If you suffer from sleep apnea, you know that it is no joke. It is a hard affliction to live with, especially upon first diagnosis. Learning that your sleep is being interrupted at night can be hard to swallow. Fortunately, the article below describes some things that can help you deal with it.
Sleep apnea can be connected to your weight. If you are overweight, consider going on a diet to lose a few pounds. Studies have shown that overweight people who suffer from sleep apnea were able to improve their symptoms by losing about 25 pounds in a year: give it a try!
Consider doing a few very specific exercises before going to bed each night, to alleviate some of your sleep apnea symptoms. Exercising throat and tongue muscles has been proven in scientific studies to reduce snoring, improve breathing and lessen the more profound effects of sleep apnea when done according to doctor’s orders.
If you have just been diagnosed with sleep apnea and prescribed a CPAP, join a CPAP support group. It can be quite difficult to get used to sleeping with a mask on your face every night. Sitting in a room full of other people going through the same thing can be very empowering. You can learn from others who have had the same issues you are having and made adjustments to make it work.
Going to bed on your side can be something you can do to help you get better rest if you have sleep apnea. Your air passages are more likely to suffer obstruction when you sleep on your back. Try to fall asleep on one of your sides to see if that improves your sleep apnea this evening.
If you are a smoker and suffer from sleep apnea, quit, or at the very least, cut back dramatically. Smoking is dangerous for those who suffer from sleep apnea because it causes swelling to the airways, not to mention all the tar it leaves behind in your lungs and airways.
You can get some relief from your sleep apnea symptoms by doing tongue exercises. Try to press your tongue up against the roof of your mouth. Then, hold it there for about three minutes. This will make your throat stronger and prevent the muscles from relaxing too much during sleep and causing apnea.
If you suspect you have sleep apnea, ask your sleep partner to listen to your breathing while you sleep. See if they detect loud snoring as you get deeper into sleep. In addition, ask if they notice any periods when you appear to stop breathing for a time and then suddenly let out a loud snort and start breathing again. If you sleep alone, consider tape recording yourself to listen for these breathing abnormalities.
Don’t try to hide the fact that you use a CPAP machine to treat your sleep apnea. Inform people about it, and let them know that it is no big deal. Remember that the CPAP machine is necessary for your health, and those who love you will not think any differently of you because you need it.
While you may not be obese or even very overweight, even a couple of extra pounds can cause sleep apnea. That means even if you have a little belly, you should work to get rid of it and see if that removes your sleeping problems. You will thank yourself for it afterwards.
If you are suffering from sleep apnea, sleeping pills are definitely not your answer. Sleeping pills give you similar negative symptoms as alcohol would. These pills relax your airways too much and will worsen your symptoms. Not only will your symptoms worsen; you may experience other side effects as well. Lay off of sleeping pills for a good night’s rest.
One way to determine whether or not you may have sleep apnea is to have your partner report what they see, hear and feel during the night. While you might not notice yourself waking up, your partner may hear you snoring, tossing and turning, or gasping in the wee hours.
Put your bed on an angle. By slightly raising the head of your bed, you will keep your head higher than the rest of your body while you sleep and improve your sleep apnea symptoms. This can easily be done by placing bricks under the legs of the head of your bed. Ideally you’d like to raise the height no more than six inches.
Sleep on your side instead of your back. If you are trying to sleep on your side to improve your sleep apnea, but always find yourself waking up on your back, try this trick. Take a new tennis ball and securely attach it to the back of your pajamas. It will keep you from unintentionally rolling over onto your back while you’re sleeping.
Find ways to achieve a greater state of relaxation before bed, to fight the symptoms of sleep apnea. The more relaxed you are, the better chance you have of finding quality sleep so enjoy a hot soothing bath, quiet read or other activity that will ease you into sleep-mode and help stave off sleep apnea.
Avoid drinking anything with caffeine in it before bedtime if you suffer from sleep apnea. Caffeine can make way to restlessness and a horrible night’s sleep. Avoid all types of stimulants at least eight hours before going to sleep. Doing so will help relieve some of your sleep apnea symptoms.
If your doctor prescribes a CPAP machine for your sleep apnea, use it every night. Skipping a night occasionally probably won’t hurt you, but sleep apnea will return without the use of the machine. Allowing apnea episodes to continue will increase your risk of more serious health effects, so continuous use is recommended.
Now that you’ve read this entire article, you should have a better understanding of what can help your sleep apnea. Take what you’ve learned to heart, and apply it to your everyday life. You should notice a marked improvement in the amount of rest that you get. This will help you live a better life.