Anyone who suffers from sleep apnea knows the difficulties it can cause. In order to fight the problems of apnea, you have to learn a lot and find more information. Also do some things yourself to help lessen the symptoms of this disorder. Read on to learn some tips that have worked for many people.
Drop some vices to combat sleep apnea. Drinking and smoking are a couple of the biggest concerns. Alcohol can put you into a very deep sleep and depress your respiration. Cigarettes inject carcinogens into your respiratory system. These are both habits which can make sleep apnea worse.
Do you drink and smoke? Take steps to eliminate these unhealthy habits. Alcohol and tobacco both cause airway problems. Smoking swells up your airways, while drinking depresses your nervous system and muscles into excess relaxation. This can both cause and exacerbate sleep apnea. If you are unable to walk away from these habits forever, at least avoid them prior to sleeping.
Quitting smoking and drinking can relieve sleep apnea symptoms. These habits can affect your airway, which makes sleep apnea and snoring more likely. Quitting these habits may help you avoid costly and invasive surgery in the future.
Mouth Guard
If you can, sleep on one of your sides. A lot of people who have sleep apnea are back sleepers. Your airways become blocked when you sleep on your back. Breathing is a lot easier for your body to do when you are on your side. To prevent rolling over onto your back while you sleep, build a wall of pillows behind yourself.
Get a custom mouth guard. Guards like these are specifically made for assisting sleep apnea patients. This can be an alternative to a CPAP machine, and can be more comfortable, to boot. The mouth guard can help by keeping your airway unobstructed.
Try to keep a sleep schedule if sleep apnea is an issue in your life. Your sleeping pattern is already thrown off by this sleep disorder. A natural pattern of sleep will help you gain your health back and also avoid daytime sleepiness. Setting regular times for both going to sleep and waking up is the most important thing to do.
Try your best to use your CPAP machine as much as possible if you get one. Using a CPAP while sleeping is a tough adjustment for many patients to make. However, it won’t be effective if you don’t use it every day. Starting at just four hours per session can help you ease into adjusting to your CPAP.
Use a chin strap with your CPAP each night to prevent your mouth from opening as you sleep. It is only a small fabric strap that keeps your chin in place so you can sleep with a closed mouth. The CPAP only works if the mouth is closed, so try using the strap.
Limit your alcohol consumption. The natural effects of alcohol lead to over-relaxation of your muscles. You might want this consequence of consuming alcohol, but it also instigates sleep apnea. Your throat muscles become relaxed, making it harder for your airway to stay open. If you feel you must drink, try not to do it as often or before you go to sleep.
Always discuss your sleep apnea problem with your doctor, but also try some self-help treatments. Anyone can enjoy better health from quitting smoking and dropping some unwanted pounds, but anyone afflicted with sleep apnea can really benefit from these lifestyle changes. It’s also a good idea to refrain from eating heavy meals and drinking alcoholic or caffeinated beverages close to bed-time.
Sleep Apnea
Getting a CPAP machine is no cause for concern or embarrassment. Be open about it and explain to others that it is necessary for you to sleep better. Stress that it is necessary for your health. Remember that your CPAP machine was prescribed by your doctor to help you. If those in your life are not supportive of this, perhaps you should seek more supportive friends and acquaintances.
Don’t underestimate the potential health consequences of sleep apnea. If you have symptoms of sleep apnea, make an appointment with your doctor. Once you have been diagnosed, your next step will be a sleep specialist, who may administer a sleeping test using a small monitor to determine the extent of your condition.
If you are going to be on a plane a long time, then get in touch with the airline company to inform them that you need your CPAP machine for sleeping. You will be able to make an arrangement with the airline to use your CPAP. Be sure to bring along a power adapter when using a foreign airline.
If you are lacking someone to sleep next to you it might be hard to tell if you suffer from sleep apnea. One way to see for yourself is to train a camcorder on yourself as you sleep. Make sure that the microphone on your recording device picks up any snoring or other noises you make while sleeping, because your physician needs to hear them.
Sleep apnea is stressful. Baths can help. A good soak in the bathtub can relax tight muscles and eliminate tension throughout your body. People who suffer from sleep apnea find it easier to get through the night when they take a hot bath or shower before they head to bed.
People who have sleep apnea should establish a sleeping schedule. Sleep apnea causes regular interruptions in your ordinary nightly sleep cycle. Any steps you take towards a regular sleeping schedule will help you get a better night’s sleep. The best thing you can do is to be sure you’re going to sleep and getting up every day during the same time.
If you suffer from sleep apnea this is a good way to get better sleep. Stick to a regular, set schedule and go to bed at the same time each night. Keeping your bedroom environment as conducive to healthy, undisturbed sleep as possible is very important. If you sleep in improper conditions, you might suffer from chronic lack of sleep.
Anyone who suffers with sleep apnea understands how much this condition worsens the quality of their every day life. Fortunately, this is not a problem without solutions. With a little investment of time and effort, the effects of sleep apnea can be managed and minimized. You can begin to enjoy a good night’s sleep again by applying the information you learned in this article.
Sleep apnea is an issue of the throat, not your nose. So, if you can strengthen your throat muscles, you can actually reduce your problems. If you wish to learn how to make your throat muscles stronger, you can do several simple and quick exercises.