Simple Solutions To Your Sleep Apnea Questions

Simple Solutions To Your Sleep Apnea Questions

Receiving a sleep apnea diagnosis from your physician is not something that anyone looks forward to. Clear up any questions you have about sleep apnea because you don't want to go home not knowing what to do. In this article you can learn a lot about sleep apnea and how to deal with it. It is important to stay away from alcohol if you have sleep apnea because it can help you see some improvement with the condition. Both of these habits are known to make your airway's muscles relax. This will increase your snoring as well as other symptoms of sleep apnea. Quitting these addictions may be the easiest way to address your sleep apnea. If a person is severely overweight, they are much more likely to develop sleep apnea. Losing weight may help to greatly reduce sleep apnea symptoms in many patients. Improving the overall health of the diet in combination with an increased level of exercise makes a simple, effective weight loss strategy. Reducing carbohydrate intake can help greatly, as well. Taking up a wind instrument can help to alleviate your sleep apnea symptoms. Playing this kind of instrument strengthens your muscles in the upper airways. The upper air passage muscles control the size of your airway. Due to this, regular play can translate into good sleep at night. Check with your doctor to see which CPAP equipment is best to treat your sleep apnea. Think about the machine's size and noise levels. Quality CPAP machines are nearly noise-free and easily fit on a bedside table. Your doctor will be aware of the best machines. Get a custom mouth guard. These special guards are designed to help people who suffer with sleep apnea. This can be an alternative to a CPAP machine, and can be more comfortable, to boot. Your airway will stay open wider and the guard will provide added stability for your throat.

Sleep Apnea

Follow your treatment plan including wearing your sleep mask. Many folks have difficulty adjusting to the CPAP in the beginning. Good health over the long term is what is important, and you need to build up the amount of time you use it until you can use it throughout the night. Using it for the minimum of four hours a day will allow yourself to slowly transition to full time use. Try losing weight if you are obese. Studies have shown sleep apnea and obesity can be related. A loss of 10 or more pounds can significantly reduce our sleep apnea symptoms. Eating right can keep you healthy and well rested. Not everyone equates bad and good food with sleep apnea, but many people have found out that it does play a role. In past studies,it has been shown that those that eat improper foods have worse sleep apnea than those that eat healthy, but are overweight. Try getting fitted for a custom-made mouth guard. Specially made mouth guards are particularly focused for individuals suffering from sleep apnea. They make a good substitute for CPAP machine use, and provide better nighttime comfort. A mouth guard will work by positioning the jaw and tongue in a helpful way that will allow for easier breathing while asleep. Avoid using sleeping pills if you have sleep apnea. Sleeping pills can make your throat muscles relax in an undesirable way. Sleeping pills also worsen many other effects dangerous to sleep apnea sufferers. Consult your doctor to find a sleep aid that won't impact your breathing. Some people give up using the CPAP machine they have been prescribed and this is not a good move. Use it for at least four hours each night, until you become used to it in full. Some find that it can be uncomfortable to use at first, but the point is to use it and ward off trouble. However, you must use your CPAP a minimum of four hours for it to be effective. If you are having difficulty adjusting to it at first, try to make sure you at least use your CPAP four hours each time you sleep. Attempt side sleeping. Sleeping on your back is attributed to a lot of people who suffer with sleep apnea. Sleeping flat on your back may cause your throat and mouth tissues to obstruct your airways. It is best to sleep on your side when you can. If you have a hard time sleeping on your back all night, you can try to prop pillows around yourself to prevent you from sleeping on your back.

Sleep Apnea

Make sure you don't take any sleeping pills after you find out you suffer from sleep apnea. Pills such as these may cause a relaxation of your throat muscles which causes your airways to not function properly. These can cause more harm than good, even if you just want to get to bed sooner. You can both shed unwanted pounds and reduce the effects of sleep apnea with a nutritious and healthy diet. A lot of people are surprised to learn how their poor diet could be causing sleep apnea. People who eat unhealthily tend to have sleep apnea more often than those who eat healthier. To get a diagnosis for sleep apnea, your doctor may have you write a sleep log. You would record your total hours of sleep each night, as well as symptoms that occur. You can ask your spouse or a family member to let you know you how often you snore at night. This will greatly help your doctor in diagnosing your condition. Sleep while on your side. Often, sleep apnea sufferers rest while on their backs. When you sleep, your throat muscles relax, and back sleeping causes gravity to pull the relaxed muscles downward, restricting airflow. It's easier to breathe when looking to the side. A large body pillow can help keep you from rolling to your back in the middle of the night. People with sleep apnea who need a CPAP should have a medical ID that identifies the problem. This is particularly important if you have an accident and require overnight hospitalization. Your ID should clearly state all information relevant to your sleep apnea, including what pressure level setting you use for your CPAP.

Sleep Apnea

Consider purchasing a device that assists in reducing your snoring. Snoring happens when the airways are mostly closed but air can come though, and apnea is when the airways are completely closed. It makes sense to have a device that will help both. If you have mild sleep apnea, an anti-snoring device may be enough to help with your condition. It's no fun to learn that you have sleep apnea. Fortunately, this is a condition that is eminently treatable. Use what you've learned here to better your life and effectively treat your apnea disorder. Once your sleep apnea is effectively treated, you will be able to live the full life you had before diagnosis. If you're taking a long trip, talk to the airline about using your CPAP. The airline may seat you in a convenient place to make using your machine easier. You'll need a power adapter on any foreign flights you take.