Some people assume their lack of sleep for extended periods of time is a normal occurrence. This is a serious fallacy that leads people to accept major health issues that need to be addressed. Many people suffer from sleep apnea, which is why it is crucial to learn everything about it.
Talk with your partner about your condition. They can often tell you how sever your problem is because they are kept awake by it. You can open up to them about your sleep apnea and how it is affecting you, and reassure them that such restless sleep should end soon.
Don’t use sleeping pills. You can severely worsen your symptoms with sleeping pills. Most sleeping pills are strong muscle relaxants; this can exacerbate the symptoms of sleep apnea and cause other respiratory problems. Instead of drinking alcohol or taking other drugs, try using melatonin to get to sleep easily.
Stick to one regular pillow for sleeping on at night. Puffy pillows, or using too many pillows, can put you in a position that interferes with your breathing. Pillows that lift your head can cramp the airways that you need to be open to be able to breathe properly as you sleep. For this reason, stick with just one pillow to alleviate your sleep apnea symptoms.
In an effort to get a restful night of sleep, sleep on your side if possible. When you sleep on your back, the airways get obstructed due to the throat and nasal passages being more prone to obstruction. Make it a habit of falling asleep on your side, which hopefully does alleviate some of these sleep apnea symptoms.
Try to sleep on a regular schedule if you have sleep apnea. Sleeping at weird hours of the day can worsen your sleep apnea. Any steps you take towards a regular sleeping schedule will help you get a better night’s sleep. The biggest parts are going to bed and getting up at the identical times each and every day.
If your sleep apnea is really bad, you should look into getting a CPAP machine. Use it by covering your airways with the included mask. The CPAP and mask are attached to one another, and the machine assists your respiration during your unconscious hours. This machine is very effective; it just takes some getting used to.
If you find that your CPAP machine is too drying, your physician can prescribe a humidifier for your mask. A humidifier will help keep the air moist for better breathing and to avoid chafing from the mask. Humidifiers are built into a lot of CPAP machines. Ask your doctor about prescribing you one.
The way you sleep can play a big role in the amount of sleep apnea episodes you suffer from. Sleeping on one’s side or stomach will go a long way toward making for easier breathing with sleep apnea. Elevate your body by placing a foam wedge under it. This will keep excess tissue and relaxed muscles from blocking your airways.
A good physical exam, and a look at your family history, can quite often easily determine sleep apnea’s presence. In addition, sleep studies could be performed. Afterwards, depending on the results, your doctor could refer a sleep specialist to you. A sleep specialist is a doctor who treats those with sleep problems.
Exercise and tone your throat and neck muscles to help with sleep apnea. Any activity that strengthens your throat muscles assists your airways in staying open during your sleeping hours. Stick your tongue in and out. Practice saying vowels over and over. Do at least one of these exercises once per day for three minutes at a time. Any of these give your throat muscles exercise.
You can really cut back on your sleep apnea by giving up alcohol and smoking. Snoring and apnea are common occurrences for those with these habits because they relax the muscles in the airway. Unlike those medical interventions or pricey surgeries, eliminating these habits can save you money.
While a condition like this does require the professional opinion of a doctor, there are many self-help remedies that work, too. Anyone can enjoy better health from quitting smoking and dropping some unwanted pounds, but anyone afflicted with sleep apnea can really benefit from these lifestyle changes. If it is within a few hours of bedtime, stay away from caffeine, alcohol or a heavy meal.
Now that you better understand sleep apnea, you can start the journey towards better sleep and better health. Do not let people try to convince you that being tired is OK, it is not and you should seek the advice of a doctor.