In addition to being a hassle, sleep apnea can cause life-threatening health issues. This is why sleep apnea sufferers need to try their best to prevent all types of symptoms from occurring. With the information contained in this article, you will have a great start.
Give up some of your vices to combat the symptoms of sleep apnea. Drinking and smoking are a couple of the biggest concerns. Your respiratory system will not be happy with you if you drink all the time. When you smoke, you fill your lungs with carcinogens and cause severe damage. Letting these habits go can reduce your symptoms and make sleeping easier.
Sleep Apnea
Family history is one thing that doctors use to diagnosis sleep apnea. Your doctor might also choose to study you while you sleep. After studying this information, your doctor may send you to a specialist if necessary.
Some people’s sleep apnea can be traced to morbid obesity. In this case, a person suffering from sleep apnea needs to lose this excess weight. They should follow a sensible weight loss plan, usually involving a restricted calorie diet combined with exercise. Research has proven that reducing the number of carbohydrates one consumes throughout the day helps people in losing weight.
If you sleep alone, figuring out if you suffer from sleep apnea may be difficult. You can consider recording your sleep patterns with a camcorder. The video should also contain audio in order to hear the noises that occur while you’re sleeping.
Giving up smoking and drinking can help to improve your sleep apnea. Both of these bad habits make the airways relax too much, making sleep apnea worse. Remember that surgery and medications are expensive. Correcting bad habits is free.
Take your CPAP device with you when you are going to the hospital. If your stay is planned or an emergency, you will need your CPAP device either way. It already has your pressure settings dialed in, and your mask is something your used to wearing at night. These things will make it much easier to continue your CPAP therapy while you are hospitalized.
Try sleeping on your side to prevent sleep apnea from robbing you of a good night’s sleep. Sleeping on your back can block your airway. Try to fall asleep in a side position, and discover if that relieves your sleep apnea tonight.
A good nasal spray can be helpful if you are having trouble breathing. This product will clear excess mucus and from your airways, and some formulas reduce inflammation. However, you should not use these sprays for an extended period of time to avoid irritation. Visit a pharmacy to find a variety of ways of keeping your nose clear as you sleep.
Chin Strap
Use a device that is aimed at helping you with snoring. Snoring is precursor to sleep apnea. Snoring indicates the airway is blocked. Sleep apnea indicates the airway is fully blocked for a period of time. One device can help with both. An anti-snoring device can reduce your apnea while you sleep.
If you have sleep apnea and your mouth keeps falling open while you sleep with your CPAP every night, try wearing a chin strap. The chin strap will help hold you chin up during the time you are sleep which keeps your mouth closed. Use this device to solve this annoying problem, as leaving it unfixed will make your CPAP therapy ineffective.
People with sleep apnea often get good results by losing weight. Sleep apnea is common to those that have large necks or that are overweight. When you lose a few extra pounds you reduce the pressure on your airway and breathing becomes easier.
When you travel, be sure to bring your CPAP on the trip. If you have a sleep apnea diagnosis, you must use your CPAP every single night. A convenience travel pouch is usually included with purchase. You should be able to use this to carry your CPAP machine with you no matter where you go.
Your doctor should make a certain diagnosis of your sleep apnea, but there are ways you can help yourself too. Try losing weight and eating healthier to get rid of your sleep apnea. Stay away from large meals, caffeine, and alcohol if you have sleep apnea.
If you suffer from sleep apnea and have issues with your sinuses or allergies, have them treated as soon as possible. Because you already suffer, this should at least alleviate one of many sleep problems. You want to reduce any chance that you have of disturbing your sleep. You’ll experience a better night of sleep and reduce the odds of running into serious breathing difficulties if you take care of nasal and sinus issues without delay.
Sleeping face-up is something to avoid if you’re having sleep apnea issues. Most people who have sleep apnea are back sleepers, which means that their airways constrict easier. Use a wedge pillow to stay propped up on your side.
If you are not having any luck managing your apnea, you may want to talk to a doctor about more radical treatments. The removal of loose tissue at the back of the throat is one surgical technique that is a last resort treatment for severe sleep apnea that can’t be controlled with other less invasive treatments.
Quit smoking if you suffer from sleep apnea. Smoking causes the upper air passages to swell up, which causes sleep apnea to be more debilitating. Try out nicotine patches or gum to get rid of your sleep apnea. The first month is the hardest part. After that, it gets easier, because the nicotine addiction is gone.
Consider purchasing a device that assists in reducing your snoring. While apnea involves complete blockage of the airways, snoring is similar in that partial airway obstruction is what causes it. It actually makes sense that your device can assist with the latter if it can help you with the former. Anti-snoring devices help you reduce apnea as you sleep.
Some great tongue exercises can reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea. For example, try this: press your tongue up against your upper palate, and hold it for about three minutes. This exercise strengthens the tongue and throat muscles, making it less possible for them to allow the blocking of your air passage during sleep.
Throat Muscles
Avoid excessive drinking if you are a sleep apnea sufferer. Drinking can relax the throat muscles too much, and that can cause airways to be blocked as well as snoring. Therefore, consider quitting your drinking habit, or only drink around 1-2 drinks each day hours before going to bed. This way, the alcohol will not disturb your sleep.
Pick up a wind instrument to play. Wind exercises will help exercise and strengthen your throat muscles, which will help you breath in the middle of the night. If you consistently make an effort to strengthen your throat muscles, you’ll have a better time sleeping with sleep apnea.
Whatever you do, don’t sleep on your back. Some people sew a tennis ball or other lumpy object into their pajamas to keep from rolling on their back. You can sew a pocket onto the back of your pajama shirt to put the ball or socks in.
Your sleep position determines a lot in terms of your bouts of sleep apnea. Sleeping in the best positions possible are beneficial for you. Take a foam wedge to lift the top of your body up. This will keep excess tissue and relaxed muscles from blocking your airways.
People who have sleep apnea tend to sleep on their backs. If you are one of these people, try a different sleeping position to get some relief. Studies have shown that sleeping on your side instead can facilitate the problem of sleep apnea, leading to a more restful night of sleep.
It’s a good idea to contact your airline if you’re planning a long plane trip and will need to make use of a CPAP machine during your flight. Many will make arrangements so that you have a seat with plenty of room to use it. Remind them that you will need to plug your machine in, or you can use a machine that uses batteries as a backup measure.
Regularly exercise the muscles in your throat and jaw. Sometimes sleep apnea is just dependent on weak internal muscles you have, so take the time to learn a few exercises that can help you deal with your apnea. You may be able to significantly reduce your sleep apnea symptoms with just a little effort this way.
If you suffer from snoring or sleep apnea, learn to play an instrument. In studies, wind instruments have proven beneficial to reducing the symptoms associated with sleep apnea. Taking up an instrument can help you with controlling your airways.
Avoid drinking alcohol, especially before bed. Drinking alcohol can increase the severity of sleep disorders like sleep apnea. Alcohol relaxes your muscles and makes it harder to breath while you sleep. It can also prevent you from waking up when you stop breathing. That can be deadly.
It is inarguable that sleep apnea is extremely taxing. The sleep interruptions, physical discomfort and danger that so often characterize this condition can make life quite miserable for sufferers as well as those they love. Be mindful of all that you have read in this article, and you can start crafting your individual treatment regimen for your sleep apnea.
You should be fitted with a mouth guard that works for you. Oral device can help align your airways to prevent snoring and apnea. You may have a jaw that contributes to sleep apnea as well. This may simply be genetic.