Listen to all of your doctor’s orders after you find out you have sleep apnea. Remember though that this affliction is pretty frequent, and while potentially severe in effect, you can in fact manage it with success. Read this article to learn about sleep apnea, its symptoms and the various treatments that can improve the condition.
A physician is the best person to ask about which CPAP machine is the right one to use for your specific situation. These machines might be loud, but they can help you get through the night. Don’t worry too much about the sound as there are many types of very quiet machines that will not disrupt sleep. The doctor will know which manufacturers offer the best machines.
Sleep Apnea
Some people believe that you can strengthen you upper airway muscles by playing a musical instrument belonging to the woodwind family. Research in Germany has shown that playing an instrument called the didgeridoo can train the muscles in your upper airways and strengthen them. These muscles are responsible for the strength of your airway passage and its ability to dilate. Therefore, you should regularly play these instruments due to the fact that they decrease your sleep apnea symptoms.
Excessive weight can be a major contributor to sleep apnea. Anyone who is overweight and suffers from sleep apnea needs to lose weight for the sake of their health. Try changing your diet and ramp up your activity level. Some studies have also shown that limiting your carbohydrate intake can help.
Sleep apnea can benefit from a good diet that results in your losing weight. One of the main factors contributing to sleep apnea is being overweight, caused by poor eating habits. Someone who is overweight but still eats a healthy diet will have fewer symptoms of apnea than someone who eats an unhealthy diet but weighs less.
Do you have a smoking or drinking habit? Try to rid yourself of these horrible habits. Your airways are affected by using both of these substances. Smoking can actually swell your airways while alcohol can overly relax them; each causes sleep apnea. If you find that you just can’t give these bad habits up, do what you can to not do either of them within four hours of your bedtime.
If you sleep alone, you might have a hard time determining if you suffer from sleep apnea. One way to see for yourself is to train a camcorder on yourself as you sleep. You need to include audio in your video because the doctor needs to hear the noises you make.
Taking up a wind instrument can help to alleviate your sleep apnea symptoms. There have been studies that show playing the didgeridoo, a wind instrument, helps relieve the symptoms of sleep apnea. These muscles control your airway. This is why playing this instrument regularly will help strengthen these muscles, and reduce snoring and sleep apnea symptoms.
Your physician might ask you to start and maintain a sleep log to get a better grasp on your diagnosis. In it, you’ll be expected to log the hours you sleep nightly, any symptoms you may feel and the overall quality of your sleep. You can ask your spouse or a family member to let you know you how often you snore at night. This will allow your doctor to see if you’re suffering from sleep apnea.
If you have a prescription for sleep apnea and you are prescribed a CPAP, you should at least use it four hours every night. Using a CPAP while sleeping is a tough adjustment for many patients to make. Nonetheless, it will not be effective unless you wear it for a minimum of 4 hours nightly. If you have a tough time with it, be sure you have the right size mask, and that the pressure is working right.
People with sleep apnea who need a CPAP should have a medical ID that identifies the problem. It may be a vital piece of information if you need emergency medical care and unable to give that information. Your ID should clearly state all information relevant to your sleep apnea, including what pressure level setting you use for your CPAP.
Sleep apnea can benefit from a good diet that results in your losing weight. You’d be surprised at how much a healthy diet can help you with sleep apnea. People that eat unhealthy are more likely to have worse sleep apnea.
If you are not having any luck managing your apnea, you may want to talk to a doctor about more radical treatments. Not everyone responds to the standard treatment for sleep apnea, and some may need to do something a little more drastic, including surgical techniques.
Do not drink alcohol often. Your muscles get relaxed too much. While this is often considered a desirable effect, it can lead to sleep apnea. Like the rest of your muscles, those around your throat and airway relax under the influence of alcohol, making it harder for you to maintain a proper air passage. If you absolutely must drink, then do it in moderation and certainly not right when you’re about to go to sleep.
Reduce your sleep apnea risk factors. Some of the risk factors associated with sleep apnea cannot be changed such as being born a male or having it run it the family. However, things like quitting smoking and drinking are within your control, and there’s no excuse for continuing these detrimental behaviors.
Get to bed at a regular time every night if you suffer from sleep apnea. Your sleep apnea is already affecting your sleep. Try your best to get a regular sleep pattern after you find out you have sleep apnea, this will help your overall health improve. So try and get into bed around the same times every night.
Don’t go to sleep on your back if you have sleep apnea. Most people with sleep apnea tend to snooze lying face-up, and this can cause the airways to be more susceptible to interference. Prop yourself on your side using pillows or cushions.
Use nasal spray if you suffer from sleep apnea. This should help clear any blockages in the airways for a couple of nights. Avoid using nasal sprays over a long period of time; your mucus membranes could become damaged and irritated. Check out all the different options while at your pharmacy.
Learn to play a woodwind instrument. The music is enjoyable and helps to strengthen the muscles that you use to control your breathing. Training these muscles will strengthen them and may help you to control them while you sleep and thus lessen your sleep apnea symptoms.
Cut down on your chances of developing sleep apnea. There are some factors that are unavoidable. These can include being male or family genetics. However, things like quitting smoking and drinking are within your control, and there’s no excuse for continuing these detrimental behaviors.
If you are flying on a plane and it’s going to be a long trip, you need to speak with the airline ahead of time to make arrangements to use the CPAP machine. Friendly airlines are happy to seat you where there is sufficient room for you and your machine. You should always tote a power adapter when you are visiting a foreign country.
It is better to sleep on your side if you have sleep apnea. Many people with sleep apnea find their airways block more easily when they sleep lying on their backs. Use cushions or pillows to prop yourself up on your side while you sleep.
If you have sleep apnea, or if you just snore a lot, playing an instrument may be beneficial. They can be enjoyable and calming, and it has also been been shown that constantly using them strengthens throat muscles and helps people to breathe more easily when sleeping. Taking up an instrument can help you with controlling your airways.
Curb drinking heavily if you have sleep apnea. Alcohol will relax your throat and will block your passages. Avoiding alcohol altogether is best, but if you must drink then limit yourself to one drink taken several hours before bedtime. Doing this will prevent alcohol from disturbing your sleeping hours.
You may find that anxiety about your condition worsens the effects of sleep apnea once you know you suffer from it; in this case bathing before you go to sleep may be helpful. You can relieve tension and relax your muscles by soaking in a warm bath. This helps sleep come easier. You will also sleep more soundly, and hopefully prevent sleep apnea episodes. If you still have sleep apnea, check with your doctor for other treatments.
Learn to play one of the wind instruments. You can pick up a new skill, but more than that you are able to exercise and learn to control the very muscles that have to do with breathing. Strong throat muscles are less likely to contribute to the ill-effects of sleep apnea.
Some types of sleep apnea are able to be corrected using oral appliances. Some people have an overbite or narrow jaws that are set in such a way that cause the apnea. A simple corrective device may alter the jaw alignment during sleep, allowing for more air to enter the breathing passage.
How you sleep each night can determine the quality of sleep you get and how bad your sleep apnea really is. That’s why you need to sleep in an optimal position. Sew a tennis ball into the back of your sleeping attire so that it will remind you during your sleep to stay on your side or stomach. Or, if you are up for it, raise up the top part of your bed itself four to six inches.
If you suspect sleep apnea to be the cause of your night time woes, arrange to have a sleep test with your family physician. This can determine the cause of your sleep problems, and if it is sleep apnea, you will learn how severely you suffer with the condition. Less severe cases of sleep apnea can be relatively easy to treat.
Remember that you may not be aware of your sleep apnea. You may experience daytime drowsiness, exhaustion, a lack of daytime focus that may signal problems with sleep apnea. These symptoms are classic signs of sleep apnea that should be investigated even if you haven’t experienced breathing issues while sleeping.
Keep in contact with your practitioner after you find out you have sleep apnea. Your doctor should be able to provide you with helpful information and tips on your health condition. When you try a new treatment, plan on meeting with your doctor after a month or so to talk about how efficient the treatment is.
Try sleeping on your side instead of your back. You are more likely to have apnea during your sleep if you are on your back because your airway can close up more easily in this position. Your best option if you have sleep apnea is to sleep on your side; gravity then won’t work so much against you.
Sleep apnea is always made much worse when you’re extremely tired each day. Try to sleep on a set schedule. Your behavior can have a huge effect on your sleep disorder. That is going to stop apnea from getting worse, such as having total insomnia.
Learning that you have sleep apnea is frightening. The positive side of sleep apnea is that it can be treated and controlled. Put the advice about sleep apnea you have read here to work for you starting tonight. Proper treatment can preserve your health, even with sleep apnea.
When you wake up gasping for breath, your body is not getting a steady supply of oxygen. For this reason, it’s better for people with sleep apnea to stay out of areas of high elevation. This is because oxygen levels drop the higher the elevation is, which can impact your sleeping. Sleeping at high elevations should be avoided whenever possible.