Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder than can affect as many as five percent as adults, but often goes unrecognized. If you suffer from this condition, you will stop breathing for up to a minute while you sleep. This can cause snoring, fatigue, and other problems. Fortunately, there are effective treatments to help you find relief.
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!
If you suffer from sleep apnea, you should use a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine while sleeping. This will help you treat your sleep apnea and get you on the path to having a full nights sleep. This machine uses either a face or nasal mask to pump air while you sleep.
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 been diagnosed with sleep apnea and prescribed a CPAP, work hard to get in the habit of using it every time you sleep. While it can be a struggle to get used to sleeping with a mask on your face, your health and your life depend on it. Work with your sleep center to get everything adjusted just right so that you can use CPAP therapy with a minimal amount of discomfort.
Consider elevating the head of your bed if you suffer from sleep apnea. As you sleep, gravity is constantly pulling on your muscles and causing your airway to close. If you elevate the head of your bed a bit, the slight incline makes it easier for your body to maintain your airway when you are sleeping.
It is important to use your CPAP machine if instructed to by your doctor. You should use it for the full night, but if you cannot, try to get at least 4 hours with the machine. Many people find it very difficult to feel comfortable using a CPAP to go to sleep. Good health over the long term is what is important, and you need to build up the amount of time you use it until you can use it throughout the night. If it is hard and become difficult to adjust to in the beginning, then ensure you are using it at least four hours a night.
Drink one cup of caffeinated coffee a few hours before you go to sleep. It may seem silly to drink a caffeine drink at night, but this can actually help keep your throat open while you sleep. You may have to play around with what time you drink the coffee to avoid restlessness.
If you think that you may have sleep apnea, set up a video of yourself as you sleep. Just be sure that the video recorder has sound capability. When you wake up, look at the video, and if it seems like something other than snoring is going on, it may be time to go to the doctor.
If you are a smoker, this may be making your sleep apnea more severe. When you smoke a cigarette, the airways in your nose become swollen, restricting the amount of air that you can breathe. Quit smoking if you can. If you can’t give it up entirely, don’t smoke in the evenings before bed.
One great way to track your sleep progress, especially if you sleep alone, is by recording yourself in the night. The next day you can watch for signs of apnea and see if there are specific times or triggers that cause the apnea. This is a great resource for your medical professional as well.
When you get your sleep apnea diagnosis and the doctor gives you a CPAP machine, be determined to stick with CPAP therapy. It can be a real adjustment getting used to sleeping with a mask on your face every night. However, your life and health depend on it. So tell yourself this is not optional, and set your mind on making it work.
There are different ways that sleep specialists will treat sleep apnea. They may start by treating an underlying medical condition, using oxygen while you are sleeping or utilizing breathing devices that will manage your obstructive sleep apnea. They could prescribe medications that will help with the sleepiness, but will not help with the apnea itself.
One way to reduce problems with sleep apnea is to start playing a wind instrument. These types of instruments will actually train your muscles in your upper airways, which are the muscles needed to control airway dilation while you are sleeping. Not only will you sleep better, you will also have a new skill to show off!
If you have a history of anxiety, try getting in a hot bath before bed. This can relieve symptoms of anxiety induced sleep apnea. A good hot bath before sleep helps to relax the mind and the muscles. As a result, sleep is likely to come easier, and you are more likely to get a solid night of rest instead of one interrupted constantly by apnea flare-ups.
If you are trying to sleep on your side to avoid problems with sleep apnea, one way to do ensure you stay on your side is to put hard round object in your clothes. This will help you to stay on your side throughout an entire night’s sleep and avoid apnea.
If you are concerned that you may suffer from sleep apnea, it is important to be diagnosed right away. This way, you can start getting the treatment you need as quickly as possible. The advice you have read in this article can help you find the relief you need from this troublesome condition.
