Use These Tips To Handle Your Sleep Apnea Once And For All

Use These Tips To Handle Your Sleep Apnea Once And For All

Many people who have worried about sleep apnea have sought proper treatment. There's no better way to start the process of treating this condition than to educate yourself on the subject. Review the information presented here to learn the basics and get started seeking appropriate treatment. Giving up smoking and drinking can help to improve your sleep apnea. Both habits cause the muscles of the airway to relax, which increases both snoring and sleep apnea. Remember that surgery and medications are expensive. Correcting bad habits is free. One way to fight against sleep apnea is to give up vices. Two of the most common offenders are drinking and smoking. Drinking relaxes your airway to prevent proper breathing. Smoking, of course, causes both long and short term damage to your lungs and airways, as well as putting you at risk for cancer. Dropping both these habits entirely will help ease the symptoms of sleep apnea. Get a custom mouth guard. Mouth guards help keep your jaw in a proper position. This is a good alternative to using the CPAP machine. A mouth guard works by keeping airways open and giving the soft tissues stability. Ask your doctor for a mouth piece to help alleviate your apnea issues. It may just be that your breathing passage is naturally narrow or your jaw is small. There are a number of different devices to correct for these issues. Simply aligning your jaw may be all that is necessary. Do not drink alcohol often. Alcohol naturally relaxes your muscles. Although many people desire this side-effect of alcohol, it is not beneficial to people with sleep apnea. Your throat muscles become relaxed and cause your airways to become blocked. Try your best to limit your drinking if you do decide to have alcohol, and try to not have any right before bed.

Sleep Apnea

Try something besides sleeping pills. Similar to alcohol, a sleeping pill will relax the muscles in your throat. In addition, sleeping pills can contribute to many problems associated with sleep apnea. Consult with your doctor about what you should take besides sleeping pills. If you are overweight, lose some weight. There is evidence that sleep apnea is correlated with obesity. A loss of 10 or more pounds can significantly reduce our sleep apnea symptoms. Lie on your side when you sleep. Some sleep apnea patients lay on their backs. Sleeping on your back can cause the tissues in your mouth and throat to block your airway. Sleeping on your side makes breathing significantly easier. If you move around at night and tend to always wind up on your back, try propping yourself up with pillows. Try using a mouth guard that's custom-fitted for you. These are a great aid to sufferers of sleep apnea. It's a good way to get around having to use a CPAP machine, and feels better to wear throughout the night. You will find that this mouth guard stabilizes the soft tissues and allows the airways to be more open. There are several components to a sleep apnea diagnosis including a physical examination, a complete review of your medical history and a review of your family history. Also, there may be a sleep study performed and even a sleep specialist recommended if the doctor treating you feels that your condition is severe enough to get it looked at further. Don't underestimate the potential health consequences of sleep apnea. If you have symptoms of sleep apnea, be sure to speak with your doctor immediately. After diagnosis, you may be referred to a sleep specialist who may order a home study using a portable monitor. In this way, the specialist can assess your condition accurately. Swear off sleeping pills. Sleeping pills relax your palate and the muscles in your throat, which causes you to have even more trouble breathing while you sleep. If you suffer from sleep apnea, the pills could cause disastrous consequences. This is not the solution for getting some sleep. Bring your CPAP on all the trips you go on during your travels. A diagnosis of sleep apnea is serious and means that you cannot forgo the use of your CPAP for even a single night. The machine you are using should have a travel bag that is padded. Use this to easily transport your CPAP with you whenever you are away from home. To help you figure out if you suffer from sleep apnea, you may be asked by your doctor to keep a log of your sleeping. Keep track of how many hours you're sleeping the entire night and any symptoms you have. Ask your partner to keep track of your snoring, movements, and whether you stop breathing at night. This type of data can help your doctor diagnose the issue.

Sinus Problems

If you wear a CPAP for your sleep apnea symptoms, but are still bothered by your mouth opening when you try to sleep, get a chin strap. A chin strap is a strap on fabric that can hold your mouth closed. The CPAP only works if the mouth is closed, so try using the strap. If you suffer from sleep apnea, make sure you treat your allergy and sinus problems. Because you already suffer, this should at least alleviate one of many sleep problems. You do not need anything else reducing your ability to get air while you sleep. Keep your airway clear and free by dealing with sinus problems so you can more easily sleep at night. Losing weight can help sleep apnea sufferers. Sleep apnea is far more frequent in obese individuals with bigger necks. Shedding some unnecessary weight can really cut down on the pressure airways receive, which means you get easier air flow and breathing during your sleeping hours. Don't use more than one standard pillow. Over-sized pillows may lead to you sleeping in an unhealthy position. As a result, you may find it more difficult to breathe normally. So, you should stick to one pillow to help lessen any sleep apnea symptoms. Tongue exercises are useful in reducing sleep apnea. One exercise includes pressing your tongue on the roof of the mouth and keeping it for several minutes. Doing this strengthens your tongue and the connective throat muscles; this in turn makes them less likely to relax at night and constrict your breathing passages. Don't go to sleep on your back if you have sleep apnea. The majority of sleep apnea sufferers sleep on their backs, which makes it easy for their airways to become blocked. Try using a pillow or some cushions to keep yourself propped on your side when you are in bed. If you are going to be on a plane a long time, then get in touch with the airline company to inform them that you need your CPAP machine for sleeping. Friendly airlines are happy to seat you where there is sufficient room for you and your machine. You'll need a power adapter on any foreign flights you take.

Quit Smoking

Those who suffer from sleep apnea may need to consider a simpler solution for their problem. Make sure you establish a regular bedtime, and adhere to it every night. Make your bedroom comfortable to sleep in. If you sleep in improper conditions, you might suffer from chronic lack of sleep. One way to help with sleep apnea is to quit smoking. Smoking aggravates air passages. There are many effective ways to stop smoking. Most people who have quit smoking report that the first month was the most difficult. Once you are past the first few weeks, the nicotine craving begin to lessen significantly. Do not sleep on the back if you suffer from sleep apnea. When you fall asleep on your back, your airways may be more likely to collapse during the night, causing sleep apnea symptoms. To counter the effects of gravity on your throat muscles, it's best to sleep in a sideways position. People with sleep apnea seem to always try and find ways to get rid of it. It is vital that you have some knowledge on the condition in order to properly deal with it. Apply the advice you found herein and you may be better soon. Sleep apnea causes chronic exhaustion, which is a self-reinforcing negative spiral. Make sure you're getting adequate sleep. Have established times for both going to bed and getting up, and stick to them. You will help reduce the likelihood that your sleep apnea worsens.