Although specific requirements may vary, everybody needs a good night’s sleep! If you face the problems posed by sleep apnea, you know you’re not getting the quality sleep you need to face each day. Check out the following tips that may help you fight sleep apnea and finally get a decent 8 hours of sound and healthy sleep.
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.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, it is vital to avoid consuming alcohol before bedtime. Alcohol acts as a sedative, therefore, it will naturally slow down your breathing. In addition, it will relax all the muscles in your body, including those in your throat that help to keep your airway open.
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.
It is possible for children to suffer from sleep apnea. If you find your child is innatentive, always tired or uses their mouth to breath and not their nose, they may suffer from this condition. Often these symptoms are similar to ADHD, but you need to talk to a physician and consider sleep apnea as a cause as well.
Clear up your nasal passage before heading to bed. If you suffer from sleep apnea and have problems with a “stuffed up” nose, using a nasal spray or device can help clear your nasal airway. This is not a permanent solution, but one you can use when your apnea symptoms are the worst.
Sleep apnea sufferers should always invest in a heated humidifier equipped with a bacterial filtering mechanism for use in the room where they sleep. By utilizing this type of machine, it is possible to guard against the fragile membranes that line the lungs and nasal passages, preventing exacerbation of existing symptoms.
Try something else besides sleeping pills. Much like alcohol, sleeping pills can relax your throat muscles. They also can cause other harmful issues to make your sleep apnea worse. Ask your physician about sleep aids that won’t also affect your breathing.
If you sleep alone, figuring out if you suffer from sleep apnea may be difficult. Using a simple camcorder while you sleep can give you the information you need. The video should also contain audio in order to hear the noises that occur while you’re sleeping.
Try and lose weight because it will help you deal with sleep apnea. The condition is common in overweight patients that have larger neck circumferences. Shedding some unnecessary weight can really cut down on the pressure airways receive, which means you get easier air flow and breathing during your sleeping hours.
Although professional medical advice is always warranted in treating sleep apnea, you can try out a few treatments on your own, too. It’s always a good idea to stop drinking and smoking and lose weight. It is doubly so if you have sleep apnea. Also, don’t drink alcohol or consume caffeine too close to bedtime.
One great tip for people who sleep with an apnea sufferer is to use a white-noise machine. While this won’t target the problem at all, it does at least help the partner to get a good night’s sleep. Remember to use the same sound every night in order to sync the noise with relaxation.
Keep your throat and head elevated while you sleep. If you suffer from sleep apnea, your airways are getting blocked while you sleep. So, keeping your throat and head in an elevated position helps keep your airways open. This can translate into a better night of sleep with reduced sleep apnea symptoms.
A great way to know if you are experiencing severe apnea is to keep a sleep journal. Write down all the times that you wake up in the night and also record how you feel in the morning. This will help you to have a record to see your progress.
If you suspect you have sleep apnea, ask your sleep partner to listen to your breathing while you sleep. See if they detect loud snoring as you get deeper into sleep. In addition, ask if they notice any periods when you appear to stop breathing for a time and then suddenly let out a loud snort and start breathing again. If you sleep alone, consider tape recording yourself to listen for these breathing abnormalities.
Many people simply lay down whenever they feel about it, and then complain when they aren’t sleeping well. The human body is based off of routine, so it is greatly beneficial to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day. This can even help with snoring and apnea issues.
If you have sleep apnea, do not use sleeping pills. These medications work to relax the throat muscles, which is not what you need to cure sleep apnea. They can also cause a lot of other problems, so it is best to stay away from them. If you have a hard time falling asleep at night, try learning some natural ways to rest your body.
Nobody likes to be grumpy, but sleep deprivation will make you miserable. Take what steps you can to alleviate the symptoms of your sleep apnea, so that you can achieve a higher quality of sleep and start being a more productive and positive person during the day. You deserve it!
