Sleep apnea is a lot more common than one might think. Many people have this disorder, whether they know it or not. When it comes to dealing with sleep apnea there are some things that you can do to make living with it less of an inconvenience. Continue reading to learn a few things that can make your life with sleep apnea more enjoyable.
Try losing some weight. Getting into shape has many benefits. If you are on the heavier side and suffering from sleep apnea, you may find that slimming down helps with that as well. Studies have found that overweight and obese individuals are more likely to find relief from sleep apnea by getting themselves to a healthier weight.
Exercise your neck and throat. Sleep apnea is caused by your throat becoming obstructed as you sleep. By strengthening the muscles in your neck, throat, and jaw, you can help your muscles withstand the pressure. Spend a few minutes every day performing exercises designed for the jaw and neck area.
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.
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.
One method you can try to improve your condition is to strengthen your throat muscles. Relaxed or excessive tissue can obstruct air passages and make breathing difficult. When the muscles have strengthened, collapsing is less likely to occur, thus keeping your airways free.
You should adopt a healthy lifestyle and monitor your weight and blood pressure. Your doctor should be able to advise you on your diet and perhaps on a fitness program if you need to be more active. Living a healthy life should really help you reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea.
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.
Sleep apnea sufferers may need to look for a simple solution in order to get a better night’s rest. Sleeping at random times can disrupt your sleep, so go to bed each night at the same time. Also ensure that where you sleep has optimal conditions to help you fall asleep. With poor sleeping conditions you run the risk of having recurring sleeping issues.
Part of treating sleep apnea is working on exercises that open up the airways to get more air in. A great way to do this is by playing wind instruments, like the clarinet or the flute. Consistently doing this strengthens the throat muscles and opens up the airways as well.
Taking steps to cure the condition of insomnia can lead to a significant reduction in sleep apnea episodes. Insomnia is a major cause of sleep apnea and when sufferers begin to get regular and restful sleep, the sleep apnea often disappears. Set a regular bedtime and make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet.
If you are dealing with effects of sleep apnea, one solution is to perform throat exercises, which can help lessen the symptoms. Your muscles become stronger with these exercise, making the airways less likely to collapse. For instance, place your tongue on the top of the inside of your mouth and keep it like that for about three minutes. This exercise can be done 1-2 times per day, every day.
To lessen the severity of your sleep apnea at night, move around more during the day! Studies have shown that prolonged inactivity during the day will cause fluid-shifting and airway narrowing by the end of the day, when you lay back or down. To avoid this complication of sleep apnea, get up and stretch at least once every hour.
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.
Sleep apnea becomes an even bigger problem if you are chronically fatigued. Establishing a regular sleep schedule can ease sleep apnea’s symptoms. Set yourself some guidelines as far as sleeping. This will stop sleep apnea from turning into something worse such as insomnia.
Don’t drink alcohol before bed if you’ve got sleep apnea. Your throat muscles become relaxed, and it makes it harder for you to breath during sleep. You do not have to stop drinking, just do not do it before you go to sleep.
Make sure you set the stage right for good sleep. Avoid going to sleep too late, or going to sleep in a loud or noisy environment. When you create a relaxing atmosphere, you are better able to fall into sleep naturally and comfortably, which decreases the chances of any problem.
Learn to control anxiety, to lessen the severity of sleep apnea symptoms. Just facing a restless night of sleep can create enough anxiety to keep you up! Learn effective anxiety-control methods that will enable you to clear your mind of problems, including the possibility of experiencing sleep apnea, so that you increase the chances of actually getting to sleep.
As you can see, there are options when it comes to dealing with sleep apnea. This condition can have a negative impact on your life, but there are some things you can do yo make living with it a little easier. Use what you learned here and sleep better with sleep apnea.
