There are hundreds of people who suffer from an unknown ailment – unknown even to themselves. This ailment is called sleep apnea, and aside from damaging the quality of a night’s sleep, it also carries more severe health risks. This article offers tips on how to survive when you have sleep apnea.
If you are unsure whether or not you have sleep apnea, consider setting up an audio or video recorder next to your bed. When you review the recording, watch or listen for choking, gasping or other signs that you are not getting enough air as you sleep. Present your findings to your doctor if you suspect that you do have apnea.
Try your best to lay off tobacco and nicotine products. Cigarette smoke can irritate your upper airway causing it to swell up, subsequently hindering your ability to breath during the night. Quitting smoking could therefore, significantly improve your sleep apnea symptoms and will also improve your body’s overall health and your feelings of well-being.
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.
Try yourself to sleep on your side. If you fall asleep on your back, gravity can make it easier for your tongue and/or tonsils to fall back into your throat and obstruct your windpipe, causing apnea episodes. While it may be hard a first, as time passes, however, it will start to become second nature to sleep on your side.
Everyone who snores does not have sleep apnea. Conversely, everyone who has sleep apnea does not necessarily snore either. How do you know the difference? The biggest signs are how you feel during the course of a normal day. Snoring does not interfere with the sleep quality the same way that sleep apnea does. With snoring you are less likely to suffer from fatigue during the day.
Try to sleep on your sides to keep sleep apnea from ruining your sleep. Back sleeping promotes airway obstruction. Try to fall asleep on your side instead and use a pillow if needed. It may relieve some symptoms.
If you have tried a number of less drastic sleep apnea treatment options, you might want to consider discussing surgical treatment options for the condition with your primary care physician. Sleep apnea treatment surgery often involves increasing the diameter of your airway in an effort to reduce the number of apnea episodes that you experience.
On easy way to help limit your sleep apnea is to stick to regular sleeping hours. When you stick to a sleep schedule that is steady and consistent, you will be more relaxed and sleep much better. Apnea episode frequency will be greatly reduced if you can get plenty of sleep every night.
If you have sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine at night, consider using saline nasal spray. The continuous airflow being pushed through your nose every time you sleep can cause your sinuses to dry out. Keep them hydrated by using two pumps of saline nasal spray in each nostril morning and night.
Oftentimes a simple humidifier can help with the dryness and irritation caused by using a CPAP machine when treating your sleep apnea. With the constant airflow, many people suffer from dry skin and irritation from using the CPAP machine. A humidifier or special facial moisturizers can help to ease these symptoms.
Relieve you sleep apnea symptoms by keeping your nasal passages clear. A good nasal spray can keep you breathing freely and lessen the occurrences of sleep apnea. Using a neti pot to clear sinuses before bedtime can keep you breathing freely all night long. Both nasal spray and neti pots are available at any drug store.
Nasal strips may help lessen your symptoms of sleep apnea. These types of strips i.e. Breathe Right may be able to open your nasal passages. Remember that clogged nasal passages may not be your reason for sleep apnea problems, but these over-the-counter nasal strips may help you relieve or lessen symptoms.
Throat exercise will strengthen the muscles in the throat, keeping them from collapsing during the night. Try pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then hold it there for two or three minutes. You can also use a balloon. First take a deep breath through your nasal passages, then inflate the balloon as much as possible. Repeat this five times. These exercises will strengthen your airway muscles.
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.
Invite your significant other to come with you to your next doctor’s appointment. Not only will this educate your partner on sleep apnea, he or she can also inform your doctor about your condition through reporting on first hand experiences. Your partner can, better than you, describe the patterns that are occurring while you are sleeping.
Sleeping on your side instead of your back can help you with your sleep apnea by straightening out your breathing passageways. If it is hard for you to make the adjustment, try using a wedge pillow to keep you on your side. Furthermore, only use one pillow to prop your head.
By understanding and analyzing these tips, you are better prepared to deal with your own sleep apnea, or even that of a loved one. You can turn nighttime from a battle into bliss or from purgatory into peace. By ensuring a good night’s sleep, you will improve the quality of your entire life.
