How To Keep Sleep Apnea From Controlling Your Life

Has your snoring caused you to be exhausted for the last decade or so? If you haven’t talked to your doctor yet, now is the time. Do not worry if this is the truth. The article you’re reading can help you.

Look into corrective mouth pieces to help with your sleep apnea. You might just have a small air way, if you have a recessed chin or a smaller jaw this can cause sleep apnea. Corrective devices can improve your jaw alignment at night and increase your rest quality.

Sleep Apnea

Follow your treatment plan including wearing your sleep mask. Using a CPAP while sleeping is a tough adjustment for many patients to make. For the CPAP therapy to work, it must be used a minimum of four hours per day. If you have a tough time with it, be sure you have the right size mask, and that the pressure is working right.

If you have sleep apnea and you’re overweight, try shedding those pounds. Although it might not be the main cause, being overweight makes sleep apnea worse. You may cure sleep apnea by just shedding twenty pounds.

It is not uncommon for children to be sleep apnea sufferers. If a child in your home shows symptoms like low grades in school, hostility, irritability, hyperactivity, inattention or mouth breathing, you should consider sleep apnea as a possibility to investigate. The symptoms can be confused with those of ADHD, so it is important to speak with your doctor to see if sleep apnea is a possibility.

You can both shed unwanted pounds and reduce the effects of sleep apnea with a nutritious and healthy diet. Despite what you may think, diet plays a major part in the ability to sleep. People that eat unhealthy are more likely to have worse sleep apnea.

Don’t underestimate the potential health consequences of sleep apnea. If you see any signs, go get yourself an opinion right away. If the doctor determines you are suffering with sleep apnea, you should consult with someone who specializes in this disorder in order to effectively treat the condition.

Sleeping on one of your sides when you have sleep apnea can help you sleep better. Sleeping on your back makes your airway more prone to collapse. If you have trouble staying off your back, sew a tennis ball into the back of your pajamas to help you stay on your side. You may see a big difference in the quality of your sleep.

Sleep while on your side. It’s not uncommon for many with sleep apnea to sleep while laying on their back. Your airway can become obstructed if you sleep on your back. It’s easier to breathe when looking to the side. If you tend to roll onto your back in your sleep, try propping yourself on one side with pillows.

Try out different things besides pills to help you sleep. Much like alcohol, sleeping pills can relax your throat muscles. Sleeping pills also worsen many other effects dangerous to sleep apnea sufferers. Ask your doctor about sleeping aids that won’t have a negative impact on your breathing.

Sleep apnea is generally determined by looking at your family and medical history, along with a physical exam. Sleep studies may also be done, and depending on what your primary doctor finds after all these measures, he may refer you to a sleep specialist, which is a type of doctor that diagnoses and treats people exhibiting sleep problems.

Sleeping Patterns

Do not take sleeping pills if you have sleep apnea. You will relax your throat muscles this way and you will not get as much from your sleep. Find other ways to solve your troubles with staying asleep, because sleep apnea mixed with sleeping pills can be a potentially life-threatening mix.

If you aren’t sleeping with a partner each night who can let you know of any irregularities in your sleeping patterns, it can be hard to know if you have this condition. Or you can record yourself as you sleep to look at your sleeping patterns. You need to include audio in your video because the doctor needs to hear the noises you make.

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. This will greatly help your doctor in diagnosing your condition.

Many doctors ask patients to keep sleep logs to help diagnose sleep apnea. Sleep logs are records where patients write down the length and quality of their sleep. Your partner can let you know if you snore too loudly, jerk your limbs, or stop breathing. This log will assist your doctor in diagnosing your condition.

You may benefit from wearing a medical bracelet that explains your sleep apnea, the treatment your are undergoing for the condition and the proper pressure level for your CPAP. If anything happens where you require medical attention, those assisting you need to know about both your sleep apnea and the CPAP. Your ID should include your use of CPAP and the pressure level at which your CPAP must be set.

You can reduce the risk factors for sleep apnea. Some factors are unable to be altered. So make sure you try to avoid doing things like this so you don’t get sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is not something that should be ignored, because it will not go away without treatment. A variety of underlying medical conditions can contribute to sleep apnea. Obesity, asthma and allergies can all contribute to sleeping problems. Some other options include CPAP machines or other devices. Others prefer surgery to relieve their sleep apnea. However you go about it, get help and your quality of life will improve.

Having your sleep apnea diagnosed by your physician is important; however, some options for self-help may be beneficial to you. A couple of good examples are controlling your weight and quitting smoking. You will also want to avoid alcohol, caffeine or heavy meals within a couple hours of going to bed.

You can do tongue exercises to help minimize sleep apnea symptoms. Press your entire tongue up inside your mouth, and hold it there for at least a few minutes. This should strengthen both your tongue and throat muscles, which helps them to not relax while you’re asleep.

Don’t sleep facing upwards if you are a sleep apnea sufferer. Sleeping on your back blocks your airways quite easily. A good way to get around this is to use a pillow so that you sleep on your side in bed.

You can reduce sleep apnea with exercises to strengthen throat muscles. Relaxed or excessive tissue can obstruct air passages and make breathing difficult. The stronger your muscles are the less chance they will block your airways.

Sleep apnea can be a serious problem and it needs to be treated. Each patient is different and what works for one person may not work for another. Obesity, asthma and allergies can all contribute to sleeping problems. Some people find that using a CPAP machine or a simple mouth guard designed for sleep apnea sufferers works for them. Still others prefer the surgical route where modifications can be made to overcome airway restrictions. Whatever route is best for you, getting treatment is key to living a happy, restful life.

Sleeping face-up can worsen sleep apnea symptoms, so make an effort to face sideways when sleeping. Try sewing a large, lumpy object like a ball onto your PJ’s to prevent you from rolling on your back while sleeping. This forces you to lay on your side since it makes it tough to lay on your back.

Strengthening your throat muscles can be very effective in reducing sleep apnea symptoms as well. The labored breathing common in sleep apnea is usually caused when the soft tissues of the throat collapse and obstruct the airway. When your muscles strengthen, they won’t collapse so easily, and your airway will stay clear.

Let the airline company know far in advance when you plan on traveling and you have to take your CPAP machine with you. Many airlines will help you find a seat in a location where you have the space to use your CPAP machine. If you are flying a foreign airline, remember to bring a universal power adapter.

Cpap Machine

If you have sleep apnea, you are not likely to realize it during your sleep. You may experience daytime drowsiness, exhaustion, a lack of daytime focus that may signal problems with sleep apnea. This could be a problem of sleep apnea, even when you have no idea that you’re getting up at night gasping for air.

Do not be embarrassed about your treatment and your CPAP machine. Inform people you are using it so you don’t feel awkward when you need to bring it out when other people are around. If you have to use a CPAP machine your family and friends should not make fun of it.

Oral appliances designed to encourage proper jaw position can help treat many sleep apnea cases. Some people have a natural shape and set to their jaws that encourages restricted air passages and makes sleep apnea more likely. Using corrective devices to ensure the jaw is properly aligned while sleeping can help increase air intake.

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. You will be able to make an arrangement with the airline to use your CPAP. You’ll need a power adapter on any foreign flights you take.

Sleep apnea sufferers need to be diagnosed by a doctor. There are many complications that come from sleep apnea, and sound sleep is too essential to your health and life to be making blind guesses. Tell your doctor everything that’s been going on, determine the exact cause and take immediate action.

If you have sleep apnea, or if you simply snore at night, try learning to play a wind instrument. This can significantly help you get through the night without bothering other people with your heavy snoring. This hobby will keep your airways under your control.

Make sure you’re using your throat and jaw muscles. Sleep apnea can be brought on by weak muscles, so doing these exercises can help. There is a very real chance that you can help yourself with just a few exercises.

Even though you may not be aware of your sleep apnea, anyone who sleeps with you probably is aware of it. If you have unexplained exhaustion, sleepiness, or you’re falling asleep when you drive, try talking to a doctor about it. These symptoms may be indicative of sleep apnea, despite the fact that you don’t struggle to breathe at night.

It is vital that sleep apnea treatments be used consistently. Although you may believe it is fine to skip a night every now and then, you are going to notice a difference the next morning, and as a result, you aren’t going to be very alert. Follow every treatment that you receive to ensure that you are getting the most sleep you can get.

Try not to sleep on your back with sleep apnea. If you sleep on your back, the likelihood that your airways will constrict during the night increases dramatically. The best thing you can do is sleep on the side.

Try to tone your throat muscles if you have sleep apnea. Making your throat stronger can help keep your airways strong while you are sleeping. Ways to strengthen your throat muscles include playing the flute, making funny faces, and sticking out your tongue. Each of these will help you keep your throat muscles firm.

There are many things that can cause sleep apnea. This article provided you with the information you need. You will be on your way soon to a good night’s sleep.

If you’re told you have sleep apnea, take it seriously, and do what you can to improve your condition. Sleep apnea can leave you feeling drained and depressed, so you must take steps to prevent that from happening.