People, young and old, can suffer from sleep apnea which can be a life-threatening condition. Unfortunately, a lot of people have no idea how to handle this condition, so they just suffer. In the following article, you will be provided with sleep apnea advice that will help you control your condition and sleep comfortably.
Think about changing a few of your habits to help with your sleep apnea. Few things are worse for sleep apnea than drinking and smoking. Alcohol can put you into a very deep sleep and depress your respiration. Cigarettes can hurt your lungs, possibly even causing lung cancer. If you quit these habits you are likely to see an improvement in your sleeping difficulties.
A common reason that people have sleep apnea is due to the extra pounds on their bodies. If this applies, it is is important to shed some excess weight. Following a reasonable weight loss plan and exercising is essential. Carbohydrate restriction has been shown to help people lose weight in recent studies as well.
Talk to your doctor about getting a fitted sleep mouth guard. If you have a recessed chin or a small jaw, these conditions can greatly increase your sleep apnea symptoms. You can overcome these difficulties and experience much more restful sleep by using a custom-fitted device to keep your jaw and airway properly aligned.
Do you occasionally drink or smoke? Quit these terrible habits. Smoking and drinking have negative effects on your airways. 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. Eliminate drinking or smoking before bedtime if you can’t avoid them entirely.
Even children can suffer from sleep apnea. Symptoms may include mouth breathing, hostility, irritability, bad grades, hyperactivity and inattentiveness. A lot of times these symptoms look like the symptoms of someone suffering with ADHD, but you should consult with your doctor who can evaluate all the symptoms.
Sleep Apnea
People who have sleep apnea should establish a sleeping schedule. Your condition is already messing with your regular sleep cycle every night. This is why it is important to maintain a consistent sleep pattern, which will eliminate sleepiness in the day. Try retiring and waking at consistent times.
Your doctor may recommend a mouth guard to help ease the breathing problems associated with sleep apnea. You could be dealing with a narrow breathing airways, or a small jaw which can all make the problems of sleep apnea much worse. Mouth pieces can help align your jaw in the proper way, which will provide you with high-quality sleep.
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. The chin strap will help hold you chin up during the time you are sleep which keeps your mouth closed. If you have your mouth open CPAP therapy isn’t going to work, so give this device a try to find out if it works.
Don’t drink alcohol to excess. Alcohol will relax all of your muscles. While this might often be a desirable side effect of drinking, it can also cause sleep apnea. If you are sleeping and have been drinking too close to bedtime, this can be a dangerous combination while you are asleep. While you might still drink, limit yourself and avoid it at bedtime.
If the solutions you have tried are not improving your ability to sleep soundly, then see your doctor to discuss more aggressive options. For people who did not benefit from traditional treatment alternatives, they can resort to surgery to take out the tonsils or to make the airway wider.
Children can also suffer from sleep apnea. If your child is inattentive, hyperactive, has poor grades, is irritable or hostile, and/or breathes through their mouth instead of their nose, they could be suffering from sleep apnea. These symptoms can be similar to those of ADHD, so consult a doctor and consider both conditions.
Losing weight is a good way to cut chances of developing sleep apnea. Sometimes, losing weight is all it takes to get rid of sleep apnea. Even a nominal amount of weight loss will go a long way in improving your breathing at night.
If you want to beat your apnea and get a healthy dose of sleep, roll onto your side the next time you go to sleep. The chances of your airways being restricted are more likely when you sleep on your back. Be sure to go to sleep sideways and find out if that helps you to sleep tonight.
Use only one, regular-sized pillow to sleep at night. Over-sized pillows may lead to you sleeping in an unhealthy position. Your breathing will become more difficult for you to complete during sleep. So, you should stick to one pillow to help lessen any sleep apnea symptoms.
If you do not have a partner to let you know how you sleep at night, it can be difficult to assess if you have sleep apnea. A video recorder can help you discover whether you are sleeping well or struggling. Make sure you have audio on your video so you and your doctor can hear the noises you make in your sleep.
Use nasal spray if you have a nose issue. Using nasal spray a couple of nights in a row should help you sleep. However, they are not suitable for long term use. Head to your pharmacy to see what your options are to deal with your nose bothering you in your sleep.
If you are using a CPAP and experience an issue with your mouth opening during sleep, a chin strap can help. It is a simple cloth strap that can easily hold up your chin as you sleep. If you have your mouth open CPAP therapy isn’t going to work, so give this device a try to find out if it works.
Use a device that is aimed at helping you with snoring. Snoring occurs when airways are mostly closed up with a little air getting through, but sleep apnea occurs when the airways completely close up. So you can see that it is logical that this device can help with both issues. If you have a machine to help with snoring it can help with apnea.
Do you travel? If so, then your CPAP should be carried along with you. You don’t want to sleep a single night without your CPAP after a sleep apnea diagnosis. Most machines come with a bag that they can be transported safely in. You can use this bag to allow you to transport your CPAP machine with ease when you’re not home.
Do not sleep on your back if sleep apnea affects you. Many people with sleep apnea find their airways block more easily when they sleep lying on their backs. Prop yourself on your side using pillows or cushions.
If you have a stuffy nose, use a saline spray or neti pot. Using nasal spray a couple of nights in a row should help you sleep. However, never use this spray over a long period of time, since it can cause your nose to irritated and damaged. Your pharmacy can offer a variety of solutions or options to clear your air passages as you sleep.
If you do tongue exercises you will allieviate sleep apnea symptoms. One exercise includes pressing your tongue on the roof of the mouth and keeping it for several minutes. This can improve the strength of your tongue and throat muscles and decrease the chance that they will relax too much and cause breathing difficulty.
Try and lose weight because it will help you deal with sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is more common in patients who are overweight and have a large neck circumference. A person with sleep apnea can breathe a lot easier without all that extra weight on them.
Do not drink to excess if you suffer from sleep apnea. If you regularly drink, your throat muscles will relax too much, which will block your airways and cause snoring. If you’re dealing with sleep apnea, it’s a good idea to avoid drinking as much as possible, especially in the hours close to your bed time. Doing so will minimize the chance that alcohol will interfere with your sleep.
Sleep apnea should not be ignored; it needs to be treated. Every person is different, so while a particular treatment worked for someone else you know, it may not work for you. For some, weight loss can help, but even slender people can suffer from sleep apnea. Although surgery may be required to relieve your sleep apnea, many non-surgical options are available. For others, surgical techniques to remove airway obstructions may provide the most effective relief. Working with your doctor to identify the best approach for your apnea issues will increase your opportunity to live a healthy and well-rested life.
Talk to your doctor before using a humidifier, mouth guard or nasal strips in conjunction with your CPAP sleep mask. It is much easier to get better sleep and to sleep with your CPAP machine if there is warm and humid air to breathe. Many of these machines now include humidifiers, and your doctor can probably prescribe one for you.
It bears stating once again that sleep apnea is an extremely common condition with millions of sufferers. Not understanding your diagnosis can make matters worse. The more you learn, the better off you will be and the greater control you will have of your sleep apnea.
Learning to play a wind instrument can be an effective control strategy for those who snore or have sleep apnea symptoms. According to a study from Germany, not only does this offer mental benefits, but it can also can reduce symptoms of sleep apnea. Any instrument that strengthens your airway muscles can improve your breathing at night.