Sleep apnea could be getting in the way of you getting solid sleep, but don’t let that happen for much longer. Going through your day without enough sleep can be harmful and even fatal. Consider the following tips for helping you battle sleep apnea.
Try getting rid of bad habits to better your sleep apnea. Alcohol and cigarettes are two of the primary culprits. Consuming alcohol can lead to trouble with your respiratory system. When you smoke, you fill your lungs with carcinogens and cause severe damage. Dropping these habits can help ease your symptoms.
Talk to your doctor about a CPAP device if your sleep apnea is severe. Size and noise are both things to factor into your decision. There are some machines that are quiet and small. Your physician can recommend the best manufacturers in the industry.
Get a mouth guard to help you sleep at night. This opens up your airways, letting you breathe fully while you sleep. Talk to your physician about these, and get a fitting if you two think it might work.
Get a mouth guard made specifically for you. Mouth guards help keep your jaw in a proper position. Many people find they can adjust to wearing a mouth guard every night while they sleep much more easily than they can get used to wearing a CPAP mask. The device assists you by keeping your airways open while offering stability for soft tissue.
Speak with your physician about getting a mouth piece that can help you breathe better. You might possess an airway that is naturally narrow, or you might have a recessed chin or small jaw. All of these can make the symptoms of sleep apnea seem more pronounced. You will get better rest if you use specialty devices to position yourself and align your jaw properly while sleeping.
Don’t underestimate the potential health consequences of sleep apnea. If you see any signs, go get yourself an opinion right away. 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.
Have a mouth guard made for you. Some guards are made to treat sleep apnea. It provides a more comfortable option to using a CPAP machine. Invest into a mouth guard instead of having a loud machine keep others up at night.
Sleep in a prone position. Often, sleep apnea sufferers rest while on their backs. If you sleep flat on your back you are only exasperating your breathing problem by allowing your throat muscles to relax and move down. Avoid sleeping on your back and go on your side to make breathing easier. If you have trouble staying off of your back, sew a tennis ball into the back of your sleeping clothes. This will help you stay on your side while you’re sleeping.
A healthy diet can help you lose weight and combat sleep apnea. One of the main factors contributing to sleep apnea is being overweight, caused by poor eating habits. It has been shown in studies that those who eat unhealthier foods face more severe sleep apnea than their overweight, yet healthy-eating, counterparts.
Sleep Apnea
If you sleep alone, you might have a hard time determining if you suffer from sleep apnea. To gather evidence a physician can evaluate, record yourself sleeping through the night. 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.
You need to have a complete physical exam and give a thorough medical history in order to get a sleep apnea diagnosis. There are hundreds of studies that show sleep apnea has effected many families together, and this might be something that you cannot escape.
If you are dealing with sleep apnea, you never want to take any sleeping pills. You will relax your throat muscles this way and you will not get as much from your sleep. Find other ways to solve your troubles with staying asleep, because sleep apnea mixed with sleeping pills can be a potentially life-threatening mix.
If your mouth opens a lot during the night when you use your CPAP machine, consider adding a chin strap. This device keeps your jaw up 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.
In order to make a proper diagnosis, your doctor may have you maintain a sleep journal. This log is where you’ll keep track of how much you sleep during the night, and other symptoms you may experience. If your sleeping partner is telling you that you snore or jerk in your sleep, you may have sleep apnea. This log will assist your doctor in diagnosing your condition.
If you have a CPAP machine, carry your medical ID. If anything happens where you require medical attention, those assisting you need to know about both your sleep apnea and the CPAP. This ID needs to specify you suffer from sleep apnea and have a CPAP that needs to be set on a certain pressure level.
Stick to a schedule when it comes to your sleep. Sleep apnea already disrupts your rest more than it should. Any steps you take to improve your overall sleep habits will help deal with the symptoms of your condition and minimize the impact it has. Setting regular times for both going to sleep and waking up is the most important thing to do.
Don’t forget to bring your CPAP along when you need to stay in the hospital. Whether the stay is for a planned surgery or sudden emergency, make sure you have access to your CPAP for the duration of your stay. It will be a lot easier and more comfortable if you bring yours instead of using one at the hospital. All of this will mean much better sleep for you with your CPAP, if you need hospitalization for any length of time.
If you will be away from home and you’re suffering with sleep apnea, always remember to bring along the CPAP machine with you. Once you have your CPAP machine, do not skip using it at any time. Most machines come with a travel pack anyway. Use this for easy travel with your CPAP device.
If you are not having any luck managing your apnea, you may want to talk to a doctor about more radical treatments. There are people that don’t respond well to traditional sleep apnea treatments, and sometimes they have to have surgery. This surgery may involve removing the adenoids, enlarging the airway or removing the tonsils.
Consult with your doctor about surgery if you find that none of the less invasive options are helping with your symptoms of sleep apnea. Some people have poor luck with typical sleep apnea treatments, and resort to a surgical treatment that entails the removal of the adenoids and tonsils, or the enlargement of the airway.
You might want to look into anti-snoring devices. Snoring occurs when airways are mostly closed up with a little air getting through, but sleep apnea occurs when the airways completely close up. It is understandable that something can help this. This device can reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea during the times you are in bed.
An excellent method of reducing your sleep apnea symptoms is simply losing some weight. Many sufferers of sleep apnea have found that shedding their unwanted pounds makes their sleep apnea go away entirely. Even losing a little weight can improve sleep apnea by opening the throat and airway, because there is less pressure on the neck.
You can do tongue exercises to help minimize sleep apnea symptoms. If you press your tongue up and hold it there for a short period of time, it will help. This makes your tongue and throat muscles even stronger than before, so you minimize your odds of them blocking your air flow during sleep.
Don’s sleep on your back if you are suffering from sleep apnea. Sleep apnea strikes back sleepers the most. A good way to get around this is to use a pillow so that you sleep on your side in bed.
Getting your throat muscles stronger is a great way to have less of a problem with sleep apnea. Relaxed or excessive tissue can obstruct air passages and make breathing difficult. When your muscles get stronger, chances becomes less that they will collapse and cause a blockage in the airways.
Remember that you must bring your CPAP machine with you on long air flights, and the airline must know about this in advance. The airline may seat you in a convenient place to make using your machine easier. Remind them that you will need to plug your machine in, or you can use a machine that uses batteries as a backup measure.
Don’t be embarrassed about using a CPAP machine or getting treatment. Inform people about the necessity of your actions and avoid being overcome by self-conscious feelings when you use it in front of friends or your significant other. Undergoing CPAP therapy is an important step in preserving your overall health; don’t let inappropriate social pressure prevent you from getting the treatment you need.
If you suffer from snoring or sleep apnea, learn to play an instrument. A study shows this can greatly reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea. Taking up this new endeavor will help you get a handle on controlling your airways.
A major factor of sleep apnea is how you sleep. Because of this, your sleeping position should be the best possible one. Attempt to use pillows or foam wedges to help you stay in a good position to sleep in. Another option is raising your bed’s top a minimum of four inches.
If you think you have sleep apnea, make an appointment with your doctor and ask for a sleep test. This test can determine if you’ve got sleep apnea and how severe it is. The next step is to find a treatment for your problem, even if you have a very mild case of sleep apnea.
Someone who suffers with snoring or sleep apnea should think about taking up a wood instrument. In studies, wind instruments have proven beneficial to reducing the symptoms associated with sleep apnea. This new craft will help you keep control of your airways.
If you are concerned that you may be suffering from sleep apnea, talk with your doctor immediately. You cannot afford to just try to guess on your own whether you have sleep apnea. This sleep disorder is much too complicated and your sleep quality is way too important for that. Let a doctor know about your symptoms, and get a diagnosis.
According to some research, simple throat exercises can have a significant positive impact on your sleep apnea issues. Exercising strengthens the throat muscles and lessens the likelihood of collapse. Hold your tongue to the top of your mouth, and keep it there for three minutes before releasing. Doing this at least one time every day can help you.
The technical definition for sleep apnea is simply lacking oxygen when sleeping. Therefore, it makes sense to prevent sleeping at high elevations. It is important to get treatment for your sleep order before your body goes without oxygen for too long. Avoid higher elevations at all costs.
Since sleep is so important, be sure you do whatever is necessary to get enough of it. Use these suggestions to help you develop a plan for getting the restful sleep that you need to be your best.
Play a woodwind instrument. Playing a wind instrument can help your sleep apnea. The repeated blowing through the instrument helps to strengthen muscles that restrict your breathing because they are weak and lax while you sleep. Once you have played these instruments, you will find that your muscles are better trained and strengthened which can bring relief from apnea.