Have you been waking up each day tired despite the fact that you go to sleep at an appropriate time? Sleep apnea affects many people, but most people don’t understand what it is or what they need to be on the look out for when it comes to sleep apnea. This article will help with that.
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!
Give up some of your vices to combat the symptoms of sleep apnea. If you smoke and drink, you are almost sure to suffer from sleep disturbances. Alcohol depresses your nervous system and makes it harder to breathe, particularly when you are asleep. Smoking damages all parts of your airways. Quitting both of these habits completely will really alleviate your symptoms.
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.
Avoid drinking much alcohol. Alcohol has a relaxing effect on all your muscles. If the throat muscles are too relaxed, they can collapse and block your airway. Alcohol relaxes throat muscles and can make it difficult to keep the air passage open. If you do drink alcohol, avoid drinking it 3 hours before bedtime.
Understand the effects that smoking and drinking alcohol have on sleep apnea, if you are trying to get a grip on your quality of sleep. Smoking enlarges airways, while alcohol can relax them too much, both of which will contribute to the symptoms of sleep apnea severely. Consider making the necessary cut-backs that will cut down on your sleep problems.
Do not take sleeping pills if you suffer from sleep apnea. These pills are not recommended if you suffer from this condition because they relax the muscles of your throat. Skipping them can actually help you get a better night of sleep because your apnea symptoms are not aggravated.
Attempt to sleep on the side to get a full night of rest in spite of apnea. Back sleeping promotes airway obstruction. Try to fall asleep on one of your sides to see if that improves your sleep apnea this evening.
Get a mouth guard made especially for sleep. If you have a recessed chin, overbite or a small jaw, they way your jaw sits while you sleep may be causing the breathing problems while you sleep by narrowing your airways. A mouth guard can correct this and help you sleep better.
If you tend to snore a lot and have difficulties staying asleep, you should go see your doctor right away. You might have a condition known as sleep apnea: find an effective treatment so you can get enough sleep and go through your daily activities without being held back by your health problem.
A good way to help your sleep apnea might be to shed some extra weight. A number of patients have found that shedding excess pounds is enough to resolve sleep apnea all by itself. Even small amounts of weight loss have been shown to improve sleep apnea symptoms and open up the throat and airways.
If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, it is important to avoid drinking alcohol. Alcoholic beverages will relax the muscles in your throat, which makes it more likely that they will block your airway during your sleep. At the very least, avoid any alcoholic beverages in the evening before you get ready for bed.
If you have sleep apnea, and you smoke, it’s crucial that you quit right away. Smoking causes the throat to inflame, making it hard for air to get into your airways. In fact, studies suggest that smoking may cause or worsen sleep apnea in some patients. So, avoid it altogether!
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 have sleep apnea and use a CPAP when you sleep at night, do not neglect your filters. It can be easy to forget about this, but you need to make sure your machine operates at maximum efficiency. Wash your reusable filter at least every week, and replace your white pollen filter at least once a month.
It’s imperative that you take responsibility to get treatment if you have sleep apnea. If you don’t seek medical help, your condition is likely to worsen over time. Speak with your doctor sooner rather than later if you suspect you’ve got a sleep apnea problem; don’t wait for the disruptions in your sleep patterns to become intolerable.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, consider being fitted for a corrective oral device. Some people have a natural shape and set to their jaws that encourages restricted air passages and makes sleep apnea more likely. These devices can align your jaw in a way that makes breathing easier.
If any of the advice shared here is ringing a bell with you, it’s time to do see a doctor to find out if you are suffering from sleep apnea. When you put the puzzle pieces together, the process of dealing with it can begin. Don’t let sleep apnea control your life without your knowledge.
