Tips For Dealing With Sleep Apnea And Improving Your Sleep

Tips For Dealing With Sleep Apnea And Improving Your Sleep

Resist the temptation to panic if you receive a sleep apnea diagnosis. It might seem very scary once you find out you have sleep apnea, but there is a lot you can do to treat it. Due to this fact, you should do everything you can to make you condition have as little impact on your life as possible. One way to fight against sleep apnea is to give up vices. As with many other health problems, alcohol and tobacco will worsen sleep apnea. Alcohol depresses your nervous system and makes it harder to breathe, particularly when you are asleep. Smoking introduces known carcinogens into your lungs and damages them over time. Doing away with both of these bad habits will help do away with your sleep apnea symptoms.

Sleep Apnea

Get a mouth guard to help you sleep at night. They are designed to help you breathe properly at night by aligning your airways. Talk to your physician about these, and get a fitting if you two think it might work. Drop some of your vices to fight against sleep apnea. Smoking and drinking are some of the biggest offenders. Alcohol relaxes the muscles in the throat, which restricts the airway while a person sleeps. When you smoke, you fill your lungs with carcinogens and cause severe damage. Your sleep apnea symptoms will improve if you give up both of these unhealthy habits completely. Quit drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. Both of these bad habits can cause the airway muscles to relax, which makes you snore and adds to the symptoms of sleep apnea. Quitting these addictions may be the easiest way to address your sleep apnea. To help you deal with sleep apnea ask your doctor about how you can deal with it. The noise level of a CPAP machine and its overall size are both points to take into consideration. A machine to get you through the night is better than feeling fatigued every day. Your doctor will likely have a preferred brand or type of CPAP to recommend to you. Speak with your doctor about getting a mouth guard that will help alleviate the symptoms of sleep apnea. If you have a narrow airway, recessed chin or small jaw, it is likely you have amplified sleep apnea effects. There are a number of different devices to correct for these issues. Simply aligning your jaw may be all that is necessary. Some people believe that you can strengthen you upper airway muscles by playing a musical instrument belonging to the woodwind family. A German study found that didgeridoo playing gives you better motor control over your airways. These muscles control the dilation of your airway and the stiffening of the airway walls. Due to this, regular play can translate into good sleep at night. Shed a bit of weight if you can. There is evidence that sleep apnea is correlated with obesity. Alternatively, if you shed twenty five pounds you can see a tremendous improvement in the symptoms of sleep apnea, especially if you are dealing with obesity. Try sleeping on your side. A lot of people who have sleep apnea are back sleepers. If you sleep on your back, you are more likely to have your mouth open and block your airways. Sleep on your side to keep your airways straight. Support yourself with pillows so that you won't end up on your back at night. Get a mouth guard made specifically for you. The design is made to relieve the symptoms of sleep apnea sufferers. While they won't work for everyone, they do work for many people who find them to be easy to use and successful in treating their sleep apnea. The mouth guard can help by keeping your airway unobstructed. A doctor looks at both your medical history and family history when diagnosing sleep apnea. Sleep studies may also be done, and depending on what your primary doctor finds after all these measures, he may refer you to a sleep specialist, which is a type of doctor that diagnoses and treats people exhibiting sleep problems. If your nose is bothering you, use a nasal spray. This product should help clear your airways for a night or two. Don't use it over a long duration because it can cause problems. Many pharmacies have different over-the-counter options available to help keep your nasal passages open. Sleeping by yourself can keep you from knowing if you have the symptoms of sleep apnea. You might consider video recording yourself asleep. Make sure you have audio on your video so you and your doctor can hear the noises you make in your sleep. Don't go to sleep on your back if you have 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. Try using a pillow or some cushions to keep yourself propped on your side when you are in bed. If you have tried many treatment options and nothing works, then it is time to contact your doctor for more serious treatment alternatives. Not everyone responds to the standard treatment for sleep apnea, and some may need to do something a little more drastic, including surgical techniques. If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, it is imperative that you stop smoking. Smoking can cause the upper airway to swell, which exacerbates sleep apnea. Try out nicotine patches or gum to get rid of your sleep apnea. Most people who have quit smoking report that the first month was the most difficult. Beyond that, it becomes easier as your body detoxes from the nicotine. Use nasal spray if you suffer from sleep apnea. You will get relief from this for a little while. Don't use it over a long duration because it can cause problems. Check out all the different options while at your pharmacy. Do not drink too much alcohol if you have sleep apnea. Alcohol consumption relaxes throat muscles beyond normality and can block an airway. If you're dealing with sleep apnea, it's a good idea to avoid drinking as much as possible, especially in the hours close to your bed time. You need to do this to ensure that drinking has no effect on your sleeping patterns.

Sleep Apnea

Back sleeping can aggravate the the symptoms of sleep apnea, so always sleep to one side of your body. 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. Consider a snoring device. Snoring occurs if breathing passages become partially closed, and sleep apnea when they are closed entirely. So, anything that helps relieve the first issue will also help with the second. Anti-snoring devices can help to reduce your sleep apnea symptoms as you rest. Try taking a soothing bath before you go to bed to reduce anxiety. A hot bath can help sooth your muscles to help you sleep better. As a result, sleep is likely to come easier, and you are more likely to get a solid night of rest instead of one interrupted constantly by apnea flare-ups. If you don't treat your sleep apnea, it can have a major effect on your overall health. The upside is that many treatments exist to help. Start with the information from this post; apply what you learned so that you live a healthier and happier life. If you have sleep apnea, you are not likely to realize it during your sleep. 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. Your unexplained sleepiness may be due to sleep apnea.