It’s a horrible feeling to be diagnosed with sleep apnea. It is very important that in order to lead a happy and healthy life, you are getting a good amount of quality sleep each night. Thankfully, there are many steps you can take to cope with it. Read this article to learn how to cope with sleep apnea.
Give up some of your vices to combat the symptoms of sleep apnea. 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. When you smoke, you fill your lungs with carcinogens and cause severe damage. Quitting both of these habits completely will really alleviate your symptoms.
Many people find that using a mouth guard while sleeping helps their sleep apnea. The design is made to relieve the symptoms of sleep apnea sufferers. It is a more comfortable alternative to using a CPAP machine. It keeps your air passageways wide open and clear by stabilizing your throat and holding it in the proper position.
If a person is severely overweight, they are much more likely to develop sleep apnea. Should this be the reason, weight loss should be the rule of thumb. Following a reasonable weight loss plan and exercising is essential. It may be worth it to look into diet plans that reduce the amount of carbohydrates that you eat.
Try to sleep on your sides to keep sleep apnea from ruining your sleep. Sleeping on your back can obstruct your airways and cause apnea. Be sure to go to sleep sideways and find out if that helps you to sleep tonight.
If you have sleep apnea because of naturally narrow airways, get a sleep mouth guard. These guards look similar to what athletes use, but are specifically made to change the position of the tongue, jaw and palate while you sleep and keep your airway open. If you think a mouth guard might help you out, consult a physician and ask her to fit you with one.
Going to sleep on your side may be beneficial. Many people who have sleep apnea also sleep looking straight up. Your airway can become obstructed if you sleep on your back. Sleeping on your side makes breathing significantly easier. A large body pillow can help keep you from rolling to your back in the middle of the night.
If you want real assistance with sleep apnea at night, talk to a physician about the optimal CPAP machine for you. You must consider both the size of your machine and its loudness. Some machines can be quite small and be very quiet. Your doctor will help you find one that is well made.
Chin Strap
Try getting fitted for a custom-made mouth guard. Guards like these are specifically made for assisting sleep apnea patients. A mouth guard is more comfortable than wearing a CPAP and is better to sleep with. The guard assists in opening up your airways and stabilizing the soft tissues.
If you’re a sleep apnea sufferer and your mouth always opens as you sleep because of your CPAP, you may want to wear a chin strap. A chin strap is a fabric strip that prevents your chin from falling during the night, which in turn keeps your mouth closed. Try this out to keep your mouth closed.
Try to sleep on your side instead of your back to breathe easier when you sleep. Your air passages are more likely to suffer obstruction when you sleep on your back. If you can get to sleep lying on your side (and stay that way through the night), you may well experience a much less trouble night.
If you need to be hospitalized for some reason, be sure that you take your CPAP machine with you to the hospital. If your stay is planned or an emergency, you will need your CPAP device either way. The machine that you bring will help you find comfort at the hospital because it is the one you always use. You’ll be able to resume your CPAP therapy much easier by having these things in the hospital with you.
Try sleeping in a different position (such as on the side) rather than on your back. Many people with sleep apnea are used to sleeping on their backs. When you sleep on your back, tissue can block your throat and airways. Sleep on your side to keep your airways straight. If your sleep tends to see you rolling onto your back, support yourself with pillows on one side or the other.
Shedding weight oftentimes is a big help to anyone who is dealing with sleep apnea. Sleep apnea commonly occurs in overweight patients that have a larger neck. If you lose that weight, the pressure on your air passage will be lessened, which will improve the quality of your breathing.
To help diagnose your sleep apnea, your doctor may ask you to keep a sleep log. In it, you’ll record the number of hours you sleep, as well as any symptoms you have during the night. The person you sleep next to can alert you to your snoring, if you stop breathing or you move your limbs suddenly. Your doctor will then be able to tell if you suffer from sleep apnea.
Do not lie on your back when you sleep if you have sleep apnea. A lot of people suffering from apnea have problems with blocked airways because they sleep not on their side, but on their backs. Prop yourself up on your side with a pillow or cushions.
If you will be away from home and you’re suffering with sleep apnea, always remember to bring along the CPAP machine with you. You should never sleep without using your CPAP machine. This machine should have a travel bag with it. Use this to easily transport your CPAP with you whenever you are away from home.
Sleep Apnea
If you are using a CPAP to treat sleep apnea, be sure to take it when you’re going to the hospital. Your CPAP machine should be with you whether you’re admitted to the hospital or visiting the emergency room. Your mask has been fitted to you or maybe you have a special humidifier attached to your mask that a hospital won’t have. This will make your stay a little more comfortable.
Sleep apnea should not be ignored; it needs to be treated. Different people find relief through different forms of treatment. Losing weight can lessen symptoms for many, but thin people can have sleep apnea, along with overweight people. Non-invasive options like the CPAP machine are highly successful for millions of sufferers. Other people might just want to opt for surgery. More importantly than what treatment you decide to get is that you actually get some form of treatment.
If you are not getting relief from your sleep apnea treatment methods, consult your physician for more serious options. If less invasive treatments do not work, it is sometimes necessary to perform surgical procedures such as adenoid and tonsil removal and/or airway enlargement.
A great method of reducing your sleep apnea symptoms is strengthening your throat muscles. Sleep apnea results from breathing obstruction due to your soft tissues in your throat collapsing. As your strengthen your muscles, you will have more control over them.
Minimize your risk from the conditions causing sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can run in the family, and that is one factor that can’t be changed. Some other risk factors should be changed, such as drinking too much, smoking or weighing too much.
As this article went over, there are many good ways to handle sleep apnea. Use the advice provided to treat your apnea and sleep better. Once you have a handle on your sleep apnea, you will fell rested and have more energy. Your life will improve more than you can imagine.
Consulting your GP is a necessary step in getting a diagnosis of sleep apnea, but self-help options are available. Everyone can benefit from getting thinner or quitting smoking, but this goes double for those suffering from sleep apnea. Coffee, caffeine and alcohol should also be avoided before bed.