If you have sleep apnea, you need to know that you are not alone. Sleep apnea is fairly common and millions of people around the planet have it. If you have been wondering what a sleep apnea diagnosis means for your life, read on to learn what you need to know about it.
Try losing a few pounds, if you suffer from chronic sleep apnea. Controlled studies have proven that people with this sleep disturbance benefit greatly after losing 20 or more pounds. Symptoms may even diminish completely, so you now have yet another reason to get your weight down to a healthier number!
If you have sleep apnea, be sure to ask your doctor every five years if you should have a follow-up sleep study. As your weight and health change, your CPAP pressure may need to be adjusted. The most accurate way to reassess your needs is to have another sleep study with CPAP so the appropriate pressure can be determined.
Lose the extra weight. Research has shown that losing weight can dramatically improve your sleep apnea symptoms. Losing a few pounds can reduce the amount of pressure on your neck as you sleep, a primary cause of sleep apnea. Some people were even able to completely cure their apnea using this method.
Losing weight is a simple and proven effective method of decreasing your chances of suffering from sleep apnea. Many people have corrected their apnea by losing weight. Even just a small drop in your weight can contribute to a better night’s sleep, helping to clear the airways and your throat.
Make a sleep schedule and keep to it. By sleeping at regular intervals and times, your body gets used to a pattern and takes advantage of it. If you are not getting quality sleep on a regular basis, your sleep apnea may worsen. Make sure to go to bed at a similar time every day and try to sleep a fixed amount of hours.
If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, it is important to avoid drinking alcohol. Alcoholic beverages will relax the muscles in your throat, which makes it more likely that they will block your airway during your sleep. At the very least, avoid any alcoholic beverages in the evening before you get ready for bed.
A proven tip to reducing and preventing sleep apnea is to try sleeping on your side. You should avoid sleeping with your face up on your back. Gravity will cause the tongue and tissues in your neck fall back and block your airways. So sleep on your side for a better nights sleep.
Try to slim down. Sleep apnea is exacerbated and sometimes even caused by obesity. Try losing enough weight to shift your BMI from obese to just overweight or even healthy. People who have lost weight have improved their sleep apnea symptoms, and some have even cured their sleep apnea completely.
Curb drinking heavily if you have sleep apnea. Drinking exacerbates the airway constriction of sleep apnea by causing the muscles in your throat to relax. Do not drink or smoke before you lay down to sleep. This way, the alcohol will not disturb your sleep.
The first thing you should do if you discover you have sleep apnea is take a long look at your weight. If you are overweight that can be increasing the problem. That means you need to take some time to learn about weight loss and exercise. Not only will your sleep improve, but your whole life will.
Don’t drink alcohol, especially at night. The reason most people drink alcohol is to relax, but it also causes the muscles that control your airways to relax as well. When you go to sleep with ultra-relaxed airway muscles, it can make your sleep apnea symptoms worse. Do your body and your wallet a favor and cut out the booze.
There are different kinds of CPAP machines: CPAP refers to the machines that provide you with a continuous airflow while APAP machines adapt the air pressure to your needs. There are also Bilevel machines that provide a higher pressure when you breathe in and a lower when you breathe out. Try different machines and talk to your doctor to find out what is best.
Avoid alcohol before going to bed if you have sleep apnea. Your throat muscles over-relax when you drink which makes breathing harder. You do not have to stop drinking, just do not do it before you go to sleep.
Keep a humidifier in your room to keep your skin from getting to dry while using CPAP devices. A humidifier will increase the moisture in the room to keep your skin from getting too dry and irritated. You might also want to try an intensive lotion for dry skin.
One thing you can try if you suspect that you have sleep apnea is sleeping on your side instead of on your back. While this may not help if you are very overweight, it can reduce the effects of gravity on your airway. You can sew a pocket at the back of your PJ top and place a small ball in it, if need be, to keep yourself off your back.
Work with your personal health care provider in curing your sleep apnea. It is important that you get proper treatment for your sleep problems. Always keep your physician informed about your symptoms and any problems you are experiencing. They will be able to help you find the cure for your sleep apnea.
Consider the impact that eating has on the quality of sleep you get, if you are prone to sleep apnea. Big meals can make you tired way before bedtime, and prolonged occupation of the sofa will compromise the quality of sound sleep you may get later. Try a little physical activity after meals to avoid this.
Learning more about sleep apnea is important because knowledge can help put your mind at ease. Take the information you have learned in this article and talk to your doctor about it. He or she can then better help you more easily when you know more about this disorder yourself.