Don’t panic if you’ve been told you suffer from sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can cause all sorts of problems, but with proper treatment, all of those negative outcomes can be avoided. That said, it is important that you understand best practices for treating sleep apnea, which will be outlined in the following paragraphs.
While people who are thin can have sleep apnea for various reasons, one common reason many people have it is being overweight. Should this be the reason, weight loss should be the rule of thumb. The best way to lose weight is to become physically active with exercise at least four times per week and eat less food calories than are burned off each day by activity. Restriction of carbohydrates is shown to help those wanting to shed pounds.
Mouth Guard
Children can also suffer from sleep apnea. If you find your child is innatentive, always tired or uses their mouth to breath and not their nose, they may suffer from this condition. Sometimes parents mistakenly think these symptoms have to do with something like ADHD, and it is best that you talk to your child’s doctor to find the true culprit.
Using a mouth guard specifically made for sleep apnea sufferers may help you sleep better. Through the use of a mouth guard, airways will be kept open. If this sounds like a solution worth pursuing, discuss the matter with your doctor and schedule a fitting for a guard of your own.
Sleep apnea is not to be taken lightly. Talk with your doctor immediately if you see any of the warning symptoms. A doctor can refer you to a sleep lab if the doctor believes you have sleep apnea, and you can then get on the road to recovery if you have it.
Are you a drinker or a smoker? Take steps to eliminate these unhealthy habits. Both of these things affect your airway negatively and compound your sleep apnea problem. Alcohol use will lead to over-relaxation of your airways, making sleep apnea symptoms worse, while smoking can have a similar effect by constricting them. If you must continue with these habits, avoid doing them before bed.
You need to have a complete physical exam and give a thorough medical history in order to get a sleep apnea diagnosis. You can do sleep studies and the things the doctor finds will guide him on making a decision on what can be done.
Sleep apnea can be present in children. Children who are frequently tired or who have a poor attention span may have sleep issues. Often these symptoms are similar to ADHD, but you need to talk to a physician and consider sleep apnea as a cause as well.
It is not easy to tell if you are suffering from sleep apnea if you don’t sleep with someone who can describe your sleep patterns. Record yourself to get a better picture of what is happening while you sleep. Make sure you include the audio, so your doctor can hear what sounds you make.
It is hard to know whether or not you are having difficulty breathing at night if you sleep alone. You can remedy this problem by setting up a recorder that can film you while you’re sleeping at night. Make sure you have audio on your video so you and your doctor can hear the noises you make in your sleep.
Do you travel? If so, then your CPAP should be carried along with you. When you are dealing with sleep apnea, the CPAP machine should be used every single night. A travel bag with good padding probably came with your machine. Use this for easy travel with your CPAP device.
Nasal Spray
If you need to be hospitalized for some reason, be sure that you take your CPAP machine with you to the hospital. You need to have your CPAP along with the mask, with you at all times while you’re there. This is preset to your breathing pressure. In addition, you’ll be using the same mask you’ve been accustomed to using each night. This lessens the stress of being away from home and enables you to continue the CPAP therapy while at the hospital.
If your nose seems stuffy, apply a nasal spray. You can experience a few nights of untroubled sleep using such a product. Do not use nasal spray over long periods of time: this could damage your nose and cause irritation. Try other ways of opening this passage.
If you have a stuffy nose, use a saline spray or neti pot. This will dry out the passages and help clear them out temporarily. However, you should not continuously use nasal sprays as this may cause nose damage. Always speak with your pharmacist to make sure you choose the product that is right for you.
You can lessen the sleep apnea symptoms you are experiencing. There are some factors that are unavoidable. These can include being male or family genetics. There are many other factors, though, that can be minimized or eliminated through lifestyle changes, such as excessive weight, alcohol use, or smoking.
Sleep apnea never just disappears of its own free will; you have to do something about it. Some things work for people and some do not. Dropping some pounds might help your sleep apnea, but that might not be the cause. CPAP machines and other non-invasive therapies have worked for millions of apnea sufferers. Some people find that they do best by having surgery that will help alleviate their symptoms. However you go about it, get help and your quality of life will improve.
Avoid back sleeping when you have sleep apnea. Sleeping on your back blocks your airways quite easily. Prop yourself up on your side with a pillow or cushions.
Tongue exercising may help resolve certain sleep apnea symptoms. Try holding your tongue up toward the roof of your mouth for at least three minutes. This will make your throat stronger and prevent the muscles from relaxing too much during sleep and causing apnea.
The best position to sleep when suffering from sleep apnea is on your side. Sew something lumpy onto your pajamas to make sure you do not roll onto your back. You will not want to lay on your back on these objects.
Avoid alcohol when you have sleep apnea. Alcohol makes the throat muscles over-relax, resulting in blocked airways and snoring. So stop drinking because this will only be a detriment to your sleep. Limiting your alcohol consumption will increase your chances of getting a lot of good rest.
Throat Muscles
Remember that you may not always notice sleep apnea in the evening. You may experience daytime drowsiness, exhaustion, a lack of daytime focus that may signal problems with sleep apnea. Even if you don’t find yourself bolting breathlessly awake at night, you may have sleep apnea.
Some research studies have pointed to throat excercises reducing the severity of sleep apnea. Just as exercises help to strengthen muscles in other parts of your body, these oral exercises will help strengthen your tongue and throat muscles for a better night’s sleep. One exercise is to simply push your tongue up against the top of your mouth for a few minutes to strengthen throat muscles. This exercise can be done 1-2 times per day, every day.
Many people who have been diagnosed with sleep apnea sleep on their backs. You may wish to consider a different sleeping position. It has been proven that side sleeping helps alleviate sleep apnea so you can get some rest.
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. Following that, you can begin to treat the problem.
Avoid alcohol before going to bed if you have sleep apnea. Alcohol is not good for your larynx and can cause throat constriction. It is not necessary for you to totally stop drinking, but you should not have any prior to going to bed.
A good many who suffer with sleep apnea are people who usually sleep on their backs. If you are one of these people, try a different sleeping position to get some relief. There have been studies and reports that show how side sleeping will alleviate many symptoms of sleep apnea and improve the quality of sleep.
Regularly exercise the muscles in your throat and jaw. In some cases, sleep apnea is caused by weak musculature in your mouth and throat. There are exercises that will help correct this problem and reduce sleep apnea symptoms. There is a chance that a few exercises can make you feel a lot better.
Talk to a doctor after being diagnosed with sleep apnea. Your general practitioner or specialist can give you the latest information and tips about staying in good health. After about a month of using a new treatment method, meet with your doctor to analyze the results.
Exercise your throat muscles to improve your sleep apnea symptoms. If you can strengthen your throat muscles, you will see that they will be less likely to collapse in your sleep. Playing an instrument or other activities that move your face and throat muscles make great exercises. Any combination of these things can help make your throat stronger.
Sleep Apnea
Go to a specialist right away. Your primary care physician has some solutions for you, but a referral to a specialist can really help you out more specifically. The specialist will be so much more helpful. They will also tell you of different ways to manage your sleep apnea.
If you have sleep apnea, it is important for you to do all you can to improve the quality of your sleep. To deal with this problem make sure that you have a set sleeping schedule. Always go to bed and wake up at the same times each day. In this way, you can avoid exacerbating your sleep apnea to complete insomnia.
Don’t let other breathing problems get out of control. You want to stay on top of any other breathing issues you have and be proactive about treating them if you’re also dealing with sleep apnea. For example, if you have seasonal allergies, make sure you take your antihistamine regularly and limit your exposure to allergens. If you feel a cold coming on, treat it promptly so that it doesn’t exacerbate your apnea.
Drinking alcohol in the hours right before bedtime can exacerbate sleep apnea. Alcohol relaxes the muscles in your throat making sleep apnea’s symptoms more severe. This only means to reduce your drinking that is close to bedtime.
Sleep on your body’s side if you want to get some sleep tonight. It is important to allow your throat to be as open as possible, and laying on your back constricts the throat. Prop yourself with a pillow or use a tennis ball sewed into the back of your pajamas to make sure you do not roll on your back as you sleep.
If you feel you may be suffering with sleep apnea, it is best to pay a visit to the family doctor. A proper diagnosis is critical. Speak to your doctor about your symptoms, and he will be able to determine the cause of your problems and develop a treatment plan that is right for you.
Try joining a support group for sleep apnea sufferers so that you can better cope with it. Look online and you will find many helpful communities that cope with this sort of problem. It is important to get some support from fellow sufferers and experts in sleep disorders. Your doctor may be able to recommend nearby groups for you.
When sleep apnea is not addressed properly, your health can be jeopardized. You’ll be happy to know, however, that you can find many treatments available to you. Discuss what you learned here with your physician, and use the tips that feel right to you.
Look for support groups to help you emotionally cope with your sleep apnea. Your doctor may know of local groups or support options for your condition. The Internet is also a good source for finding others who share your affliction. When you can talk with others who understand your issues, you will find more help.