How To Keep Your Sleep Apnea From Getting Worse

How To Keep Your Sleep Apnea From Getting Worse

Have you reached the end of your rope trying to figure out why you cannot get a good night's sleep, despite lying in bed for hours? If you have been unable to find a cause, you may be suffering from sleep apnea. If you think you may have this condition, be sure to read this helpful article. Sleep mouth guards can benefit you if you suffer from sleep apnea. They are designed to help you breathe properly at night by aligning your airways. Speak with your doctor to see if you should get a specially fitted mouth guard. Try cutting out cigarettes and alcohol if you have sleep apnea. 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. If you want real assistance with sleep apnea at night, talk to a physician about the optimal CPAP machine for you. Size and noise are both things to factor into your decision. Certain CPAPs are tinier than bread boxes and are barely heard. Your doctor should be able to point you in the right direction of a capable machine. Talk to your doctor about getting a fitted sleep mouth guard. You might possess an airway that is naturally narrow, or you might have a recessed chin or small jaw. All of these can make the symptoms of sleep apnea seem more pronounced. You can overcome these difficulties and experience much more restful sleep by using a custom-fitted device to keep your jaw and airway properly aligned. If your physician has prescribed a CPAP machine, do try to sleep a minimum of four hours with it nightly. Using a CPAP while sleeping is a tough adjustment for many patients to make. For this CPAP therapy to work successfully, you will need four hours each day to use it. If you struggle to adjust to it in the beginning, try using the CPAP for about four hours while you sleep.

Mouth Guard

To fight sleep apnea, try to eat a healthy diet. It's surprising how much an unhealthy diet can affect sleep apnea. Studies have shown that people that eat poor quality food have worse apnea than those who are overweight but eat healthier. Get a custom mouth guard. They make these mouth guards specifically for people that suffer from sleep apnea. 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 keeps your jaw in the proper position and keeps your airway more open. Sleep apnea sufferers often benefit from laying on their side during sleep. Sleeping on the back can cause air passages to constrict. Give sleeping on your side a try, and see if your symptoms improve. Sleeping by yourself can keep you from knowing if you have the symptoms of sleep apnea. Using a simple camcorder while you sleep can give you the information you need. Make sure any video you make includes an audio stream, since certain noises are clues that you may suffer from sleep apnea. Sleep with your body perpendicular to the bed. Most people who have sleep apnea realize that they have been sleeping on their back too much. Your airways become blocked when you sleep on your back. It is best to sleep on your side when you can. If your sleep tends to see you rolling onto your back, support yourself with pillows on one side or the other. If you suffer from sleep apnea, do not take pills. Sleeping pills can make your throat relax which prevents your airways from functioning properly. Find other ways to solve your troubles with staying asleep, because sleep apnea mixed with sleeping pills can be a potentially life-threatening mix. Never travel without your CPAP machine. When you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, you should not go even one night without using your CPAP. The machine you are using should have a travel bag that is padded. Use it to bring your CPAP machine with you, no matter where you are sleeping. You may benefit from wearing a medical bracelet that explains your sleep apnea, the treatment your are undergoing for the condition and the proper pressure level for your CPAP. You need to have a way of letting medical personnel know about your condition if you are unconscious. The ID should mention that you have sleep apnea, you use a CPAP, and your CPAP should be set to a particular pressure level. If nothing is working to better your sleep apnea, try talking to a doctor about more aggressive treatments. If less invasive treatments do not work, it is sometimes necessary to perform surgical procedures such as adenoid and tonsil removal and/or airway enlargement.

Sleep Apnea

Weight loss is an effective tactic in combating sleep apnea in many cases. A number of patients have found that shedding excess pounds is enough to resolve sleep apnea all by itself. Simply losing a small amount of weight can open your airways, improving your sleep apnea symptoms. Sleep apnea sufferers should treat their allergies promptly. Sleep apnea is a difficult enough condition to deal with. You should not have to deal with something else harming your ability to breathe while you're asleep. By treating your allergies or sinus problems, you will be more likely to get a full night's rest and have energy for the day. It's important to take responsibility to lessen the things that can cause sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can run in the family, and that is one factor that can't be changed. On the other hand, you can influence risk factors like your weight, smoking and drinking. You should ask your doctor what you can do about sleep apnea; however, there are areas that you can investigate for yourself. If you lose weight and stop smoking, these are good decisions, especially if sleep apnea is a problem for you. Coffee, caffeine and alcohol should also be avoided before bed. Weight loss can make a huge difference in sleep apnea symptoms. The condition is common in overweight patients that have larger neck circumferences. Your breathing will be improved once you lose weight because the pressure will be reduced on the airway and your airflow will be increased. Avoid back sleeping when you have sleep apnea. Sleeping on your back blocks your airways quite easily. If you are the type of person who rolls over while sleeping, use pillows in order to maintain a side sleeping position. Sleep apnea does not go away on its own; patients need treatment. Every person is different, so while a particular treatment worked for someone else you know, it may not work for you. Some sleep apnea sufferers can deal with their symptoms by getting rid of excess weight, but there are also people with the condition who aren't overweight. If you use a CPAP it can help your sleep apnea leaps and bounds. Still others prefer the surgical route where modifications can be made to overcome airway restrictions. Which ever way you go, the key is to get it treated so you can live a peaceful life.

Sleep Apnea

One way to help with sleep apnea is to quit smoking. Your air passages swell when you smoke, which is no good for sleep apnea sufferers. Try to find a program to help you quit smoking. Many people find the first month to be the hardest. Once you are over that, you shouldn't have as much trouble with cravings, as the nicotine has started leaving your body. If you have sleep apnea you should not smoke. Swelling of the airways occurs when one smokes; this makes sleep apnea worse. To give up smoking, try any cessation program. Nicotine replacements are also good choices. For most people, the toughest part is the first 30 days or so. Once you are past that point, your nicotine cravings lessen drastically. The effects of sleep apnea can be avoided with stronger throat muscles. When your breathing is obstructed by soft tissues collapsing in the anterior of your throat while you sleep, the result is sleep apnea. When your muscles get stronger, chances becomes less that they will collapse and cause a blockage in the airways. Hopefully you are now feeling more comfortable be comfortable about managing sleep apnea. Using this advice should help you get a good night's sleep. You should keep in mind that your sleep apnea will not clear up overnight. Be persistent and patient to see good results. If you think you have sleep apnea, make an appointment with your doctor and ask for a sleep test. The sleep test can determine whether you actually have sleep apnea or not. After you are diagnosed you have to figure out how to treat your sleep apnea.