Sleep Apnea: What Is It And What Can You Do About It?

Sleep Apnea: What Is It And What Can You Do About It?

Do you wonder why you don't feel well rested even when you sleep for the recommended 7+ hours each night? If you have exhausted all other possibilities, you may be suffering from sleep apnea. If you think you may be suffering with this condition, then stop worrying and continue onto the article below for some helpful advice! Overweight people are prone to suffering from sleep apnea. In this case, a person suffering from sleep apnea needs to lose this excess weight. Diet and exercise can do wonders to treat this condition. Reducing carbs in the diet may also help.

Weight Loss

Look into corrective mouth pieces to help with your sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can be caused by a genetically small jaw, recessed chin or a breathing passage that is too small. You can get better rest if you wear a custom mouth guard that aligns your jaw properly. Excessive weight is a primary cause of sleep apnea for many people. If this is a problem for a person, then weight loss is recommended. The simplest way to take off the weight is to eat fewer calories and engage in daily exercise. Some studies suggest that limiting carbohydrate intake can lead to weight loss, as well. Sleep Apnea also affects children. If you child exhibits certain symptoms, he or she might have sleep apnea. Often these symptoms are similar to ADHD, but you need to talk to a physician and consider sleep apnea as a cause as well. If you're using a CPAP, use it a minimum of four hours nightly. Some people find the machine difficult to get accustomed to. A minimum of four hours per night is needed, if your CPAP machine is going to help you. Keep trying to use your machine, and work up to a full night slowly if you need to. Sleep apnea is not a condition to take likely. If you see any signs, go get yourself an opinion right away. After the diagnosis, you may be asked to take a sleep test, either at home or at a facility that specializes in sleep disorder testing. Avoid sleeping pills if you've been diagnosed with sleep apnea. The pills may relax the throat muscles so much that your airways do not function properly. Having a bad sleep apnea case could make these pills a dangerous option. It may be tempting to use these pills to sleep better, but it's not worth the risk. Give sleeping on your sides a try. Sleep apnea sufferers tend to sleep on their back. When you sleep on your back, tissue can block your throat and airways. You will breathe easier if you sleep on your side. Put a pillow on your side if you always find yourself moving around during sleep.

Sleep Apnea

Without a partner in your bed to tell you how you sleep, you may not know that you experience sleep apnea. To gather evidence a physician can evaluate, record yourself sleeping through the night. Make sure you have audio on your video so you and your doctor can hear the noises you make in your sleep. Try to keep a sleep schedule if sleep apnea is an issue in your life. Sleep apnea can disrupt your sleep every night. Whatever you are able to do to keep a regular sleep pattern will help you to be in better health and less exhausted during the day. The most important adjustment to make is to go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Nasal sprays can help you sleep when your nose is being a nuisance to you. This might open up your airways so you can sleep. However, never use this spray over a long period of time, since it can cause your nose to irritated and damaged. Take a trip to the local pharmacy to see what they have available to help with keeping your nose open when you're sleeping. Remember to keep your medical ID upon your person if you make use of a CPAP for your sleep apnea. 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. This ID should say that you have apnea, that you use CPAP, and that your machine has to be set at a certain pressure level. Try to prevent snoring with an over-the-counter device. When the airway is closed but still allows a little air through, that's when snoring is most probable; in sleep apnea, the airways are almost fully closed. Therefore, it is only sensible that a stop snoring device might also help with sleep apnea. Anti-snoring devices help you reduce apnea as you sleep. You should feel better about being able to treat your apnea after reading this article. By following the tips presented here, you may be better able to sleep tonight! Keep in mind that it may take awhile to see improvements. Work at it a bit every day and you'll slowly start to see changes with your sleep apnea. If you can't see a doctor about your sleep apnea, you can still do some things to help yourself. Everyone can benefit from getting thinner or quitting smoking, but this goes double for those suffering from sleep apnea. If it is within a few hours of bedtime, stay away from caffeine, alcohol or a heavy meal.