Sleep disorders are a common, but often unrecognized, class of health problems that cause widespread problems for millions of people. Sleep apnea is one common disorder that is caused by blocked airways during the night. This leads to snoring, tiredness, headaches, and other problems. For some effective treatments, keep reading this article.
Try using a mouth guard to help you sleep. These are a great aid to sufferers of sleep apnea. If you don’t have CPAP, then this guard is an excellent alternative. Also, it’s a lot more comfortable wearing this mouth guard while sleeping. The device assists you by keeping your airways open while offering stability for soft tissue.
Did you know that sleep apnea is more than just snoring? Your breathing may actually stop, or it may become very shallow, and this could happen upwards of a hundred times or more each night. If you feel you may be suffering from this affliction, you should see a doctor and be properly diagnosed and discuss a treatment that works best for you.
Are you not having any success at improving your symptoms of sleep apnea? If so, then visit your doctor and ask him or her about other options you can utilize. Not everyone responds to the standard treatment for sleep apnea, and some may need to do something a little more drastic, including surgical techniques.
Eliminate all the risk factors you can. Certain risk factors are ones you can do nothing about it, like inheriting genetic traits or having been born a man. Some other risk factors should be changed, such as drinking too much, smoking or weighing too much.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, it’s very important for you to sleep on your side. Avoid sleeping on your back at all costs, as this position does not allow enough air to get into your airways. To prevent yourself from sleeping on your back, put a tennis ball in the back of your pajamas.
If you are experiencing sleep apnea, stop smoking. Smoking swells up your upper airways, which can worsen your sleep apnea symptoms. Try out nicotine patches or gum to get rid of your sleep apnea. The first month is often the hardest for most smokers. After that, it gets easier, because the nicotine addiction is gone.
It’s important to lose weight if you suffer from sleep apnea and you are overweight. The heavier you are, the harder it is for air to get down your throat. In fact, some studies suggest that obese people who suffer from sleep apnea can get rid of the condition by losing weight.
Getting a sufficient amount of sleep every night (about 7 to 8 hours) helps to decrease sleep apnea episodes. It has been proven that sleep apnea is less likely to occur when the body is well rested and relaxed. Try to have a specific sleep schedule and stick to it each night.
If you are drowsy, listen to your body. If you are not getting enough sleep at night because of sleep apnea, you are more likely to feel drowsy during the day. This indicates that your treatments are not effective. So, when you are feeling drowsy on a regular basis, consider visiting your doctor to re-discuss your treatment options and your current apnea treatment plan.
If you are suffering from sleep apnea, sleeping pills are definitely not your answer. Sleeping pills give you similar negative symptoms as alcohol would. These pills relax your airways too much and will worsen your symptoms. Not only will your symptoms worsen; you may experience other side effects as well. Lay off of sleeping pills for a good night’s rest.
All sleep apnea patients can benefit from information found through the AWAKE Foundation. AWAKE sponsors support groups across the country that are dedicated to educating and informing the public on issues and treatment options related to sleep apnea. These meetings frequently showcase new equipment and mask options for CPAP patients, as well as updates on new trends in treatment. With chapters in most regional areas, AWAKE serves as a very effective support service for patients and their families to get sound and reliable information to improve their health.
Your family doctor can help you find the appropriate treatment to deal with your apnea. If you leave your sleep apnea untreated, your symptoms are likely to worsen over time. Do not let it get worse. Go to a doctor and follow his or her recommendations. Sleep apnea can be controlled with proper attention.
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.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, it is important that you maintain a healthy body weight. Being overweight significantly worsens sleep apnea and losing just a few excess pounds can go a long way towards dramatically improving your ability to breathe properly while you sleep. Following a healthy diet and exercise plan is one of the best ways to deal with sleep apnea.
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.
Have a sleep study done. The most accurate way to diagnose sleep apnea is through a sleep study. During the study, you will spend one night at a clinic, where your sleeping patterns will be recorded and analyzed. This will give your doctor a complete picture, allowing her or him to prescribe the best course of treatment.
Sleep apnea can be an annoying and potentially dangerous sleep disorder, but the good news is that there are effective ways of treating it. You do not just have to accept that you will never sleep well at night. By using the tips in the preceding article, you can find safe, effective relief from this problem.
