Coming Up With A Plan For Sleep Apnea

Coming Up With A Plan For Sleep Apnea

If you or someone you care about has gotten the news that sleep apnea is the cause of chronic sleep disturbances, you certainly have questions about what to do now. Are you aware of the variety of treatment options to address different case histories? If not, you should read the article that follows below to get the tips that you need. Drop some of your vices to fight against sleep apnea. Few things are worse for sleep apnea than drinking and smoking. Drinking can overly relax your respiratory system and may cause breathing problems. Smoking inserts carcinogens into the lungs, which eventually damages them. Losing these terrible habits will help a great deal when it comes to alleviating your sleep apnea symptoms. If a person is severely overweight, they are much more likely to develop sleep apnea. Should this be the reason, weight loss should be the rule of thumb. The simplest way to take off the weight is to eat fewer calories and engage in daily exercise. Carbohydrate restriction has been shown to help people lose weight in recent studies as well. Meet with a doctor about what CPAP machine you should use. The machine size and how loud it is are things you should think about. Certain machines are actually smaller than your average bread box, and they whisper quietly. Your doctor will help you find one that is well made. A CPAP machine may turn out to be vital in combating your sleep apnea, and you should get your doctor's advice about what model is right for you. Size and noise are both things to factor into your decision. Some are as small as a loaf of bread and quiet as a whisper. The physician should know which companies have the best machines. Some people give up using the CPAP machine they have been prescribed and this is not a good move. Use it for at least four hours each night, until you become used to it in full. Some people have a really hard time sleeping with the device. However, it won't be effective if you don't use it every day. If you have a tough time with it, be sure you have the right size mask, and that the pressure is working right.

Mouth Guards

Eating right can keep you healthy and well rested. You'd be surprised at how much a healthy diet can help you with sleep apnea. Research shows that people who eat an unhealthy diet have more severe apnea than some overweight people who eat healthier. Have your dentist fit you for a custom mouth guard. They make these mouth guards specifically for people that suffer from sleep apnea. These mouth guards are more comfortable than a CPAP. A mouth guard will work by positioning the jaw and tongue in a helpful way that will allow for easier breathing while asleep. If you sleep alone, it may be hard for you to get a good idea of the exact nature of your sleep apnea symptoms. Try setting up a video camcorder to record yourself while you are sleeping at night. Remember to make a video with sound so your doctor can hear you snore! Try your best to use your CPAP machine as much as possible if you get one. It can be hard for some people to sleep with the CPAP initially. If this is the case with you, try a different mask. That is often the source of the discomfort. Starting at just four hours per session can help you ease into adjusting to your CPAP. Losing weight is a simple and proven effective method of decreasing your chances of suffering from sleep apnea. A lot of people find that when they lose weight, they no longer have apnea. Even a loss of a few pounds has been beneficial in opening the airway. Sleep on your side if you want to avoid sleep apnea. Our airways can get obstructed if we sleep while on our backs. Give sleeping on your side a try, and see if your symptoms improve. Think about using nasal spray if your nasal passages are stopped up. Nasal spray can temporarily reduce swelling in your nasal passages. If you use nasal spray alot you may damage it. Try other ways of opening this passage. Try sleeping on your side. Some sleep apnea patients lay on their backs. If you sleep on your back, you are more likely to have your mouth open and block your airways. Sleeping on your side makes breathing significantly easier. If you think you might roll over anyway, try a wedge pillow. Obesity is sometimes the root cause of sleep apnea. Being overweight and large around the neck are often indications of sleep apnea. If you lose that weight, the pressure on your air passage will be lessened, which will improve the quality of your breathing. You need to have a complete physical exam and give a thorough medical history in order to get a sleep apnea diagnosis. Your PCP may ask for a sleep study to be done by a sleep specialist. Never sleep on your back if you experience the symptoms of sleep apnea. Most people with sleep apnea tend to snooze lying face-up, and this can cause the airways to be more susceptible to interference. To prevent yourself from rolling over while you sleep, use pillows or cushions.

Sleep Apnea

Don't drink a lot of alcohol if you have sleep apnea. Snoring and airway blockages are made worse by over-relaxed throat muscles, and this is something that heavy drinking can cause. You should either quit drinking, or try and limit it to an occasional drink before going to bed. This helps to avoid the problem of alcohol harming you from getting a good night's sleep. Many doctors ask patients to keep sleep logs to help diagnose sleep apnea. You will need to make note of how many hours of sleep you get each night, and anything else notable. If you have a partner, they may be able to help document your snoring, jerky body movements and stoppage of breathing. This can help your doctor figure out if you've got sleep apnea or if you don't. How you sleep each night can determine the quality of sleep you get and how bad your sleep apnea really is. You must figure out which position is best for you. You can try using a foam wedge; it will elevate your upper body. Talk to your doctor about other ways of sleeping that will be beneficial to you. Get to bed at a regular time every night if you suffer from sleep apnea. Your sleep apnea is already affecting your sleep. This is why it is important to maintain a consistent sleep pattern, which will eliminate sleepiness in the day. Go to sleep and wake up at set times each day, even the weekends, for the best results. Your sleep apnea can worsen from back sleeping, so try to sleep on your side. One trick to prevent yourself from accidentally rolling onto your back in the night is to attach a lumpy object to the back of your pajamas. This forces you to lay on your side since it makes it tough to lay on your back. Do you travel frequently? If so, then do not forget to bring along your CPAP. When sleep apnea affects you, do not attempt even a single night without your CPAP machine. A convenience travel pouch is usually included with purchase. This bag will help you safely travel with your CPAP machine when you are on vacation. People that have sleep apnea can benefit from learning to play a wind instrument. This can significantly help you get through the night without bothering other people with your heavy snoring. This will help your airways.

Sleep Apnea

If sleep apnea is causing you anxiety, soak in a bath before bedtime each night. When you take a bath in hot water, it calms your muscles and releases tension. This will make it easier to fall asleep and get the good night's sleep you deserve. Lose weight to prevent developing sleep apnea. Lots of people have found they can eliminate their sleep apnea by dropping all their excess fat. Even a nominal amount of weight loss will go a long way in improving your breathing at night. You aren't always going to be aware of your sleep apnea. If you find yourself falling asleep when you are driving, feel exhausted after a full night of sleep or feel strangely sleepy, talk to your doctor. Although you are not likely to realize that you are fighting for air every night as you sleep, you may very well have developed sleep apnea. Think about using nasal spray if your nasal passages are stopped up. It helps to clear the nasal passages and airways to let you sleep more soundly. However, you should not use these sprays for an extended period of time to avoid irritation. Head to your pharmacy to see what your options are to deal with your nose bothering you in your sleep. Many people think of sleep apnea as a problem surrounding the nose, but really strengthening your throat muscles is the key. There are many fast and easy throat exercises you can learn about and use. Information is a powerful tool. Knowing what your options are can help you make the right choices for your condition. Now that you have read this article you have the tools you need to help your (or someone else's) sleep apnea condition. There is a surgery that can help to alleviate the snoring associated with sleep apnea. You may be able to eliminate your sleep apnea symptoms by letting a surgeon perform an uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) treatment on you to clear away the extra tissue and expand your airways. Be aware that in this procedure your tonsils are often removed, too.