Sleep apnea can be a very harmful medical problem that affects people of any age. There are entirely too many sufferers out there who are unclear on (or entirely ignorant of) the potential treatments available to them. Read on to learn how to get your sleep apnea under control and get the rest you need.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, it is vital to avoid consuming alcohol before bedtime. Alcohol acts as a sedative, therefore, it will naturally slow down your breathing. In addition, it will relax all the muscles in your body, including those in your throat that help to keep your airway open.
Did you know that sleep apnea is more than just snoring? Your breathing may actually stop, or it may become very shallow, and this could happen upwards of a hundred times or more each night. If you feel you may be suffering from this affliction, you should see a doctor and be properly diagnosed and discuss a treatment that works best for you.
If you feel tired every day, you may have sleep apnea. Some of the common signs of sleep apnea include, chronic snoring, pauses in breathing, daytime sleepiness, and choking or gasping during sleep. If your partner notices that you have these symptoms while you are sleeping, you should go to a doctor for an assessment of your condition.
If your sleep apnea requires the use of a CPAP machine, make certain that a medical ID is always with you. If you need medical attention, it’s vital that the people treating you know about your condition and that you use a CPAP machine. The identification should say that you suffer from apnea and that you need a CPAP set at a particular pressure level.
If you are a smoker and suffer from sleep apnea, quit, or at the very least, cut back dramatically. Smoking is dangerous for those who suffer from sleep apnea because it causes swelling to the airways, not to mention all the tar it leaves behind in your lungs and airways.
Treat your allergies or other sinus problems when dealing with sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is already robbing you of your ability to breathe well during your sleep. You should not have to deal with something else harming your ability to breathe while you’re asleep. Keeping your airway free and clear by treating your nasal problems gives you a much better chance of sleeping through the night without problems.
Just use one pillow when you sleep at night. An over-sized pillow, or a pile of multiple pillows, can alter your sleep position with negative impacts on your ability to breathe freely. This may result in breathing difficulties, because you end up in odd positions. That’s why using one pillow may be the answer to your sleep apnea problem.
Do not lay on your back to sleep if you have a sleep apnea condition. Most people who have sleep apnea are back sleepers, which means that their airways constrict easier. Use pillows to prop you up and keep you sleeping on your side for the best results.
One great tip for people who sleep with an apnea sufferer is to use a white-noise machine. While this won’t target the problem at all, it does at least help the partner to get a good night’s sleep. Remember to use the same sound every night in order to sync the noise with relaxation.
If you use a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP machine to treat your sleep apnea, sleep with it every night. When you take the mask off at night, your symptoms will return. Sometimes they might disappear for one or two nights, but then return. Wearing the mask every night prevents episodes of sleep apnea from occurring.
Don’t drink alcohol, especially at night. The reason most people drink alcohol is to relax, but it also causes the muscles that control your airways to relax as well. When you go to sleep with ultra-relaxed airway muscles, it can make your sleep apnea symptoms worse. Do your body and your wallet a favor and cut out the booze.
Having sleep apnea puts you at risk for developing diabetes. When you go into sleep apnea, the body is deprived of oxygen and must produce more adrenalin to compensate, which causes sugar levels to rise. If you already have diabetes, check your sugar levels at night. If you do not have diabetes, make sure you adopt a healthy diet to prevent this condition from developing.
If you suffer from sleep apnea now might be the time to see the doctor. There are a multitude of prescription medications available that can help you rest more fully throughout the night. amongst these medications are Lunesta, Ambien, and Rozerem, to name a few. Each of these will help you get a full 8 hours of restful sleep.
Don’t take sleeping pills. You may feel like the answer to your sleep problems would be a pill to help you sleep, but it’s not! Sedatives and other sleep aids cause your muscles, including your throat muscles, to relax. Relaxed throat muscles are even harder to control while sleeping and are a danger to those who suffer from sleep apnea.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, it is important that you maintain a healthy body weight. Being overweight significantly worsens sleep apnea and losing just a few excess pounds can go a long way towards dramatically improving your ability to breathe properly while you sleep. Following a healthy diet and exercise plan is one of the best ways to deal with sleep apnea.
The technical definition of sleep apnea is not having enough oxygen while you are sleeping. Therefore, it makes sense to prevent sleeping at high elevations. The higher you are, the less oxygen there is which is bad. If you can sleep at a lower elevation, you should do it.
As you read in the beginning of this article, many people today suffer with sleep apnea. Without properly educating yourself about sleep apnea, you won’t know how to fix this condition. But, with the right advice, you can find treatments that work for you.
