Any intrusion to your peaceful sleep can prove nightmarish, but the prospect of sleep apnea is particularly terrifying. The good news is that there are many simple ways that help you get a restful night’s sleep. This advice will help you sleep at night.
Drop your bad habits to relieve your sleep apnea. Drinking and smoking are a couple of the biggest concerns. Alcohol depresses your nervous system and makes it harder to breathe, particularly when you are asleep. Cigarette smoke is full of cancer-causing chemicals which are bad for your lungs. If you quit these habits you are likely to see an improvement in your sleeping difficulties.
Talk to your doctor about a CPAP device if your sleep apnea is severe. The noise level of a CPAP machine and its overall size are both points to take into consideration. Some machines can be quite small and be very quiet. A medical professional will be the most knowledgeable guide to the different CPAP machines available.
Do you partake in a drink or smoke? Take steps to eliminate these unhealthy habits. Both of these things affect your airway negatively and compound your sleep apnea problem. Your throat can swell thanks to smoking, and alcohol relaxes your palate and allows it to drop to the back of your throat, which restricts your airway while you sleep. If you’re not able to stop smoking and drinking, at least don’t do them before you fall asleep.
Sleep Apnea
Speak with your doctor about treating your sleep apnea with a dental mouth piece. If you have a narrow airway, recessed chin or small jaw, it is likely you have amplified sleep apnea effects. A device made to assist you during sleep can provide you with enough air to flow through your body.
If you have sleep apnea and you’re overweight, try shedding those pounds. Studies have shown sleep apnea and obesity can be related. It also stands to reason that losing just a little weight can dramatically improve your condition and your health.
Losing weight through a good diet can fight sleep apnea. It’s surprising how much an unhealthy diet can affect sleep apnea. In past studies,it has been shown that those that eat improper foods have worse sleep apnea than those that eat healthy, but are overweight.
Cut back on your alcohol consumption. Alcohol causes your muscles to relax. This might be something you want to do but it can also exacerbate your sleep apnea. If you are sleeping and have been drinking too close to bedtime, this can be a dangerous combination while you are asleep. If you absolutely must drink, then do it in moderation and certainly not right when you’re about to go to sleep.
Sleep apnea is diagnosed through a medical exam and consideration of your and your family’s medical history. You might also undergo a sleep study. Dependent upon what your personal physician discovers, they might give you a referral to see a sleep specialist.
Sleeping by yourself can keep you from knowing if you have the symptoms of sleep apnea. One way to see for yourself is to train a camcorder on yourself as you sleep. Whatever video system you set up also need an audio component, since your physicians are going to need to hear the sounds you make.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, do not take pills. One of the effects of sleeping pills is that they constrict your throat, which only exacerbates sleep apnea. Sleep medicines can cause more problems and can even be dangerous for people with apnea.
Bring your CPAP along with you if you’re going to the hospital. It’s important to have your familiar mask and machine available in the hospital, whether you’re there for a planned visit or an unplanned emergency. You’re already comfortable with the mask you’re using, and your machine provides exactly the pressure setting you need. This will facilitate your CPAP therapy during your hospital stay.
If you are not getting relief from your sleep apnea treatment methods, consult your physician for more serious options. Some people don’t have any luck with conventional treatments, and usually opt for surgeries like a tonsillectomy, adenoid removal or airway enlargement as their last resort.
Stick with a single ordinary pillow when you go to sleep. Over-sized pillows may lead to you sleeping in an unhealthy position. Not only is this bad for your neck in general, it also restricts your airway. Because of this, you should really just have one good pillow to help with symptoms of sleep apnea.
Try to prevent snoring with an over-the-counter device. When the airway is closed but still allows a little air through, that’s when snoring is most probable; in sleep apnea, the airways are almost fully closed. A device that can eliminate snoring can also relieve sleep apnea. Your sleep apnea can be curtailed some with the use of an anti-snoring aid.
If a person has sleep apnea and is overweight, they can often reduce their symptoms by losing some weight. Sometimes, sleep apnea is due to the excess weight around the neck area. A person with sleep apnea can breathe a lot easier without all that extra weight on them.
Energy for getting by in the day and achieving your goals is necessary in this day and age. Stop letting sleep apnea get to you, figure out how to help yourself by looking through this article.
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