It’s hard to stay alert and focused if you’re not getting the proper amount of sleep, which can be caused by many things. If you aren’t sleeping right due to sleep apnea, there are some things you can do about it. The article below has tips and ideas to help you manage this affliction.
Get a checkup regularly and act upon your doctor’s suggestions. Besides excess weight, you could be suffering from health issues such as heart disease and hypertension, which can greatly increase your chance of suffering from sleep apnea. Even problems with blood sugar can make sleeping a miserable experience for apnea sufferers.
Make yourself wear your CPAP for four hours while you sleep, at the least. Sometimes it is hard for people to get used to the CPAP. For this CPAP therapy to work successfully, you will need four hours each day to use it. Ease your way towards your four hour CPAP goal, even if you find the experience difficult to get used to.
Children can also suffer from sleep apnea. If you find your child is innatentive, always tired or uses their mouth to breath and not their nose, they may suffer from this condition. A lot of sleep apnea symptoms are associated with ADHD, so work with your doctor to investigate all possibilities.
Always get enough sleep. When you fail to get a decent amount of sleep on a regular basis or fail to follow a normal sleeping pattern. Insomnia and sleep apnea go hand in hand. So, when you can successfully sleep regularly, your symptoms are less pronounced because you are well rested.
If you suspect that you have a sleeping disorder, but are unsure, enter a sleep study. They may be able to diagnose your disorder as sleep apnea and make suggestions regarding treatment. Treatments include mouth guards, CPAP, diet changes, and modifications of sleeping habits. You won’t know your options until you speak with someone about it.
Avoid drinking alcohol. Getting buzzed or drunk causes your airways to relax too much. If someone goes to sleep in a drunk state, you can hear the effects from their deep snoring. In someone who already suffers from sleep apnea, it can be very dangerous. Avoid alcoholic drinks to sleep safer.
Stick to a schedule when it comes to your sleep. Your sleep apnea is already affecting your sleep. Try your best to get a regular sleep pattern after you find out you have sleep apnea, this will help your overall health improve. The biggest parts are going to bed and getting up at the identical times each and every day.
If you use a CPAP machine, make sure the mask fits well. Most people who quit using their CPAP machine usually say it is because the machine is uncomfortable. There are a number of different masks available, so you are not forced to use one that causes discomfort. Try out many different styles to find the right one.
If you have sleep apnea, and your CPAP does not seem to be working out for you, consider alternate types of machines. You may be a person who needs the air pressure to change throughout the night as you sleep. Your doctor can prescribe a machine that uses different technologies to deliver air, such as an APAP, a BiPAP, or a machine equipped with C-FLEX. Each of these adjusts the pressure up and down as you sleep, which can make it more comfortable and effective for you.
Keep a generator at home. If there is a power outage, your CPAP machine will stop functioning. Some CPAP machines have a battery that will kick in if the power goes out but you should invest in a quality generator in case you have to remain without power for several hours.
If you have sleep apnea, do not use sleeping pills. These medications work to relax the throat muscles, which is not what you need to cure sleep apnea. They can also cause a lot of other problems, so it is best to stay away from them. If you have a hard time falling asleep at night, try learning some natural ways to rest your body.
When you are sleeping, in addition to laying on your side, it is also useful to prop your head up. This can be done by using an extra pillow or even a special pillow designed for people who suffer from apnea. A special wedge pillow is the perfect shape for this function.
Smoking is another thing which makes the problem of sleep apnea worse. It actually irritates the nasal passages and makes them swell. This in turn causes the airways to be partially blocked, making breathing on auto pilot while you are asleep more difficult. Cutting smoking out entirely is ideal, but even reducing the amount you smoke may help.
Check with your doctor about any medications that you are taking that may be causing your sleep apnea symptoms. Some prescription medications, such as muscle relaxers, may, in fact, promote the collapse of the soft tissue in the back of the throat which can contribute to the symptoms of sleep apnea.
Shed the pounds that have been bugging you. Those same pounds that you cringe at when you look in the mirror may also be causing your sleep apnea. In fact, there is a rule of thumb out there that for every 10% of the weight you lose, your sleep apnea will improve by 30%.
If a breathing device hasn’t solved your sleep apnea problems, then you may want to consider a dental device. There are a variety of types of these, but they can mostly be made by an orthodontist. They work by changing the shape of your mouth and throat while you sleep and removing obstructions.
Now that you’ve finished reading this article, you can see that there are ways to control this problem. Don’t go through live deprived of the sleep you need. Practice what you’ve just learned, and be on your way to life that includes the rest you deserve. Soon, you will feel much better.
