Getting The Rest You Need Despite Having Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea can be effectively treated but being diagnosed properly and educating yourself are the first steps. The first step you need to take to deal with your sleep problems is to learn all your can about sleep apnea. If you study the following tips you can learn a thing or two about living with sleep apnea.
Get a mouth guard to help you sleep at night. This will help you breathe better at night. Speak with your doctor to learn more, and get yourself fitted for a mouth guard if you think it will help.
If you have sleep apnea, consider learning how to play a wind instrument. Research done by specialists in Germany indicates you can train your muscles in the upper airway by playing the didgeridoo. These particular muscles impact your airway dilation and control how stiff your airway walls get. Because of this, playing it regularly can help you breathe better when you sleep.
If your physician has prescribed a CPAP machine, do try to sleep a minimum of four hours with it nightly. It is hard for many patients to become accustomed to using the CPAP. However, it needs to be used for four hours each night for it to be effective. Try two hours at first if you must. The next week you should increase that amount to 4 hours. In the end, you should never use it less than 4 hours per night on a permanent basis.
Refrain from consuming alcoholic beverages as much as possible, especially at bedtime. Alcohol has a relaxing effect on all your muscles. You may want to feel more relaxed, but it can exacerbate your apnea. Your muscles will relax and collapse, which will make you snore and possibly cough through the night. 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.
Even kids can suffer from sleep apnea. If you find your child is innatentive, always tired or uses their mouth to breath and not their nose, they may suffer from this condition. This swath of symptoms is not unlike ADHD, but you should have your doctor check out the possibility of sleep apnea to know for sure.
Swear off sleeping pills. The muscles in your airway may become too relaxed. If you have sleep apnea it can be life threatening to take sleeping pills.
Should you suffer from sleep apnea, keep a regular sleep schedule. Your condition is already messing with your regular sleep cycle every night. Any steps you take towards a regular sleeping schedule will help you get a better night’s sleep. You should go to bed at the same hour every single day.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, you should treat any sinus or allergy problems you may have. It will help you breath better in general, especially during your sleep. The last thing you need is something else interfering with your airways while sleeping. Addressing nasal problems ensures you a better chance at sleeping from dusk until dawn problem-free.
Stop snoring devices are often helpful in treating sleep apnea. Snoring is caused by mostly-closed airways, and apnea is fully-closed airways. If you can reduce the snoring, it is possible you can keep your airways open. If you have mild sleep apnea, an anti-snoring device may be enough to help with your condition.
You should ask your doctor what you can do about sleep apnea; however, there are areas that you can investigate for yourself. Everyone can benefit from getting thinner or quitting smoking, but this goes double for those suffering from sleep apnea. Stay away from large meals, caffeine, and alcohol if you have sleep apnea.
Quit smoking if you suffer from sleep apnea. This irritation causes narrow air passages that make breathing difficult. There are many effective ways to stop smoking. For most people, the toughest part is the first 30 days or so. Once you are past that point, your nicotine cravings lessen drastically.
Exercising your tongue can help with your sleep apnea. For three minutes, press your tongue up to the roof of your mouth. This will strengthen your throat and tongue muscles and reduce the chances of them relaxing while you sleep and blocking your airways.
If you are a sleep apnea sufferer, it is best to avoid drinking alcohol. Consuming alcohol results in throat relaxation that is more than normal. Snoring and obstructed air passages both result. So stop drinking because this will only be a detriment to your sleep. If you do this, your quality of sleep should improve.
The way you sleep can play a big role in the amount of sleep apnea episodes you suffer from. Having a proper sleep position is necessary. Use a foam wedge to raise the top part of your body higher. Or, if your bed is adjustable, raise it about four inches at one end.
When going on long trips, inform the airline that you need to take your CPAP machine if you use one. Many airlines are accommodating and will seat you in an area that has enough space where you can properly use the machine. If you are flying a foreign airline, remember to bring a universal power adapter.
Keep in mind that you won’t always notice your sleep apnea at night. Waking up gasping for air makes a lot of noise, but it may not wake you up completely. Even if you don’t find yourself bolting breathlessly awake at night, you may have sleep apnea.
If you have sleep apnea, take the advice of several scientific studies and try doing some throat exercises. Throat exercises build up the muscles around the airway, and can make them less likely to collapse. A good way to do this is to put your tongue up against your mouth’s roof, hold it there for three minutes, then release. Practice this technique at least once daily.
Sleep apnea patients are searching for the best ways to treat their condition. Knowledge is the single most powerful and broadly applicable weapon in the battle against this irritating and potentially debilitating condition. Use the information learned today as a guide to help you locate the best way to remedy this sleep apnea by finding a solution that works best for you.
