If you suffer from sleep apnea, you know how elusive a good night’s sleep can be. Unfortunately, you also know how difficult it is to go through life without sufficient sleep. Help is here, with good advice on how to overcome the symptoms of sleep apnea, in the tips of the following article.
Strengthen your throat and jaw with some basic exercises. Developing these muscles should reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea. You can exercise your throat and jaw by simply pulling your tongue or practicing some very simple breathing exercises. The goal is to train you to breathe differently and hopefully make your sleep apnea disappear.
It may sound silly, but taking up a music instrument may improve your sleep apnea. When subjects in Germany were taught to play the didgeridoo, their sleep apnea symptoms were reduced. The researchers believe that practicing the instrument improved the tone of the muscles in the upper airway, which are responsible for airway dilation.
Consider doing a few very specific exercises before going to bed each night, to alleviate some of your sleep apnea symptoms. Exercising throat and tongue muscles has been proven in scientific studies to reduce snoring, improve breathing and lessen the more profound effects of sleep apnea when done according to doctor’s orders.
There are three different types of sleep apnea. Obstructive, central, and complexes are all forms of sleep apnea. You need to go to the doctor and have a professional assess which type of sleep apnea you have, so they can offer the best treatment and advice for your specific condition.
If you have sleep apnea and cannot break the habit of sleeping on your back, try sleeping in a t-shirt with two tennis balls sewn into the back. Making this sleep shirt is a simple project to do at home, and it can help to break you of sleeping on your back. Every time you try to roll over on your back in your sleep, the tennis balls will remind you to roll back onto your side.
Children can also suffer from sleep apnea. If a child in your home shows symptoms like low grades in school, hostility, irritability, hyperactivity, inattention or mouth breathing, you should consider sleep apnea as a possibility to investigate. The symptoms can be confused with those of ADHD, so it is important to speak with your doctor to see if sleep apnea is a possibility.
Try out different things besides pills to help you sleep. The muscles in your throat relax too much when you use a sedative like sleeping pills, (or alcohol) and your airway is much more likely to collapse during sleep. They can also cause a significant number of additional complications for sleep apnea patients. If you have chronic insomnia, consult with your doctor about safe alternatives to sleeping pills.
Always get enough sleep. When you fail to get a decent amount of sleep on a regular basis or fail to follow a normal sleeping pattern. Insomnia and sleep apnea go hand in hand. So, when you can successfully sleep regularly, your symptoms are less pronounced because you are well rested.
Stick to a schedule when it comes to your sleep. Your condition is already messing with your regular sleep cycle every night. Do whatever you can to restore your natural sleeping patterns, and you will find that you can handle the apnea a bit easier. Start with going to bed at a set time each night and waking up at a set time daily.
Inform a friend or family member of your condition. Sleep apnea can be life threatening. It can also cause complications when combined with other conditions. Inform those around you of your sleep apnea. If the worst occurs, they will be able to pass this information along to a medical professional during an emergency.
Did you know there are exercises that you can do to reduce your sleep apnea? Throat exercises are a great way to reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea. Try pressing the tongue against the floor of your mouth. Use a toothbrush to brush the tongues tops and sides. Repeat this exercise three times a day for five repetitions.
If you are drowsy, listen to your body. If you are not getting enough sleep at night because of sleep apnea, you are more likely to feel drowsy during the day. This indicates that your treatments are not effective. So, when you are feeling drowsy on a regular basis, consider visiting your doctor to re-discuss your treatment options and your current apnea treatment plan.
Learn to recognize sleep apnea. If you snore a lot or choke and can’t breathe during the night, this is probably a sign of sleep apnea. Use a tape recorded if you sleep alone and listen to the tape to find out how much noise you make during the night.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, consider being fitted for a corrective oral device. This is caused by the shapes of people’s jaws, which can mean they have narrower airways. Your jaw’s alignment is improved with corrective devices, allowing more air to flow.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, it’s important that you stay away from sleeping pills, cough syrup, or any other medication that may make you drowsy before going to sleep. These medications over-relax the throat muscles during sleep, even causing them to “collapse”, making it hard for enough air to come through.
Prop up your upper body while you sleep. If you have an adjustable bed, raise the head of the bed about four to six inches. If you have a standard bed, purchase a body or a special cervical pillow to keep your upper body raised while you are sleeping.
Sleep deprivation is an awful sentence to suffer through, but that’s what sleep apnea gives you. Hopefully, this article has given you some helpful ways in which you can deal with the symptoms of sleep apnea, and start getting the much needed quality sleep you are in need of.
