Does your partner complain that you snore at night? Do you wake up feeling tired and irritable? If so, you may be suffering from sleep apnea. This means that while you sleep, you stop breathing for several seconds or even a minute. To find effective relief from this condition, the following article can help.
Sleep apnea can be connected to your weight. If you are overweight, consider going on a diet to lose a few pounds. Studies have shown that overweight people who suffer from sleep apnea were able to improve their symptoms by losing about 25 pounds in a year: give it a try!
Think about changing a few of your habits to help with your sleep apnea. As with many other health problems, alcohol and tobacco will worsen sleep apnea. When you drink, your respiratory system is depressed and breathing becomes difficult. Inflammation and narrowing of the air passages is extremely dangerous for those who suffer from sleep apnea. Losing these terrible habits will help a great deal when it comes to alleviating your sleep apnea symptoms.
Get a custom mouth guard. They make these mouth guards specifically for people that suffer from sleep apnea. This is something that works well instead of using a CPAP, and it’s more comfortable. You will find that this mouth guard stabilizes the soft tissues and allows the airways to be more open.
Avoid drinking alcohol very often. Alcohol relaxes your muscles in a way that harms your breathing. Drinking alcohol will make it hard for you to get through the night if you have sleep apnea. Your throat muscles become relaxed, making it harder for your airway to stay open. While it’s not vital that alcohol be avoided 100%, do what you can to make sure you do not drink it before a nap or nighttime sleep.
Try your best to maintain a regular sleeping schedule. When your body gets into a customary sleeping cycle, you will find yourself getting a better night’s sleep, and you will also be more relaxed. Several studies have shown that apnea episodes decrease when a person is not sleep deprived or stressed out.
Everyone who snores does not have sleep apnea. Conversely, everyone who has sleep apnea does not necessarily snore either. How do you know the difference? The biggest signs are how you feel during the course of a normal day. Snoring does not interfere with the sleep quality the same way that sleep apnea does. With snoring you are less likely to suffer from fatigue during the day.
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.
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.
Doctors often recommend that sleep apnea patients consider treatment with a CPAP – Continuous Positive Airway Protection – mask and machine. The machine sends air through a hose to a mask covering your nose. The purpose is to help keep your airway open so you are breathing normally as you sleep. While the machine may initially seem a little foreign and uncomfortable, a great many patients adapt quickly and find they are getting much more restful sleep as a result.
If you are one of the millions of people who suffer from sleep apnea, you need to avoid caffeine and large meals before you go to bed. Stop eating and drinking any caffeinated beverages at least two hours before you go to bed. Both of these are linked to sleep apnea and should be avoided before bedtime.
Do not take pain medications such as morphine. This medication can lower your oxygen level and make your symptoms even worst. If you take a high dose of morphine, your life could be in danger. If you go to the hospital and are given a pain medication, let the doctors know you have sleep apnea.
Eliminate or reduce your alcohol consumption to reduce your sleep apnea episodes. The relaxation that results from alcohol use can cause you to breathe less deeply and may also increase the likelihood that your upper airway will collapse. If you can’t refrain altogether from alcohol, make sure that you don’t drink for at least 3 hours before bedtime.
You can do tongue exercises to help minimize sleep apnea symptoms. Place your tongue on your mouth’s roof and keep it there for at least three minutes. This will help strengthen weak tongue and throat muscles so that they don’t slip back and block your airway while you sleep so easily.
If you are a trucker who has sleep apnea, take precautions to stay safe on the road. First of all, get yourself properly diagnosed and treated. If your doctor prescribes a CPAP, use it. They are small and easily portable and can run on battery power if necessary. Try to stay fit and get regular sleep to keep your condition under control.
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.
Once you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, it is important to pursue an effective treatment plan right away. This way, you and your family can find relief from the problems this condition can cause. Once you have been treated, you will find yourself sleeping better at night and feeling more lively and energetic during the day.
