Suffer From Sleep Apnea? These Tips Can Help!

Suffer From Sleep Apnea? These Tips Can Help!

Many people don't get diagnosed with the sleep apnea that they have and they wind up suffering through their sleep. This condition stems from the airways collapsing as one sleeps, making breathing difficult. This is very dangerous. The article below has more information about the subject. Some people's sleep apnea can be traced to morbid obesity. Should this be the reason, weight loss should be the rule of thumb. The best way to lose weight is to become physically active with exercise at least four times per week and eat less food calories than are burned off each day by activity. Cutting out white carbs such as white rice, pasta and sugar is one step that many people use to lose weight. Shedding some excess pounds is a good idea if you're overweight. Research has shown a clear link between sleep apnea and obesity. If you slim down, you may see a marked difference in how your sleep apnea affects you. If you have sleep apnea and drink or smoke, try quitting to improve your symptoms. Sleep apnea and chronic snoring are each caused by over-relaxation of the airway muscles, and both smoking and drinking can cause this. Dropping bad habits can help you live your life comfortably again. If you're using a CPAP, use it a minimum of four hours nightly. Sometimes it is hard for people to get used to the CPAP. A minimum of four hours per night is needed, if your CPAP machine is going to help you. If you find it hard to get used to your CPAP, use it for only 4 hours at a go. Speak with your doctor about getting a mouth guard that will help alleviate the symptoms of sleep apnea. Your symptoms could very well be exacerbated by congenital conditions like a small jaw, an over- or under-bite, or a naturally constricted airway. Custom devices that control the position of an irregular attribute that you possess can give you a great deal of relief.

Sleeping Pills

Moderate your alcohol intake. Your muscles get relaxed too much. If the throat muscles are too relaxed, they can collapse and block your airway. Like the rest of your muscles, those around your throat and airway relax under the influence of alcohol, making it harder for you to maintain a proper air passage. If you have to have a drink, do it well before bedtime. Try something other than sleeping pills. Sleeping pills are similar to alcohol in that they cause the muscles in your throat to be less tense. Sleeping pills also worsen many other effects dangerous to sleep apnea sufferers. Consult with your doctor about what you should take besides sleeping pills. Sleep on your side in order to get some better sleep. Back sleeping promotes airway obstruction. Make it a habit of falling asleep on your side, which hopefully does alleviate some of these sleep apnea symptoms. When you suffer from sleep apnea, you should do your best to stick to the same sleep schedule each day. Sleep apnea causes regular interruptions in your ordinary nightly sleep cycle. Do what you can to establish a regular pattern to improve your health and feel less tired. Go to sleep and wake up at set times each day, even the weekends, for the best results. A doctor looks at both your medical history and family history when diagnosing sleep apnea. Also, your doctor may want to try a sleep study on you. Depending on the results, you may be referred to a specialist.

Chin Strap

An excellent method of reducing your sleep apnea symptoms is simply losing some weight. Getting rid of those extra pounds can help you with your sleep apnea. Losing even just five pounds can make your sleep apnea symptoms go away. If your mouth opens a lot during the night when you use your CPAP machine, consider adding a chin strap. A chin strap is a fabric strip that prevents your chin from falling during the night, which in turn keeps your mouth closed. CPAP machines do not function with open mouths, so a chin strap can really save you. Use a single, normal-sized pillow for sleeping. Larger or stacked pillows can put your airways in an awkward position and limit your breathing. Sleeping in this way may prevent easy breathing. That's why using one pillow may be the answer to your sleep apnea problem. Sleep apnea will not go away by itself; you need to treat it. Every person is different, so while a particular treatment worked for someone else you know, it may not work for you. Although losing weight is known to reduce sleep apnea symptoms, people who are thin suffer also. Many patients get great results with non-surgical treatments like CPAP therapy. However, there are people who prefer surgery over apparatus. Working with your doctor to identify the best approach for your apnea issues will increase your opportunity to live a healthy and well-rested life. Weight loss can make a huge difference in sleep apnea symptoms. People who are overweight usually suffer from sleep apnea more. Losing weight can significantly reduce the pressure on your airway and improve the flow of air as you breathe at night.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is not something that should be ignored, because it will not go away without treatment. Some treatments will work better for you than others. For some, weight loss can help, but even slender people can suffer from sleep apnea. One of the most common treatments for sleep apnea are CPAP machines, which force air into the lungs while you sleep. Some decide to go under the knife to get the airway relief they require. It doesn't matter which treatment you get, as long as it is effective for you and helps you find the quality of life you are missing. You should never smoke if you are dealing with sleep apnea. Smoking causes swelling in the upper airway, which makes sleep apnea worse. To quit, try using nicotine replacement treatment or a cessation program. The first month is pretty tough for most people, but it gets better. After that, the nicotine starts to leave your body and the cravings lessen. Making the muscles in your throat much stronger is an excellent way to help the alleviate the sleep apnea. The reduced airflow characteristic of sleep apnea is due to soft tissue in the throat relaxing. Stronger muscles mean a less likelihood of the the airways becoming blocked. Tongue exercising may help resolve certain sleep apnea symptoms. Place your tongue on your mouth's roof and keep it there for at least three minutes. This will help strengthen weak tongue and throat muscles so that they don't slip back and block your airway while you sleep so easily. Sleeping in certain positions can also impact your sleep apnea. It's important to find the best position for you to sleep in. You can keep yourself propped up with a large foam wedge. An even better idea is to lift the top part of the bed by about four inches, if you can. Don't drink too much if you have sleep apnea. Alcohol consumption relaxes throat muscles beyond normality and can block an airway. It's best to put down the bottle entirely, but if you don't want to do that, you should drink only minimal amounts, and do so early in the day. You'll be less likely to suffer from alcohol-related sleep disturbances this way. Many people who have sleep apnea make the mistake of sleeping on their backs. You would be better served by laying on your side during sleep. Put blockades to either side of you to keep you from rolling onto your back if you must. This will make back sleeping very uncomfortable. Start playing wind instruments. Wind exercises will help exercise and strengthen your throat muscles, which will help you breath in the middle of the night. If you consistently make an effort to strengthen your throat muscles, you'll have a better time sleeping with sleep apnea. Anyone who has sleep apnea should avoid laying on their back during sleep. If you sleep on your back, you are sleeping in a position that can block your airways. Try side sleeping. If it does not seem natural to you, prop yourself using pillows. Please do not waste time believing that a CPAP maching is something to be ashamed of. Make people aware that your life would be much worse with the machine. Also, don't be afraid to use the machine in front of others, including friends and your spouse. Keep in mind that using your CPAP machine is in your best interest, and if anyone makes fun of you, you should probably find better friends. This will help you deal with sleep apnea. If you do not go to a doctor and find a treatment, your symptoms will probably worsen over the years. Avoid waiting for your condition to deteriorate. If you wonder whether you have sleep apnea, talk to a doctor right away. Back sleeping is not recommended if you suffer from sleep apnea, so try to sleep on your side. One way to keep yourself off your back while you sleep is to sew a pocket into the back of your pajamas and tuck something lumpy into it (a tennis ball is ideal). This will make back sleeping very uncomfortable. Some researchers believe that strengthening your throat muscles may help alleviate sleep apnea. There are many fast and easy throat exercises you can learn about and use.

Sleep Apnea

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. You do not have to stop drinking, just do not do it before you go to sleep. Now that you have a firm understanding of the basics of sleep apnea, you are well prepared to create your own sleep apnea plan in conjunction with your doctor. Contacting your doctor may be necessary in order to find out more about minimizing symptoms and the threat posed by sleep apnea. Try playing any sort of wind instrument. Take up the flute or clarinet or any wind instrument to help your apnea. This can help you improve the muscles that are in your airway. It won't happen immediately, but over time, learning to play one of these things will benefit your muscles and your sleep apnea.