Sleep apnea has long disrupted the lives of untold number of sufferers as well as their loved ones. To stand a good chance of effectively manage this difficult condition, solid knowledge and understanding of its causes is necessary. Apply the information in this piece, and you will possess the information needed to mitigate the impact sleep apnea has on your life.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, you should use a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine while sleeping. This will help you treat your sleep apnea and get you on the path to having a full nights sleep. This machine uses either a face or nasal mask to pump air while you sleep.
If you have sleep apnea, try sleeping on your side. If you are a back or stomach sleeper, gravity is working against you all night. Your airway is much more likely to collapse if you are facing straight up or down. Sleeping on your side instead makes it much easier for your body to maintain your airway as you sleep.
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.
Try some throat and mouth exercises. One reason people suffer from sleep apnea is because their throats close when they sleep. Strengthening these muscles can decrease the chance that they will go slack while you are sleeping. Try some tongue, jaw and neck exercises to increase your throat strength.
Get a mouth guard made especially for sleep. If you have a recessed chin, overbite or a small jaw, they way your jaw sits while you sleep may be causing the breathing problems while you sleep by narrowing your airways. A mouth guard can correct this and help you sleep better.
If you have sleep apnea and were just prescribed a CPAP, keep trying different masks until you find the one that fits you just right. Some masks may not be the right size or shape for your face. If your CPAP mask is leaking air into your eyes all night or rubbing the skin on your forehead raw, ask your sleep center to prescribe a different mask for you.
You can get some relief from your sleep apnea symptoms by doing tongue exercises. Place your tongue on your mouth’s roof and keep it there for at least three minutes. This will make your throat stronger and prevent the muscles from relaxing too much during sleep and causing apnea.
If you want a way to reduce your chances of getting sleep apnea, strengthen your throat muscles. The labored breathing common in sleep apnea is usually caused when the soft tissues of the throat collapse and obstruct the airway. The stronger your muscles are the less chance they will block your airways.
If you have sleep apnea, and you have to have a sleep study, considering taking your pillow from home with you. It can be very difficult to sleep in the sleep lab. You are in an unfamiliar place in a strange bed. You have lots of wires, and electrodes attached to you. Having your own pillow can help to relax you and make it easier to fall asleep.
For those individuals that suffer from sleep apnea, sometimes the position that you sleep in can make a difference. Try sleeping on your side. Many times when people sleep on their backs, their tongues can block the airways making it harder to breath, and causing sleep apnea symptoms to appear.
Learning to play a wind instrument can be an effective control strategy for those who snore or have sleep apnea symptoms. It can be soothing, and it has been found that playing wind instruments calms sleep apnea symptoms. This new craft will help you keep control of your airways.
While it is common sense to avoid caffeine before sleeping, this is especially true for people who have problems with snoring or apnea. This is a simple thing to cut out, just remember that this includes soft drinks, coffee and even some types of coffee flavored foods. This will also help you sleep faster.
Relieve you sleep apnea symptoms by keeping your nasal passages clear. A good nasal spray can keep you breathing freely and lessen the occurrences of sleep apnea. Using a neti pot to clear sinuses before bedtime can keep you breathing freely all night long. Both nasal spray and neti pots are available at any drug store.
Getting fitted for a mouth guard may help reduce your sleep apnea if you have an overbite, a small size jaw or a recessed chin. The position of your jawbone can actually block your airways when you have these problems. Using a mouth guard will help correct this issue, and can reduce the symptoms that you are struggling with.
Make sure that you are getting enough sleep every night. When you are sleep deprived, you may notice that your sleep apnea is worse. You also want the room you are sleeping in set up so that you can get a good night sleep. It should be dark, quiet and you should feel comfortable and at peace while you are sleeping.
If you do not have a partner who can relay how your breathing is during the night, try recording yourself. Set up a camcorder and play it back in the morning. Then you can see if you stop breathing for long periods of time or snore excessively. Make sure you have enough light for the camera. Modern cameras will record well in low light, but you do need some.
Throughout history, sleep apnea has been one of the most frustrating, often dangerous conditions from which a person can suffer. Anyone wishing to alleviate their sleep apnea symptoms must first acquire complete comprehension of the condition’s causes and possible treatments. Keep the material from this article nearby, and you will have a useful reference to help you navigate the sea of potential solutions.