Do you sleep with a loved on who keeps you up with his snoring? Have you ever heard him stop breathing in the middle of the night? You may be dealing with something more serious than simple snoring – sleep apnea. Don’t fret, however, as this article has some great tips!
Stop your destructive ways. Two of the most common offenders are drinking and smoking. The muscle-relaxing effects of alcohol are very hard on the whole respiratory system and lead to significant breathing problems. Smoking inserts carcinogens into the lungs, which eventually damages them. Drop as many bad habits as you can as early as possible.
You must be careful not to use sedating medications if you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. Anything that sedates you will slow down your breathing, especially when you go to sleep. When you are sedated by medication, your throat muscles will relax and collapse more quickly as you sleep.
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.
Even children can suffer from sleep apnea. Children who are frequently tired or who have a poor attention span may have sleep issues. This swath of symptoms is not unlike ADHD, but you should have your doctor check out the possibility of sleep apnea to know for sure.
Exercise your throat. Make faces. Stick out your tongue. Rotate your jaw. It might feel a bit silly, but it can actually help people who suffer from sleep apnea. Doing these things exercises the muscles your body needs to moderate its breathing. Studies have shown that doing these exercises a few times a day can make a huge difference.
Sleep apnea sufferers should always invest in a heated humidifier equipped with a bacterial filtering mechanism for use in the room where they sleep. By utilizing this type of machine, it is possible to guard against the fragile membranes that line the lungs and nasal passages, preventing exacerbation of existing symptoms.
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.
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.
Spending time exercising your throat muscles may significantly increase the complications of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a direct result of a collapse of tissue that occurs towards the far throat’s back. When the muscles have strengthened, collapsing is less likely to occur, thus keeping your airways free.
When you get your sleep apnea diagnosis and the doctor gives you a CPAP machine, be determined to stick with CPAP therapy. It can be a real adjustment getting used to sleeping with a mask on your face every night. However, your life and health depend on it. So tell yourself this is not optional, and set your mind on making it work.
Now that you are better informed about the reality of sleep apnea, it is time to become proactive about it. If your loved on is the sufferer, the first thing to do is pass this article on to him or her. That way you can tackle the problems head on and together.
