Millions of people around the world have trouble sleeping at night due to various sleep disorders. One of the most common is sleep apnea. This condition causes you to stop breathing during your sleep, causing snoring and excessive fatigue, as well as more dangerous side effects. This article can tell you what you should know about this condition.
If your narrow airways are causing sleep apnea, get a mouth guard designed for sleeping. Through the use of a mouth guard, airways will be kept open. If you think a mouth guard might help you out, consult a physician and ask her to fit you with one.
Your phsyician can help you get a mouth piece to help with your sleep apnea. You could be dealing with a narrow breathing airways, or a small jaw which can all make the problems of sleep apnea much worse. You can overcome these difficulties and experience much more restful sleep by using a custom-fitted device to keep your jaw and airway properly aligned.
Alleviate you sleep apnea by loosing weight. Many studies have demonstrated that sleep apnea can be significantly improved or even eliminated when patients slim down. You can go to the gym, join exercise classes or just get out and walk. Taking off the extra pounds will help you sleep more soundly.
If you are over weight, going on a diet can reduce your sleep apnea, or in rare cases, eliminate it completely. Maintaining a healthy weight can help you breathe easier, so losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight when you have trouble breathing is an obvious step in treating your sleep apnea.
If you are dealing with sleep apnea, you never want to take any sleeping pills. You will relax your throat muscles this way and you will not get as much from your sleep. Avoid them at all costs to prevent yourself from hurting your body any more.
Devices intended to prevent snoring may be of some use. Snoring can be a sign that a person has sleep apnea, and a doctor can tell the patient whether one of these oral devices will be of help to them. It makes sense to have a device that will help both. You could find yourself reducing your apnea with anti-snoring devices.
Do not take pain medications such as morphine. This medication can lower your oxygen level and make your symptoms even worst. If you take a high dose of morphine, your life could be in danger. If you go to the hospital and are given a pain medication, let the doctors know you have sleep apnea.
If you have difficulties sleeping because of your sleep apnea, you should avoid driving or operating dangerous machines. If you do not get a good night of sleep, take public transportation instead of driving to prevent accidents and do not take a job in a factory or on a construction site.
If you have sleep apnea, you shouldn’t smoke. Smoking aggravates air passages. Common ways to quit smoking include smoking cessation programs and nicotine replacement products, such as gums. It is the initial 30 days that are the most trying. Following that time, the nicotine will start leaving your body, and you’ll have decreased cravings.
It’s important to lose weight if you suffer from sleep apnea and you are overweight. The heavier you are, the harder it is for air to get down your throat. In fact, some studies suggest that obese people who suffer from sleep apnea can get rid of the condition by losing weight.
One great way to track your sleep progress, especially if you sleep alone, is by recording yourself in the night. The next day you can watch for signs of apnea and see if there are specific times or triggers that cause the apnea. This is a great resource for your medical professional as well.
At bedtime, elevate your head using pillows. This will allow your airways to remain open as you sleep, and will reduce sleep apnea. Just make sure that your neck and back are comfortable so that you are not causing any pain in these areas while you are trying to help your sleep apnea.
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.
While it is common sense to avoid some things before sleeping, like caffeine, many people load up their plates and then go to bed. This is not healthy in general and can worsen sleeping issues like apnea. Avoid eating any heavy meals before going to bed and you will find yourself sleeping better.
Be conscious of the fact that you may not even be aware of sleep apnea when you are in fact asleep. If you experience unexplained sleepiness, exhaustion, or falling asleep while driving, discuss these symptoms with your doctor. These symptoms may be indicative of sleep apnea, despite the fact that you don’t struggle to breathe at night.
Your nasal breathing may contribute to sleep apnea. If you have a stuffy nose, make sure that you help open your airways with a nose spray. Your local drugstore sells over the counter sprays that are great for this purpose, but feel free to ask a pharmacist for help choosing the right one.
Prop up your upper body while you sleep. If you have an adjustable bed, raise the head of the bed about four to six inches. If you have a standard bed, purchase a body or a special cervical pillow to keep your upper body raised while you are sleeping.
Knowing that you have a problem is the first step to finding a solution. If you snore, have trouble sleeping, or feel tired all the time, you may be suffering from sleep apnea. Talk to your doctor right away if you are concerned about these problems, and they can help you find the treatment you need.