Although specific requirements may vary, everybody needs a good night’s sleep! If you face the problems posed by sleep apnea, you know you’re not getting the quality sleep you need to face each day. Check out the following tips that may help you fight sleep apnea and finally get a decent 8 hours of sound and healthy sleep.
Strengthen your throat and jaw with some basic exercises. Developing these muscles should reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea. You can exercise your throat and jaw by simply pulling your tongue or practicing some very simple breathing exercises. The goal is to train you to breathe differently and hopefully make your sleep apnea disappear.
Get through sleep apnea by consulting with your practitioner about getting a CPAP machine. Factors such as the machine’s noise level and its size are important to consider. There are CPAP machine which are easily portable and produce little noise. Your doctor can help you pick a manufacturer for a good quality machine.
You can really cut back on your sleep apnea by giving up alcohol and smoking. Both of these habits are known to make your airway’s muscles relax. This will increase your snoring as well as other symptoms of sleep apnea. Quitting these habits may help you avoid costly and invasive surgery in the future.
Clear up your nasal passage before heading to bed. If you suffer from sleep apnea and have problems with a “stuffed up” nose, using a nasal spray or device can help clear your nasal airway. This is not a permanent solution, but one you can use when your apnea symptoms are the worst.
Being overweight is a common cause of sleep apnea. If you suffer from this condition, losing weight can help you find relief. Talk to your doctor to find some safe and effective ways of dropping a few pounds. Doing so will also benefit you in many other ways as well.
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.
Don’t give up on treatment for sleep apnea after one doesn’t work. There are a variety of treatments for your condition, so finding the right one is sometimes a process of trial and error. The number and severity of your symptoms influence what treatment is correct one for you. Giving multiple treatments a chance ensures you find the one that works the most effectively.
Be aware that sleep apnea is not something you will always know is occurring at night. If you have experienced symptoms like exhaustion, sleepiness, or falling asleep when you drive, talk to your doctor. These symptoms are classic signs of sleep apnea that should be investigated even if you haven’t experienced breathing issues while sleeping.
Talk to a doctor. When you have sleep apnea, you must be sure to see a physician. This is because only a doctor can tell you which treatments are right for you. If you wait, you may find yourself in dire straits as well as feeling confused. See a doctor right away so you can treat your condition.
Continue to consult your doctor even after your diagnosis for sleep apnea. This way you can talk to them about your progress. When trying out some new kind of treatment, it is best to seek the counsel of a doctor who can monitor the progress of your sleep apnea.
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.
If you have tried everything else and talked to a medical professional, then it is time to consider more permanent solutions for your apnea. There are some breathing devices that a medical professional can recommend for you. Although it may be annoying to lug the machine around, it is better than the alternative.
Be on the lookout for symptoms of sleep apnea that may occur during the daytime hours. Extreme drowsiness can occur at anytime when you suffer from sleep apnea. This can include spells of extreme sleepiness while you are driving a car. Do not ignore these symptoms as you can hurt not only yourself, but others as well.
If you are thinking about some kind of oral device to help with your sleep apnea, you must get it custom fitted by a dentist who specializes in sleep apnea. These devices can have side effects sucks as saliva build-up, soreness, nausea or a permanent position change in the jaw, so regular consultations with your dentist are required.
If you feel you have exhausted every treatment option for your sleep apnea, you may feel that surgery is the way to go. A surgeon can open up the airway and increase its size, which will reduce the frequency of any sleep apnea episodes. This is done by removing tonsils, excess tissue or the adenoids and should only be used as a last resort.
Nobody likes to be grumpy, but sleep deprivation will make you miserable. Take what steps you can to alleviate the symptoms of your sleep apnea, so that you can achieve a higher quality of sleep and start being a more productive and positive person during the day. You deserve it!