Advice To Help You Deal With Troubling Sleep Apnea

Advice To Help You Deal With Troubling Sleep Apnea

Talk is one thing, but it's more important to take action to get a good night's rest. If you have sleep apnea, you need to take concrete steps to address it. Knowing effective methods for handling sleep apnea is the first step. This article is packed with helpful information. A common reason that people have sleep apnea is due to the extra pounds on their bodies. If this happens to be the problem then anyone dealing with sleep apnea should immediately shed this weight. 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. Drop some of your vices to fight against sleep apnea. As with many other health problems, alcohol and tobacco will worsen sleep apnea. When you drink, your respiratory system is depressed and breathing becomes difficult. Smoking adds harmful chemicals which damage your lungs over time. If you quit these habits you are likely to see an improvement in your sleeping difficulties. Do you smoke and/or drink? If you suffer from sleep apnea, quit smoking and cut down on your alcohol consumption. Both of these substances have a negative effect on your ability to breathe while sleeping. Smoking swells up your airways while alcohol relaxes them. Both of these things can result in sleep apnea. If you do not want to quit, just do not do it before laying down to sleep. If a person is severely overweight, they are much more likely to develop sleep apnea. So if you have sleep apnea, and you are overweight, then try to shed some of those extra pounds. The simplest way to take off the weight is to eat fewer calories and engage in daily exercise. Reducing carbohydrate intake can be an effective way to take off the pounds, according to some recent studies. If your weight is higher than it should be, reverse that. There are many studies that link sleep apnea to obesity. If you slim down, you may see a marked difference in how your sleep apnea affects you.

Mouth Guard

If you want relief from sleep apnea symptoms, one way to get it is to start playing a woodwind instrument. Researchers in Germany have suggested that the didgeriddo can improve upper airway muscles. These muscles are the key to dilation of the air passage and proper breathing as we sleep. Therefore, getting involved with an instrument like this can help you sleep better. If you are suffering with sleep apnea due to having narrow airways, you should get yourself a mouth guard to use when sleeping. These guards look similar to what athletes use, but are specifically made to change the position of the tongue, jaw and palate while you sleep and keep your airway open. If you think a mouth guard might help you out, consult a physician and ask her to fit you with one. Try not to drink alcohol as much. Alcohol naturally relaxes your muscles. This might be something you want to do but it can also exacerbate your sleep apnea. Alcohol has an effect on throat muscles and it can hurt your body. While it's not vital that alcohol be avoided 100%, do what you can to make sure you do not drink it before a nap or nighttime sleep. Excess weight also causes sleep apnea, so losing weight is a very good idea. It is widely known that being overweight is the cause of sleep apnea for some people. Losing twenty five pounds is enough for even the most obese of sleep apnea sufferers to experience some relief of their symptoms, and you may well experience positive results with more modest losses. Try sleeping on your side. Many sufferers of sleep apnea sleep on their backs. The tissue in your throat and mouth can wind up obstructing your air passage when you sleep on your back. Sleeping on one's side is a better option. If you have trouble staying off of your back, sew a tennis ball into the back of your sleeping clothes. This will help you stay on your side while you're sleeping.

Upper Airway Muscles

If when using a CPAP machine your mouth still falls open, use a chin strap. Invest a little money into a CPAP machine to assist you during sleep. CPAP machines do not function with open mouths, so a chin strap can really save you. Some people believe that you can strengthen you upper airway muscles by playing a musical instrument belonging to the woodwind family. German researchers suggest playing the didgeridoo regularly trains your upper airway muscles. Upper airway muscles manage dilation and stiffening of airway walls. So try and play the didgeridoo regularly to help you get through the night with sleep apnea. Treat your allergies or other sinus problems when dealing with sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is already robbing you of your ability to breathe well during your sleep. You should not have to deal with something else harming your ability to breathe while you're asleep. You can get a much better night's sleep if your treat your allergies or sinus problems and keep your breathing clearer. Try not to drink alcohol as much. Alcohol causes your muscles to relax. While this might often be a desirable side effect of drinking, it can also cause sleep apnea. Because alcohol relaxes your throat muscles, your airway is harder to control. If eliminating it is not an option, cut back and make sure you do it well before bedtime. You might want to look into anti-snoring devices. Snoring occurs when airways are mostly closed up with a little air getting through, but sleep apnea occurs when the airways completely close up. So, it makes sense that a device that helps with the former can help with the latter. Devices such as mouth guards can reduce snoring as well as sleep apnea episodes. Many children suffer with sleep apnea. Symptoms may include mouth breathing, hostility, irritability, bad grades, hyperactivity and inattentiveness. These symptoms can be similar to those of ADHD, so consult a doctor and consider both conditions. If you shed some weight it will likely help with apnea. If you are overweight it is more common that you might have sleep apnea. Even a modest amount of weight loss can increase air flow and decrease airway pressure. The most common way for a physician to diagnose you with sleep apnea is to conduct a physical examination and investigate the medical histories of you and your relatives. A sleep study can also shed some light on your sleep problems. Your primary physician may find that the best course of action is to send you to see a sleep specialist. These doctors have the specialized expertise necessary to diagnose and treat many sleep disorders including sleep apnea. Don't sleep facing upwards if you are a sleep apnea sufferer. A common sleeping position for most people suffering from sleep apnea is on their backs. As a result, it's easy for airways to get blocked. Wedge a pillow in place to keep your body resting on your side while sleeping. Don't leave your CPAP machine behind if you're a sleep apnea sufferer headed out on a trip. It is important that you always have the machine, even if you feel it is an inconvenience. Most machines come with a travel pack anyway. This is perfect for taking your CPAP along with you anytime you are away. Don't binge drink 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 make sure you only have a single drink a long time before you sleep. That way, your sleep will not be affected.

Sleep Apnea

How you position yourself when you lay down for bed can contribute to your issues with sleep apnea. Therefore, you need to be careful about the way you sleep. Try using foam wedges to prop up your body. Or, if you can, raise the top of your bed by at least four inches. Now you are aware of many options to help you relieve your sleep apnea. Find the ways that can help you out, and you will see sleep apnea disappear. Through more peaceful sleep, you'll gain back control of your nights and your days. If you are prone to sleep apnea, you should try not to sleep on your back. Many sleeping difficulties, like airway blockages, are caused or exacerbated by lying on your back when you sleep. Try side-sleeping, but if you can't do it naturally, try propping a pillow to force your body onto a side every night.