Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder than can affect as many as five percent as adults, but often goes unrecognized. If you suffer from this condition, you will stop breathing for up to a minute while you sleep. This can cause snoring, fatigue, and other problems. Fortunately, there are effective treatments to help you find relief.
Try losing some weight. Getting into shape has many benefits. If you are on the heavier side and suffering from sleep apnea, you may find that slimming down helps with that as well. Studies have found that overweight and obese individuals are more likely to find relief from sleep apnea by getting themselves to a healthier weight.
If you are unsure whether or not you have sleep apnea, consider setting up an audio or video recorder next to your bed. When you review the recording, watch or listen for choking, gasping or other signs that you are not getting enough air as you sleep. Present your findings to your doctor if you suspect that you do have apnea.
Get a checkup regularly and act upon your doctor’s suggestions. Besides excess weight, you could be suffering from health issues such as heart disease and hypertension, which can greatly increase your chance of suffering from sleep apnea. Even problems with blood sugar can make sleeping a miserable experience for apnea sufferers.
Do throat and tongue exercises daily to reduce your apnea symptoms. The results of recent research suggest that jaw exercise, and tongue exercises can greatly reduce the presence of sleep apnea symptoms. Doing just a few of these exercises every day can help you get a good night of rest.
Avoid using sleeping pills and do not be tempted to consume alcohol before bedtime. Both sleeping pills and alcohol are sedatives, which can interfere with your breathing, as they cause your throat muscles to relax. You should also avoid other types of sedatives, including some prescription painkillers and many street drugs.
Sleep apnea events can be decreased by keeping regular sleep hours. Going to bed and getting up at approximately the same time every day will provide better and more relaxed sleep. This simple lifestyle change can be a big help when sleep apnea is in the mild to moderate range.
Tongue exercises are useful in reducing sleep apnea. Try pressing your tongue to the top of your mouth and holding it there for a minimum of three minutes. Your tongue and throat muscles will become stronger by doing this, making it less likely that your airways are blocked as you sleep.
If you use a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP machine to treat your sleep apnea, sleep with it every night. When you take the mask off at night, your symptoms will return. Sometimes they might disappear for one or two nights, but then return. Wearing the mask every night prevents episodes of sleep apnea from occurring.
If you have a long flight scheduled, tell the airline that you will require your CPAP machine. Many airlines will help you find a seat in a location where you have the space to use your CPAP machine. You should always tote a power adapter when you are visiting a foreign country.
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.
If you are concerned that you may suffer from sleep apnea, it is important to be diagnosed right away. This way, you can start getting the treatment you need as quickly as possible. The advice you have read in this article can help you find the relief you need from this troublesome condition.
