Sleep apnea comes with many cumbersome symptoms that prevent you from getting a sound night’s sleep. Unfortunately, the trickle-down effect will reach into every aspect of your day as well. Read on for some very helpful advice you can use to overcome the difficult symptoms of sleep apnea and get a good eight hours of sleep in.
Alleviate you sleep apnea by loosing weight. Many studies have demonstrated that sleep apnea can be significantly improved or even eliminated when patients slim down. You can go to the gym, join exercise classes or just get out and walk. Taking off the extra pounds will help you sleep more soundly.
If you decide to try a CPAP machine, do not give up until at least a few weeks. A lot of sleep apnea patients give up before they really get a chance to get used to their machine. Wait until you are comfortable with sleeping while wearing a mask and you should really notice a difference.
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.
Try your best to use your CPAP machine as much as possible if you get one. Some individuals have a lot of trouble getting used to CPAP masks in their sleep. However, you must use your CPAP a minimum of four hours for it to be effective. Just use it as much as possible and you’ll get used to using it after a couple of weeks.
Eating healthily can help you shed weight and relieve sleep apnea. One of the main factors contributing to sleep apnea is being overweight, caused by poor eating habits. 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.
If you feel tired every day, you may have sleep apnea. Some of the common signs of sleep apnea include, chronic snoring, pauses in breathing, daytime sleepiness, and choking or gasping during sleep. If your partner notices that you have these symptoms while you are sleeping, you should go to a doctor for an assessment of your condition.
Try some throat and mouth exercises. One reason people suffer from sleep apnea is because their throats close when they sleep. Strengthening these muscles can decrease the chance that they will go slack while you are sleeping. Try some tongue, jaw and neck exercises to increase your throat strength.
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.
Use only one, regular-sized pillow to sleep at night. Larger or stacked pillows can put your airways in an awkward position and limit your breathing. This causes you to lie in a way where breathing is more difficult. This means that one pillow is most appropriate to help alleviate your sleeping concerns.
If you have difficulties sleeping because of your sleep apnea, you should avoid driving or operating dangerous machines. If you do not get a good night of sleep, take public transportation instead of driving to prevent accidents and do not take a job in a factory or on a construction site.
If you use a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP machine to treat your sleep apnea, sleep with it every night. When you take the mask off at night, your symptoms will return. Sometimes they might disappear for one or two nights, but then return. Wearing the mask every night prevents episodes of sleep apnea from occurring.
If you use a CPAP machine and suffer from dry mouth as a result, there are two solutions. First, try increasing the humidity of your system. If that doesn’t work, you can also try a chin strap. One or both of these solutions can prevent the air leakage that causes dry mouth.
The first thing you should do if you discover you have sleep apnea is take a long look at your weight. If you are overweight that can be increasing the problem. That means you need to take some time to learn about weight loss and exercise. Not only will your sleep improve, but your whole life will.
How you position yourself when you lay down for bed can contribute to your issues with sleep apnea. This is the reason why it’s vital to sleep in a proper position each night. Use a foam wedge to raise the top part of your body higher. Talk to your doctor about other ways of sleeping that will be beneficial to you.
If you have tried all the self-help ideas and treatments and made changes in your lifestyle, and you still have not had success in helping your sleep apnea, you should consult with a sleep doctor. These doctors can evaluate your condition and work with you to find a treatment that is effective.
Sleep is far too important to compromise on, so don’t let sleep apnea keep disturbing yours any longer. Put some of the tips of this article to good work for you against the nagging and burdensome symptoms of sleep apnea tonight. Hopefully you will finally have access to the quality sleep that has been eluding you for so long.
