Hearing the news that you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea can scare even the most strong-willed of people. Millions of people around the world have it, though, so it isn’t uncommon. Sleep apnea can be treated easily in a number of ways. Read more to find some great advice on dealing with sleep apnea.
Think about changing a few of your habits to help with your sleep apnea. As with many other health problems, alcohol and tobacco will worsen sleep apnea. When you drink, your respiratory system is depressed and breathing becomes difficult. Smoking damages your lungs over time. If you can give up these bad habits, you’ll see a significant reduction in your sleep apnea symptoms.
Do you regularly smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol? Eliminate these unhealthy habits. These types of substances restrict your airways. Smoking swells up your airways while alcohol relaxes them. Both of these things can result in sleep apnea. If you can’t quit, at least don’t drink or smoke right before going to bed.
To help with your sleep apnea, you need to consult with your doctor about the best CPAP machine to use. These machines might be loud, but they can help you get through the night. Don’t worry too much about the sound as there are many types of very quiet machines that will not disrupt sleep. A medical professional will be the most knowledgeable guide to the different CPAP machines available.
Look into corrective mouth pieces to help with your sleep apnea. You may have a naturally narrow breathing passage, small jaw or recessed chin that can amplify the effects of sleep apnea. You can overcome these difficulties and experience much more restful sleep by using a custom-fitted device to keep your jaw and airway properly aligned.
Consult with your physician about corrective devices to address your sleep apnea. You might have a narrow breathing passage, recessed chin, or small jaw naturally that can worsen sleep apnea. There are special devices which will align your jaw properly while also putting you in the best position while asleep, this results in you getting more rest.
If you are overweight, lose some weight. Sleep apnea and obesity are often tied together. Therefore, if you are obese, a loss of just 25 pounds can cause a major improvement in your apnea symptoms.
You must use your CPAP at least 4 hours nightly after receiving your unit. It is hard for many patients to become accustomed to using the CPAP. However, you must use your CPAP a minimum of four hours for it to be effective. Using it for the minimum of four hours a day will allow yourself to slowly transition to full time use.
Sleep apnea afflicts children too. If your child is inattentive, hyperactive, has poor grades, is irritable or hostile, and/or breathes through their mouth instead of their nose, they could be suffering from sleep apnea. Since these symptoms mimic ADHD, it’s important to have your child seen by a physician.
Refrain from consuming alcoholic beverages as much as possible, especially at bedtime. Consuming alcohol causes your muscles to relax too much. This might be something you want to do but it can also exacerbate your sleep apnea. If you must drink, keep it to just a few, and stop drinking well before bedtime. This will keep your throat muscles from relaxing excessively. If you are a person who needs a drink sometimes, then aim to not drink it very frequently. Definitely do not drink any immediately before hitting the sheets at night.
When you have sleep apnea you can find out about it from tests your doctor will run. Sleep studies may also be done, and depending on what your primary doctor finds after all these measures, he may refer you to a sleep specialist, which is a type of doctor that diagnoses and treats people exhibiting sleep problems.
Even children can suffer from sleep apnea. IF you have a child with sleep apnea you can tell through poor grades, irritability, or hostility. The symptoms often resemble those of ADHD, but you must consult with your doctor to know for sure.
Reduce sleep apnea by shedding excess weight. Symptoms of sleep apnea are completely resolved by many once they drop a few pounds. Even a little weight loss can improve the symptoms of sleep apnea and cause the airways and throat to open up more.
Attempt side sleeping. Many people who have sleep apnea also sleep looking straight up. Your airways become blocked when you sleep on your back. Breathing is much simpler when you sleep on one of your sides. If you have a hard time sleeping on your back all night, you can try to prop pillows around yourself to prevent you from sleeping on your back.
If your nose is bothering you, use a nasal spray. This type of product can ease occasional congestion or dryness. Avoid using this product for more than a few days because it may irritate the delicate tissues in your nose. Always speak with your pharmacist to make sure you choose the product that is right for you.
Bring your medical ID every you travel with your CPAP device. If you need attention from paramedics or have to go to a hospital, your caregivers need to know that you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea and require a CPAP. This ID needs to specify you suffer from sleep apnea and have a CPAP that needs to be set on a certain pressure level.
Sleep apnea is not something that should be ignored, because it will not go away without treatment. Cases differ from patient to patient, and the same treatment will not be effective in every case. Getting to a lower weight can cut back on symptoms in a lot of sufferers, but even slender folks can be afflicted. One of the most common treatments for sleep apnea are CPAP machines, which force air into the lungs while you sleep. Other people might just want to opt for surgery. Many non-invasive treatments are available to decrease the symptoms of sleep apnea and improve your quality of life.
You should take your CPAP machine everywhere you will be spending the night. Do not leave it at home. A diagnosis of sleep apnea is serious and means that you cannot forgo the use of your CPAP for even a single night. Most CPAP machines come with a travel bag designed for just this purpose. Use it to bring your CPAP machine with you, no matter where you are sleeping.
If sleep apnea afflicts you, don’t drink too much. When drinking alcohol it causes the muscles in your throat to relax, which results in snoring and blocked airways. Do not drink or smoke before you lay down to sleep. If you do this, your quality of sleep should improve.
Use only one, regular-sized pillow to sleep at night. Having too many pillows, or one gigantic one, may interfere with good breathing posture. This causes you to lie in a way where breathing is more difficult. That’s why using one pillow may be the answer to your sleep apnea problem.
If you currently are using a CPAP machine for sleeping, ask your general practitioner to prescribe a humidifier that is heated as well. A humidifier will help keep the air moist for better breathing and to avoid chafing from the mask. Many CPAP machines come with built-in humidifiers now, so see if your doctor can prescribe one of those for you.
Use a device that is aimed at helping you with snoring. Snoring happens when the airways are mostly closed but air can come though, and apnea is when the airways are completely closed. One of these devices, therefore, targets both of these situations. If you have mild sleep apnea, an anti-snoring device may be enough to help with your condition.
Try to sleep on your side instead of your back to relieve sleep apnea. To keep yourself from rolling over onto your back when you are asleep, you can sew a lumpy object, such as a ball, onto your pajamas. This will make back sleeping very uncomfortable.
You can get some relief from your sleep apnea symptoms by doing tongue exercises. For three minutes, press your tongue up to the roof of your mouth. This will make your throat stronger and prevent the muscles from relaxing too much during sleep and causing apnea.
If you’re taking a long trip, talk to the airline about using your CPAP. Most airlines will be willing to make arrangements to have you seated where you will have enough room to use your machine. Don’t forget your power adapter!
Getting your throat muscles stronger is a great way to have less of a problem with sleep apnea. When you sleep, your airway relaxes and collapses and you cannot get enough air through. If your muscles are stronger, their chances of collapsing and blocking your airways are minimized.
There are a number of solutions available, many of them relatively simple. Choose a time to go to bed every night and stick to that schedule. Be sure to set up your bedroom in a way that promotes restful sleep. If your room is not comfortable, you will have a hard time resting.
Playing a wind instrument can be helpful for sleep apnea. It exercises your throat muscles and strengthens your lungs while stimulating your mind and providing relaxation. When you’re using these instruments, you end up strengthening the muscles which can aid you while sleeping, minimizing the sleep apnea symptoms.
Anyone who has sleep apnea should avoid laying on their back during sleep. Lying on your back when you sleep makes it easier for your airways to become blocked. Sleeping on your side is a much better option when you suffer from this affliction.
People who suffer from sleep apnea, or even snoring, should consider learning to play an instrument. This can significantly help you get through the night without bothering other people with your heavy snoring. You will be able to better control the air passages.
If you have sleep apnea, take the advice of several scientific studies and try doing some throat exercises. Your muscles become stronger with these exercise, making the airways less likely to collapse. One of the many examples is to press the whole tongue to the roof of your mouth, hold it for three minutes and then release. Perform this exercise once per day.
You aren’t always going to be aware of your sleep apnea. If you have experienced symptoms like exhaustion, sleepiness, or falling asleep when you drive, talk to your doctor. Even if you don’t find yourself bolting breathlessly awake at night, you may have sleep apnea.
Sometimes it is possible to treat sleep apnea using devices that attach to the mouth. It is not uncommon for people to have jaw shapes that create a narrow airway. A sleep mouth guard can change the position of these things while you sleep to help lessen sleep apnea symptoms.
There are some sleep apnea cases that you can cure with oral devices. A person’s anatomy may be such that they naturally have a narrow jaw and airway. Your jaw can be aligned with a corrective device because air can flow more easily.
Being that sleep apnea is an issue with your throat, is very important that you strengthen the throat muscles to help alleviate many of the sleep apnea symptoms. If you would like to know how to strengthen the throat muscles, then continue on and learn about some helpful exercises.
If you believe you’ve got sleep apnea, try seeing your doctor and getting a sleep test. A sleep test will let you know if you have the disorder, and if so, how severe your sleep apnea is. You and your doctor can then plan a course of action to treat your sleep apnea, whether it is mild, moderate or severe.
It can be scary to realize that you have sleep apnea for the first time. What’s great is that there is a lot you can do to deal with the disorder. This article’s advice can help you control sleep apnea’s symptoms. You will be able to live a better life even if you have sleep apnea.
