have sleep apnea more often than those who eat healthier.
Try to sleep on your sides to keep sleep apnea from ruining your sleep. When lying on your back, your throat and nasal passages can obstruct your airways. See if sleeping on your side doesn’t help your sleep apnea condition.
An excellent way to help lessen the effects of sleep apnea is by losing weight. Getting rid of those extra pounds can help you with your sleep apnea. Even losing a little weight can improve sleep apnea by opening the throat and airway, because there is less pressure on the neck.
Try something else besides sleeping pills. Just like alcohol, these medications relax your throat when you sleep. Sleeping pills also worsen many other effects dangerous to sleep apnea sufferers. Discuss alternative methods for getting to sleep without altering your breathing with your physician.
Many people can reduce the severity of their sleep apnea symptoms by losing excess weight. People who are overweight usually suffer from sleep apnea more. Losing the excess weight can greatly lower the pressure it puts on your airways and helps to get air flowing freely so you can breathe much better at night.
You need to have a complete physical exam and give a thorough medical history in order to get a sleep apnea diagnosis. There are hundreds of studies that show sleep apnea has effected many families together, and this might be something that you cannot escape.
If you have sleep apnea, do not sleep laying on your back. Sleeping on your back with sleep apnea can make it hard for you to sleep. Use whatever means you can to keep from rolling on your back. Pillows can help and some people even sew a tennis ball into the back of their night clothes.
If you use a CPAP, then ensure a medical ID is carried with you at all times. You need to have a way of letting medical personnel know about your condition if you are unconscious. This ID needs to specify you suffer from sleep apnea and have a CPAP that needs to be set on a certain pressure level.
If you have sleep apnea, you should not drink excessively. Alcohol will relax your throat and will block your passages. If you’re dealing with sleep apnea, it’s a good idea to avoid drinking as much as possible, especially in the hours close to your bed time. This can keep alcohol from messing up your sleep.
If you’re admitted to the hospital, take your sleep apnea machine with you. You need to have your CPAP along with the mask, with you at all times while you’re there. Your own CPAP machine will be set to the pressure recommended by your sleep specialist, so you won’t have to get used to a new machine. Your whole hospitalization process will go much smoother because of this.
Start playing wind instruments. Playing a wind instrument exercises your throat muscles to make breathing easier and gives you the pleasure of beautiful music at the same time. Working these muscles can reduce sleep apnea symptoms, by strengthening them and enabling you greater control over them.
Sinus Problems
If you’re suffering from sleep apnea and have a CPAP machine that you use, see if your doctor can give you a heated humidifier as well. It is much easier to get better sleep and to sleep with your CPAP machine if there is warm and humid air to breathe. Many CPAP machines come with built-in humidifiers now, so see if your doctor can prescribe one of those for you.
If you have sinus problems or allergies, find yourself some treatment options. It will help you breath better in general, especially during your sleep. One issue is enough when battling for air when you are asleep. By treating your allergies or sinus problems, you will be more likely to get a full night’s rest and have energy for the day.
How you position yourself when you lay down for bed can contribute to your issues with sleep apnea. This is why it’s essential to sleep in a good position. Put a foam wedge under yourself to lift up your body. Or, if you are up for it, raise up the top part of your bed itself four to six inches.
One sure-fire way to combat the problems posed by sleep apnea is proper weight management. Getting rid of those extra pounds can help you with your sleep apnea. Simply losing a small amount of weight can open your airways, improving your sleep apnea symptoms.
If you have sleep apnea, you are not likely to realize it during your sleep. Waking up gasping for air makes a lot of noise, but it may not wake you up completely. A doctor may diagnose you with this condition, even if you believe you don’t have it.
Although sleep apnea has the potential to be a life-threatening condition, it is treatable. You can get relief quickly if you follow the advice from this article. If your problems do not resolve quickly, be sure to follow up by seeing your doctor.
If you suspect that you might be suffering from sleep apnea, consult a physician and arrange a sleep study. A sleep test will give your doctor the information he needs to diagnose your condition and its severity. The next step is to find a treatment for your problem, even if you have a very mild case of sleep apnea.