Although it may seem minor, sleep apnea can cause serious health problems if left unchecked. Sadly, a lot of people don’t know how to treat it and simply just suffer with it. The information contained in this article will finally help you break through the mist and get the sleep you deserve.
You should know that using a CPAP machine can cause certain side effects, including snoring, congestion, irritation or dryness in your mouth and airways. If this occurs, you should go to your doctor and make sure you are using your machine properly. Consider using a different mask or a different machine.
Sleep Apnea patients using a CPAP machine may find that a humidifier is their best friend. The continuous passage of air from the machine can dry out sensitive nasal membranes, creating discomfort. A room humidifier, placed near the machine, often provides the humidification needed for comfortable sleep. If that isn’t sufficient, machines with integrated humidification chambers are available and allow the patient to customize the amount of moisture they receive.
Attempt to sleep on the side to get a full night of rest in spite of apnea. Sleeping on your back can block your airway. Make a point of falling to sleep on your side and see if that doesn’t alleviate some of your sleep apnea symptoms tonight.
Normally sleep apnea is diagnosed after getting a physical exam, but it also helps to study your family’s medical history to see if it’s prevalent among your relatives. Your doctor may recommend a sleep study as well. When your doctor has this information, he passes it on to a specialist who can help you even more.
Sleeping pills are not the answer if sleep apnea is your problem. Sleeping pills can make it so your airways don’t function correctly. If your sleep apnea is bad, these can prove a real risk. No matter how bad you want a good night’s sleep, these are not the answer.
An excellent way to reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea is to prop up your head and body. If you can get your head at least 4 inches off of the mattress or elevate your torso from the waist up, you will reduce your symptoms. Try using a foam wedge or cervical pillow when sleeping to do this.
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.
Many people simply lay down whenever they feel about it, and then complain when they aren’t sleeping well. The human body is based off of routine, so it is greatly beneficial to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day. This can even help with snoring and apnea issues.
While sedatives and other sleep medications may help you fall asleep they are not so good when suffering from apnea. If possible, avoid taking any sleep aids to see if this improves your apnea problems. You just may find that something you thought was helping you to sleep was actually decreasing the quality of your sleep.
Oral appliances designed to encourage proper jaw position can help treat many sleep apnea cases. It is not uncommon for people to have jaw shapes that create a narrow airway. Corrective devices change the way the the jaw is aligned as you sleep, meaning more air is able to come in.
Alcohol has also been shown to negatively exacerbate the symptoms of sleep apnea. As a depressant it relaxes your throat muscles, making it easier for your airway to become blocked. By not drinking in the hours leading up to bedtime you give yourself a better chance of keeping your airways open.
Prop up your upper body while you sleep. If you have an adjustable bed, raise the head of the bed about four to six inches. If you have a standard bed, purchase a body or a special cervical pillow to keep your upper body raised while you are sleeping.
Quit smoking. Smoking any kind of tobacco inflames all of your airways, which can make it more difficult for you to breathe at night. If you cannot stop altogether, work on cutting down throughout the day, particularly in the evening before you go to sleep. This will help your nasal passages to open so sleep is easier.
One thing you can try if you suspect that you have sleep apnea is sleeping on your side instead of on your back. While this may not help if you are very overweight, it can reduce the effects of gravity on your airway. You can sew a pocket at the back of your PJ top and place a small ball in it, if need be, to keep yourself off your back.
Alcohol should be avoided, especially before going off to bed. Alcohol makes many sleep disorders worse, including apnea. Your central nervous system depresses, which could cause your sleep apnea to prevent you from breathing. This can be a fatal combination of conditions.
If you feel you have exhausted every treatment option for your sleep apnea, you may feel that surgery is the way to go. A surgeon can open up the airway and increase its size, which will reduce the frequency of any sleep apnea episodes. This is done by removing tonsils, excess tissue or the adenoids and should only be used as a last resort.
Add regular exercise into your routine. Exercise not only tires out the body, it helps relax your mind as well. With a normal exercise routine, you may find that a more normal sleep is possible. It may keep the sleep apnea symptoms from being as severe or even not appearing at all.
As previously stated, many people today suffer from sleep apnea. Being uninformed makes this serious condition even more harmful. Although, if you take the time to learn about the proper ways to deal with the condition, then perhaps you can fix the problems associated with sleep apnea.
