Does your partner complain that you snore at night? Do you wake up feeling tired and irritable? If so, you may be suffering from sleep apnea. This means that while you sleep, you stop breathing for several seconds or even a minute. To find effective relief from this condition, the following article can help.
Strengthen your throat and jaw with some basic exercises. Developing these muscles should reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea. You can exercise your throat and jaw by simply pulling your tongue or practicing some very simple breathing exercises. The goal is to train you to breathe differently and hopefully make your sleep apnea disappear.
Are you a drinker or a smoker? Drop these unhealthy habits. Smoking and drinking have negative effects on your airways. Alcohol use will lead to over-relaxation of your airways, making sleep apnea symptoms worse, while smoking can have a similar effect by constricting them. If you are unable to completely eliminate these habits, try to at least refrain from them in the hours directly before bed.
Do throat and tongue exercises daily to reduce your apnea symptoms. The results of recent research suggest that jaw exercise, and tongue exercises can greatly reduce the presence of sleep apnea symptoms. Doing just a few of these exercises every day can help you get a good night of rest.
Going to sleep on your side may be beneficial. Some sleep apnea patients lay on their backs. Your airway can get blocked if you sleep on your back. Sleeping sideways facilitates breathing. If you move around at night and tend to always wind up on your back, try propping yourself up with pillows.
Establish a sleep routine if you are a sleep apnea sufferer. Your condition is already messing with your regular sleep cycle every night. This is why it is important to maintain a consistent sleep pattern, which will eliminate sleepiness in the day. The best thing you can do is to be sure you’re going to sleep and getting up every day during the same time.
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 a CPAP machine, you should always have it with you. Using a different machine might not work as well since the settings or the mask might be different. If you have to go to the hospital, have someone bring your machine so you can keep on using it.
If you have sleep apnea and have been using your current CPAP machine for five years or more, see if it is time to get it replaced. CPAP technology is rapidly changing all the time. Many insurance policies allow for a new CPAP machine every five years. If yours does, consider upgrading to the newest CPAP so you can get the best treatment possible.
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.
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.
Without a doubt, one major contributor to the level of severity of sleep apnea is weight. If you find yourself to be a few pounds overweight it may be time to hit the gym. Studies have shown losing weight has drastically reduced, and sometimes altogether gotten rid of the symptoms of sleep apnea.
Talk to a doctor. When you have sleep apnea, you must be sure to see a physician. This is because only a doctor can tell you which treatments are right for you. If you wait, you may find yourself in dire straits as well as feeling confused. See a doctor right away so you can treat your condition.
Take any alcoholic beverages out of your diet. Any alcohol you consume can actually make your sleep disorder worse. This is also true for many different medications, like pain medications, narcotics and even anti-anxiety prescriptions. If you are suffering from sleep apnea and taking certain medications, talk with your doctor about potential side effects.
Make some drastic lifestyle changes if you must, in order to cure your sleep apnea. This means if you are smoking, drinking or taking sedatives, avoid doing so. If you don’t, this can worsen your sleep apnea symptoms. If you are addicted to smoking or drinking, consider getting help before being able to relieve your sleep symptoms.
For sleep apnea patients who are using CPAP therapy, cleaning your equipment is essential to avoiding bacteria buildup that can lead to sinus infections. Simply washing your mask every couple days in a soapy solution of mild dishwashing liquid (i.e. Ivory Clear) is enough to wash away any harmful residue. Alternatively, you can obtain treated wipes from your DME provider or online that can be used to wipe down your mask each morning after use. Disinfecting in a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water is recommended weekly.
When suffering from a problem like sleep apnea, you should always check out the basics of your life first. If you smoke, overeat, eat late at night, or ingest high quantities of caffeine, simply changing these life habits may be enough to improve your overall sleep situation without any surgeries.
Once you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, it is important to pursue an effective treatment plan right away. This way, you and your family can find relief from the problems this condition can cause. Once you have been treated, you will find yourself sleeping better at night and feeling more lively and energetic during the day.
