Getting enough sleep each and every night is essential for health and happiness. However, if you’re suffering from sleep apnea, you are probably not getting the rest you need. Dealing with this can be troublesome when you don’t know what to do. If you’re in the dark about how to handle your sleep apnea, the article below can help.
Consult with your physician about corrective devices to address your sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can be magnified in effects by small jaws and recessed chins, as well as breathing passageways that are naturally narrow. Special mouthpieces can help to maintain proper alignment while you sleep, allowing you to rest much better.
If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea and prescribed a CPAP, work hard to get in the habit of using it every time you sleep. While it can be a struggle to get used to sleeping with a mask on your face, your health and your life depend on it. Work with your sleep center to get everything adjusted just right so that you can use CPAP therapy with a minimal amount of discomfort.
Check if a corrective device can help alleviate your sleep apnea symptoms. Having an overbite, an undersized jaw or a recessed chin can cause your airway to be more narrow because of how your jawbone is set. These devices help create proper alignment of your jaw while you sleep, opening up your airway more. As a result, you experience fewer sleep apnea symptoms.
Lose the extra weight. Research has shown that losing weight can dramatically improve your sleep apnea symptoms. Losing a few pounds can reduce the amount of pressure on your neck as you sleep, a primary cause of sleep apnea. Some people were even able to completely cure their apnea using this method.
Understand the effects that smoking and drinking alcohol have on sleep apnea, if you are trying to get a grip on your quality of sleep. Smoking enlarges airways, while alcohol can relax them too much, both of which will contribute to the symptoms of sleep apnea severely. Consider making the necessary cut-backs that will cut down on your sleep problems.
Try yourself to sleep on your side. If you fall asleep on your back, gravity can make it easier for your tongue and/or tonsils to fall back into your throat and obstruct your windpipe, causing apnea episodes. While it may be hard a first, as time passes, however, it will start to become second nature to sleep on your side.
Use a chin strap if you find your mouth continuing to fall open while you sleep with a CPAP machine. This inconspicuous piece of cloth will keep your chin up when you are asleep and your mouth from gaping open. CPAP devices don’t work well when your mouth is wide open, so this device can help.
People who use alcohol, sedatives, and sleeping pills are far more likely to suffer from sleep apnea. This is because these drugs will relax the throat and cause their breathing to be impaired. Using these drugs before bedtime is more likely to cause sleep apnea than using these drugs during the day.
Sleep apnea is a serious condition that affects many overweight people. One of the first things that should be addressed by anyone suffering from this condition is to lose some weight. Until your weight is normal, your doctor may find it difficult come to an accurate diagnosis of the cause.
Avoid any type of drugs or alcohol if you are experiencing any type of sleep apnea. Drugs and alcohol will slow down your respiratory system, and that is known to be one of the causes of sleep apnea. If you are struggling with this issue, try to get some professional help to overcome these addictions.
Sleeping on your side is preferable to your back if sleep apnea is a concern. To keep yourself from rolling over onto your back when you are asleep, you can sew a lumpy object, such as a ball, onto your pajamas. This will make back sleeping very uncomfortable.
Prior to going to bed, it is important to open up your nasal passages. This is so that you get enough air flow. To open up the nasal passages, you may want to use saline spray, a nasal dilator, a neti pot, breathing strips or whatever your doctor may have recommended.
If you consume alcohol or smoke, this could be the underlying cause of your sleep apnea symptoms. Meanwhile, smoking causes the swelling of the airways; alcohol does the complete opposite and relaxes them too much. If you want to be able to sleep well each night, limit or quit smoking and/or drinking.
All sleep apnea patients can benefit from information found through the AWAKE Foundation. AWAKE sponsors support groups across the country that are dedicated to educating and informing the public on issues and treatment options related to sleep apnea. These meetings frequently showcase new equipment and mask options for CPAP patients, as well as updates on new trends in treatment. With chapters in most regional areas, AWAKE serves as a very effective support service for patients and their families to get sound and reliable information to improve their health.
Talk to a doctor. When you have sleep apnea, you must be sure to see a physician. This is because only a doctor can tell you which treatments are right for you. If you wait, you may find yourself in dire straits as well as feeling confused. See a doctor right away so you can treat your condition.
One thing you can try if you suspect that you have sleep apnea is sleeping on your side instead of on your back. While this may not help if you are very overweight, it can reduce the effects of gravity on your airway. You can sew a pocket at the back of your PJ top and place a small ball in it, if need be, to keep yourself off your back.
Now that you’ve reached the end of this article, you should be better equipped to deal with your sleep apnea. Follow the tips and ideas you’ve just learned to help manage this affliction. You can control your sleep apnea, rather than letting it control you, when you practice the methods above.
