Sleep apnea can run your whole life if you let it. It interferes with your sleep and leaves you tired and weak throughout the day. It is inconvenient and dangerous when it isn’t treated. Use the tips and trick below to treat your sleep apnea and enjoy life more.
It may sound silly, but taking up a music instrument may improve your sleep apnea. When subjects in Germany were taught to play the didgeridoo, their sleep apnea symptoms were reduced. The researchers believe that practicing the instrument improved the tone of the muscles in the upper airway, which are responsible for airway dilation.
Make sure that the mask you use on your CPAP machine fits properly. Often, people will stop using their CPAP because the mask does not fit right. If your mask is uncomfortable, try getting a different mask. There are many different masks available, so choose one that fits right and is comfortable to use.
Try your best to lay off tobacco and nicotine products. Cigarette smoke can irritate your upper airway causing it to swell up, subsequently hindering your ability to breath during the night. Quitting smoking could therefore, significantly improve your sleep apnea symptoms and will also improve your body’s overall health and your feelings of well-being.
Try your best to maintain a regular sleeping schedule. When your body gets into a customary sleeping cycle, you will find yourself getting a better night’s sleep, and you will also be more relaxed. Several studies have shown that apnea episodes decrease when a person is not sleep deprived or stressed out.
Make sure to provide relief for your allergies. Congestion can make it harder to breathe through your nose and force you to take in air through your mouth. Allergies can cause soft tissues to swell and make apnea much more severe. Research the medicines you use to treat your symptoms and be wary of adding side effects to the mix.
Exercise your throat. Make faces. Stick out your tongue. Rotate your jaw. It might feel a bit silly, but it can actually help people who suffer from sleep apnea. Doing these things exercises the muscles your body needs to moderate its breathing. Studies have shown that doing these exercises a few times a day can make a huge difference.
Take back a good night of rest by side sleeping. Sleeping on the back can cause air passages to constrict. See if sleeping on your side doesn’t help your sleep apnea condition.
If you use a CPAP machine and have sleep apnea, make certain to always have medical ID on your person. If you are ever in need of emergency treatments, this ID will let the medical team know that you suffer from sleep apnea and are following CPAP therapy. The identification should say that you suffer from apnea and that you need a CPAP set at a particular pressure level.
Be sure to take your CPAP with you if you have sleep apnea and have to visit the hospital. If your stay is planned or an emergency, you will need your CPAP device either way. This is preset to your breathing pressure. In addition, you’ll be using the same mask you’ve been accustomed to using each night. Doing so will make your hospitalization easier because you can continue to do your CPAP therapy.
If you have sleep apnea and were just prescribed a CPAP, keep trying different masks until you find the one that fits you just right. Some masks may not be the right size or shape for your face. If your CPAP mask is leaking air into your eyes all night or rubbing the skin on your forehead raw, ask your sleep center to prescribe a different mask for you.
Use tongue and throat exercises as a way to combat sleep apnea. For example, try this: press your tongue up against your upper palate, and hold it for about three minutes. This makes your tongue and throat muscles even stronger than before, so you minimize your odds of them blocking your air flow during sleep.
If you are a trucker who has sleep apnea, take precautions to stay safe on the road. First of all, get yourself properly diagnosed and treated. If your doctor prescribes a CPAP, use it. They are small and easily portable and can run on battery power if necessary. Try to stay fit and get regular sleep to keep your condition under control.
If you have sleep apnea and use a CPAP, try to replace your mask and hose every six months. Most insurance policies allow for a new mask and hose every six months, and some allow you to replace them every three months. The mask can stop fitting well after several months of use, and the hose can develop small cracks or holes that let air leak. Replace these items to keep getting the best CPAP therapy possible.
As stated above, sleep apnea can take control of your days and nights. Leaving you waking up throughout the night and still tired in the morning can take a lot out of your day. Use the helpful tips listed above to take control of your life back and enjoy each waking (and sleeping) moment.
What You Need To Know About Sleep Apnea was originally published on Spring