It’s a horrible feeling to be diagnosed with sleep apnea. To have a healthy and joyful life, you need to get enough sleep. Luckily, sleep apnea is treatable. The information below will help you learn how to deal with your sleep apnea.
Playing music on a wind instrument can be beneficial to your sleep apnea problems. In Germany, research has been done that suggests playing the didgeridoo will train the muscles of the upper airway. The upper air passage muscles control the size of your airway. This is why playing this instrument regularly will help strengthen these muscles, and reduce snoring and sleep apnea symptoms.
Sleep Apnea
Do your best to sleep off your back and on your side. Sleep apnea sufferers tend to sleep on their back. If you sleep on your back, your airway may become blocked when mouth tissues slide back. Making an effort to stay off your back will help to give you a better night of sleep. If you usually sleep on your back, make a conscious effort to change your ways.
Avoid contact with cigarette smoke and consumption of alcohol if you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. Few things are worse for sleep apnea than drinking and smoking. Drinking potentially causes extreme breathing issues because it reduces the ability of your respiratory system to function. Smoking damages the lungs. Getting rid of these bad habits can help to lessen the frustration that sleep apnea brings.
If you are lacking someone to sleep next to you it might be hard to tell if you suffer from sleep apnea. You can remedy this problem by setting up a recorder that can film you while you’re sleeping at night. Ensure that you record audio also, which will allow the doctors to evaluate noises you are making during sleep.
Dealing with sleep apnea is normally something that is very serious. If you suspect you have sleep apnea, see your doctor right away. When you have a diagnosis, your doctor may send you to a specialist or set you up with other tests.
Avoid sleeping pills if you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea. You will relax your throat muscles this way and you will not get as much from your sleep. Though they may help you sleep, you need the ability to wake should your airway colse too much.
Try out different things besides pills to help you sleep. Sleeping pills are similar to alcohol in that they cause the muscles in your throat to be less tense. There are also a myriad of other problems that can arise with the use of sleeping pills. Consult your physician to find out about possible ways to get to sleep to faster that won’t react poorly with your sleep apnea.
Always bring your CPAP along whenever you travel. You don’t want to sleep a single night without your CPAP after a sleep apnea diagnosis. The machine you are using should have a travel bag that is padded. The bag should be used to secure your CPAP during all of your travels.
Do your best to sleep off your back and on your side. If you sleep on your back, this can make your sleep apnea worse. When you lay on your back during sleep, the tongue and soft palate shift to the back, which obstructs your airway. Breathing is a lot easier for your body to do when you are on your side. You may want to prop yourself up with pillows so you stay on your side.
You should consult with a medical professional about the more intensive sleep apnea treatments available to you if your symptoms don’t respond to the basic steps you take. There are surgical procedures that have proven to be highly effective in severe sleep apnea cases, such as airway enlargement and the removal of the adenoids or (if they’re still present) the tonsils.
If you are lacking someone to sleep next to you it might be hard to tell if you suffer from sleep apnea. You might consider video recording yourself asleep. Make sure you have audio on your video so you and your doctor can hear the noises you make in your sleep.
Weight loss can make a huge difference in sleep apnea symptoms. 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.
Chin Strap
You should never smoke if you are dealing with sleep apnea. Upper airways have a tendency to swell in smokers and increases the likelihood of sleep apnea. Try to find a program to help you quit smoking. The first month is hard, but after that it becomes easier. Once you get through this, nicotine begins to exit out of your body, which decreases your cravings.
Try using a chin strap if your mouth falls open when you sleep while using a CPAP each night. A chin strap is a fabric strip that prevents your chin from falling during the night, which in turn keeps your mouth closed. Your mouth needs to remain closed for CPAP therapy to be effective.
It is fine to get a CPAP machine, it’s natural for sleep apnea sufferers. Inform people you are using it so you don’t feel awkward when you need to bring it out when other people are around. Remember that the CPAP machine is necessary for your health, and those who love you will not think any differently of you because you need it.
This article should give you ways you can deal with sleep apnea. Use everything you got from these article to reduce sleep apnea symptoms. The rest of your life will fall back into place very easily once you have your sleep problems under control.
Keep in mind that you won’t always notice your sleep apnea at night. If you feel exhausted or extremely sleepy during the day or find yourself falling asleep behind the wheel, talk to a doctor immediately. This could be a problem of sleep apnea, even when you have no idea that you’re getting up at night gasping for air.