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Saturday, January 11, 2014

How You Can Put Your Sleep Apnea To Rest

How You Can Put Your Sleep Apnea To Rest

You should be aware that sleep apnea could well be the culprit if you or a loved one is having persistent trouble getting a good night's rest. Do not ignore the symptoms of sleep apnea. Continue on to learn about some helpful tips on sleep apnea. Talk to your doctor about a CPAP device if your sleep apnea is severe. Not all machines are alike, and you may need one that has a humidifier or a certain type of pressure. A machine to get you through the night is better than feeling fatigued every day. Your doctor will be aware of the best machines. Playing music on a wind instrument can be beneficial to your sleep apnea problems. Researchers from Germany found that practicing with the didgeridoo on a regular basis strengthens throat muscles. These muscles are responsible for opening and closing your airway, as well as controlling the stiffness of the airway. This is why playing this instrument regularly will help strengthen these muscles, and reduce snoring and sleep apnea symptoms. To relive sleep apnea symptoms, play a wind instrument such as the flute or clarinet. Researchers in Germany have suggested that the didgeriddo can improve upper airway muscles. Muscles in this area stiffen the airway walls and control the dilation. There are also throat exercises you can practice, including blowing up a balloon, if you do not want to buy a didgeridoo. Refrain from consuming alcoholic beverages as much as possible, especially at bedtime. Alcohol causes your muscles to relax. Although you may think this improves your sleep, it actually just worsens it. Your muscles will relax and collapse, which will make you snore and possibly cough through the night. If you do drink alcohol, avoid drinking it 3 hours before bedtime. A good diet can help anyone control their weight while also helping to fight sleep apnea. Changing from a poor diet to a healthy one can transform your sleep apnea symptoms. Good nutrition can help many medical conditions, including sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea

Try out different things besides pills to help you sleep. Similar to alcohol, a sleeping pill will relax the muscles in your throat. They can also cause a significant number of additional complications for sleep apnea patients. Ask your physician about sleep aids that won't also affect your breathing. Sleeping on one of your sides when you have sleep apnea can help you sleep better. Sleeping on your back can block your airway. Make it a habit of falling asleep on your side, which hopefully does alleviate some of these sleep apnea symptoms. Many doctors ask patients to keep sleep logs to help diagnose sleep apnea. You will write down how many hours you sleep throughout the night, and any other symptoms you experience. Ask your partner to note anything unusual noticed during the night while you were sleeping. This can help your doctor figure out if you've got sleep apnea or if you don't. Sleep on your side. Many people with sleep apnea sleep while on their backs. When you sleep, your throat muscles relax, and back sleeping causes gravity to pull the relaxed muscles downward, restricting airflow. However, breathing is much easier if you sleep on your side instead. If you usually sleep on your back, make a conscious effort to change your ways. Try out a regular sleep schedule to help you through your sleep apnea. Random sleep times affects your sleep as it is and this is compounded when you have sleep apnea. Any steps you take towards a regular sleeping schedule will help you get a better night's sleep. Setting regular times for both going to sleep and waking up is the most important thing to do. To actually diagnose your disorder, a doctor may require you to take notes in a sleep log. Sleep logs are records where patients write down the length and quality of their sleep. Your partner can let you know if you snore too loudly, jerk your limbs, or stop breathing. This can help your doctor figure out if you've got sleep apnea or if you don't. Use a chin strap if you find your mouth continuing to fall open while you sleep with a CPAP machine. This is a small piece of fabric that holds your chin up while you sleep and keeps you mouth closed. CPAP therapy is not successful with an open mouth, so use the chin strap to help alleviate the problem.

Mouth Closed

Always carry ID on you if you're a sleep apnea sufferer who uses a CPAP machine. Upon need for help and medical attention, your condition must be known. The information on the card should mention your sleep anea and include the full details of the treatment you regularly use. If you are using a CPAP machine but having trouble keeping your mouth closed, you should consider using a chin strap. This strap is a small strip of material that holds up your chin while you sleep, thus keeping your mouth closed. Your mouth must remain closed in order to get the best results from your CPAP therapy. If you have sinus problems or allergies, find yourself some treatment options. During the night, you are already dealing with breathing problems. You don't need anything else adding to that. Addressing nasal problems ensures you a better chance at sleeping from dusk until dawn problem-free. If your current treatment options are not cutting it, speak to a doctor about additional techniques that may be suitable. Some people don't have any luck with conventional treatments, and usually opt for surgeries like a tonsillectomy, adenoid removal or airway enlargement as their last resort. If nasal dryness or congestion is an issue, try a nasal spray. It helps to clear the nasal passages and airways to let you sleep more soundly. Avoid using nasal sprays over a long period of time; your mucus membranes could become damaged and irritated. A quick trip to the pharmacy can turn you onto a host of different treatments that can help reduce nasal congestion. Try using devices that help with snoring. Snoring is caused by your airways being blocked with minor airflow, and apnea involves them being shut completely with no airflow. So, anything that helps relieve the first issue will also help with the second. Talk to your doctor to find out if one of these devices will truly help you or if you need some other type of treatment instead. Remember that you may not consciously realize you are having a sleep apnea episode. But if you do feel tired and irritated throughout the day, then this may be a sign that you do have sleep apnea. Those symptoms might be part of what you're experiencing as sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea

Do not let your sleep apnea go untreated. By not visiting your doctor and searching for a treatment, your sleep apnea symptoms are just going to get worse. Do not wait for your snoring and inability to remain asleep to get worse: if you think you might have sleep apnea, go to your doctor. Obesity is sometimes the root cause of sleep apnea. Those who are overweight usually suffer from sleep apnea due to the circumference of their neck. Losing some weight can help improve the amount of air you can take in. Avoid back sleeping if you suffer from sleep apnea. Falling asleep right on your back will hurt you, because you won't get a clear passage for your lungs to breath. Find another position that does not restrict your airways. If you have sleep apnea, you shouldn't smoke. Smoking can cause swelling in the airways, exacerbating sleep apnea. In order to stop smoking you should think about a cessation program or one of those nicotine replacement therapies. Usually the first 30 or so days is the hardest part. Following this, the nicotine dissipates and cravings are reduced. Since sleep apnea is actually a throat problem and not a nose problem, strengthening the muscles in the throat can be a great way to reduce apnea issues. If you are interested in learning more about how to strengthen your throat, there are dozens of quick exercises that can be done.

Sleep Apnea

A good portion of those who suffer from sleep apnea are back sleepers. If you sleep on your back, you might rethink doing that. Sleeping in a position, such as on your side, can help alleviate the problems caused by constricted airways. Getting your throat muscles stronger is a great way to have less of a problem with sleep apnea. Sleep apnea results from breathing obstruction due to your soft tissues in your throat collapsing. Stronger muscles mean a less likelihood of the the airways becoming blocked. Keep in contact with your practitioner after you find out you have sleep apnea. Your physician can give you advice and keep you up on new treatments. After about a month of using a new treatment method, meet with your doctor to analyze the results. Be proactive in finding treatment. If you do not go to a doctor and find a treatment, your symptoms will probably worsen over the years. Do not allow your snoring to get worse; go to the doctor. If you suffer from sleep apnea, don't drink prior to going to sleep. Alcohol relaxes the muscles in your throat making sleep apnea's symptoms more severe. It is not necessary to quit drinking cold turkey, but you should ensure you don't drink any alcohol immediately before you hit the sheets. Throat exercises have been shown to help with the symptoms of sleep apnea. These exercises strengthen the muscles surrounding the airway, which makes them less prone to collapsing. One of the many examples is to press the whole tongue to the roof of your mouth, hold it for three minutes and then release. Do this exercise once each day. Try playing any sort of wind instrument. It doesn't matter which instrument that you choose, any of them will make a positive change in your muscles. The repeated blowing through the instrument helps to strengthen muscles that restrict your breathing because they are weak and lax while you sleep. Soon, you will notice an improvement in your sleep apnea symptoms. This article has given you some great advice to think about and discuss with others. If you believe you can ignore sleep apnea, you are very wrong. Educate others through the information you've read in this article. If you have sleep apnea, take your sleep partner's feelings into consideration and encourage them to talk to you about it. They can often tell you how sever your problem is because they are kept awake by it. Discuss the effect that your apnea has had on their sleep, and reassure them that their sleep will improve as you seek treatment.

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