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.
Try losing a few pounds, if you suffer from chronic sleep apnea. Controlled studies have proven that people with this sleep disturbance benefit greatly after losing 20 or more pounds. Symptoms may even diminish completely, so you now have yet another reason to get your weight down to a healthier number!
If you are suffering with sleep apnea due to having narrow airways, you should get yourself a mouth guard to use when sleeping. They are designed to help you breathe properly at night by aligning your airways. Speak with your doctor to learn more, and get yourself fitted for a mouth guard if you think it will help.
Shed a bit of weight if you can. Sleep apnea is directly associated with excess weight. So, you can actually find substantial relief from your symptoms just from shedding even twenty or thirty pounds.
If you are over weight, going on a diet can reduce your sleep apnea, or in rare cases, eliminate it completely. Maintaining a healthy weight can help you breathe easier, so losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight when you have trouble breathing is an obvious step in treating your sleep apnea.
If you feel tired every day, you may have sleep apnea. Some of the common signs of sleep apnea include, chronic snoring, pauses in breathing, daytime sleepiness, and choking or gasping during sleep. If your partner notices that you have these symptoms while you are sleeping, you should go to a doctor for an assessment of your condition.
If you are taking a great deal of medicines on a regular basis, sit with your doctor and discuss how they can be reduced. Side effects from prescription medication can be making your sleep apnea worse. Keep a dialog open with your doctor and make sure he is up to date on all your symptoms.
Take the steps to find out if you actually have sleep apnea. Those who snore don’t necessarily have the disorder. If you have a sleeping partner, ask them questions about your actions during sleep. Do you stop breathing and gasp for air? That is a sure sign of sleep apnea.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, it’s very important for you to sleep on your side. Avoid sleeping on your back at all costs, as this position does not allow enough air to get into your airways. To prevent yourself from sleeping on your back, put a tennis ball in the back of your pajamas.
If you have sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine at night, consider using saline nasal spray. The continuous airflow being pushed through your nose every time you sleep can cause your sinuses to dry out. Keep them hydrated by using two pumps of saline nasal spray in each nostril morning and night.
If you are one of the many who suffers from sleep apnea, avoid sleeping on your back. It can restrict your airway and make it hard to breathe. Instead, sleep on a side. You can use pillows to prop you up if side-sleeping is not something you are used to.
There are oral devices that can help in the treatment of some sleep apnea cases. Sometimes, a person’s jaw is genetically shaped to encourage sleep apnea. When a device to re-align the jaw is used during sleep, more air can be allowed in.
Do not use a large pillow when you sleep. Propping your head with a pillow will cause your airways to become narrower. Use a thin pillow or try sleeping with your head on your arm if you can. This should help you keep your airways open and sleep more peacefully.
Don’t drink alcoholic drinks if you suffer from sleep apnea. When you drink alcohol, your throat muscles become very relaxed. This can cause airway blockage. This doesn’t mean that you’re going to have to stop completely, you’re just not going to want to drink before sleeping.
Make sure you’re using your throat and jaw muscles. Sometimes sleep apnea is just dependent on weak internal muscles you have, so take the time to learn a few exercises that can help you deal with your apnea. You may see results after just a few days of doing exercises.
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.
Expert Tips For Dealing With Sleep Apnea was originally published on Spring