Sleep apnea is a very harmful medical condition that affects people of any age. This article will give you advice about sleep apnea so that you no longer need to suffer needlessly.
Quitting smoking and drinking can relieve sleep apnea symptoms. Both of these habits have a negative effect on the muscles in your airway. Quitting these habits may help you avoid costly and invasive surgery in the future.
A reason for sleep apnea is due to excessive weight.
Get a mouth guard if your airways are the cause of your sleep at night. A sleep mouth guard opens your airway and facilitate nighttime breathing.
It is important to use your CPAP machine if instructed to by your doctor. You should use it for the full night, but if you cannot, try to get at least 4 hours with the machine. Going to bed with a CPAP machine humming away is certainly an adjustment that can be a challenge for some. For this CPAP therapy to work successfully, you will need four hours each day to use it. 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.
Do you smoke cigarettes or sometimes drink? These types of substances can really harm your airways. If you are having trouble quitting either of these habits, try to at least refrain from them in the hours directly before bed.
Speak with your physician about getting a mouth guard that can help you breathe better. You could have an overbite, recessed chin, or small jaw naturally that can worsen sleep apnea. You can get a custom-fitted device to keep your jaw and airway properly aligned.
Sleep apnea is no joke. Talk with your doctor immediately if you see any of the warning symptoms. A doctor can refer you to a sleep lab if the doctor believes you have sleep apnea, and you can then get on the road to recovery if you have it.
If you have a prescription for sleep apnea and you are prescribed a CPAP, try using it for around four hours each night. It can be hard for many patients to become accustomed to using the CPAP initially. If you are having difficulty adjusting to it at first, get at least four hours and try to add more time each night.
Many sufferers of sleep apnea also sleep looking straight up. Sleeping on your back can cause constriction of the tissues in your mouth and throat to block your airway. Sleeping on your side is a better option.If you usually sleep on your back, prop yourself on your side using pillows.
Sleep apnea sufferers often benefit from laying on their side during sleep. When we sleep on our backs, the nasal and throat passages are more prone to obstructing the air-ways. Try to fall asleep on one of your sides to see if that improves your sleep apnea this evening.
This inconspicuous piece of fabric can work wonders to hold your chin up when you are asleep and your mouth from gaping open. Try this out CPAP therapy for your mouth closed.
Sleep Apnea
Avoid sleeping pills if you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea. Sleeping pills can interfere with your throat muscles and with your airway. Sleeping pills can actually really harm you and prevent any air from coming through your body, so stay away from them as much as possible.
If nothing you are trying is improving your sleep apnea symptoms, you may want to take more serious measures. There are surgical procedures that have proven to be highly effective in severe sleep apnea cases, leading to the need for surgical intervention to enhance their airway.
Try a good nasal spray for an irritated nose. This product should help clear any blockages in the airways for a couple of nights. Avoid using nasal sprays over a long period of time; your nose. Visit a pharmacy to find a variety of ways of keeping your local pharmacist to learn which nasal sprays you sleep.
A great way to reduce the possibility of having sleep apnea is to lose weight. Sometimes, losing weight is all it takes to get rid of sleep apnea. Even a little weight loss can improve the symptoms of sleep apnea and cause the airways and throat to open up more.
Lower your risk factors for sleep apnea.Some factors (like genetic predisposition or being a man) are impossible to escape. However, you can limit many others, like being overweight, smoking or alcohol consumption.
Although you should visit your doctor to become diagnosed, you can try certain things yourself. Quitting smoking and losing weight are beneficial to anyone, but are even better for sleep apnea patients.You will definitely want to stay away from alcohol and caffeine, anything caffeinated and even heavier meals within the hours leading up to bed time.
Use a single, normal-sized pillow for sleeping. Having too many pillows, or one gigantic one, may interfere with good breathing posture. This makes you sleep in a way that makes it hard to breathe. Because of this you should only use one pillow for easier sleeping.
You shouldn’t be smoking if you are dealing with sleep apnea.The first month is often the hardest part.
Learn to play a wind instruments. This is not only a good way to expand your horizons, it will also help you excercise the muscles responsible for your breathing control.
Don’t feel any shame about necessary treatments for sleep apnea, including lugging around your CPAP device. You need not be self-conscious about your need to use a CPAP machine; be upfront about its medical necessity with friends, relatives, and room-mates. Remember that failure to use your CPAP could cause serious health problems. If people tease you for doing so, that’s more a reflection on them than you.
If the air you are taking in is moist and warm, you will breathe and sleep easier. Many of these machines now include humidifiers, so check with your doctor to see if that is a good option for you.
This will keep you roll over onto your back.
Inform your airline that you will have a CPAP machine if you intend on taking a long flight. Most airlines will be willing to make arrangements to have you seated where you will have enough room to use your machine. If you are flying to a foreign destination, bring along a power adapter.
Some situations of sleep apnea are able to be corrected using oral appliances. These devices realign the jaw in a way that braces do the teeth.
Sleep apnea is technically defined as lack of oxygen while sleeping. This is why it can get worse at high elevations. Avoid sleeping in higher elevations as much as possible.
Sleep apnea may make you feel anxious. Take a warm bath before bed to calm down and induce good sleep. A hot bath can help sooth your muscles to help you sleep better. By doing this, it will probably be easier to fall asleep, which will lead to a better night of sleep, rather than a night filled with constant interruptions from flare-ups of your sleep apnea.
As previously mentioned, sleep apnea affects many individuals. The biggest impediment in managing sleep apnea is lack of knowledge. Once you have the knowledge, you’ll be able to manage your condition with ease.