If sleeping each night is causing you issues, you may have sleep apnea. Lots of people suffer from sleep apnea. It can sometimes be a difficult condition to live with. Certain treatments and lifestyle changes can, fortunately, reduce the impact of sleep apnea. The following advice will assist you in dealing with sleep apnea.
For people who are using a CPAP machine, you need to take notes to give to your doctor. If you experience any symptoms, like snoring, that were eliminated when you started using the CPAP machine and they come back, you need to let your doctor know. Only your doctor can properly assess any problems.
Avoid drinking alcohol very often. Drinking alcohol relaxes the muscles of your throat and airway. Drinking alcohol will make it hard for you to get through the night if you have sleep apnea. Because alcohol relaxes your throat muscles, your airway is harder to control. If you do drink alcohol, avoid drinking it 3 hours before bedtime.
For the sleep apnea patient using CPAP treatment, the wide range of options in machines and masks can seem overwhelming. The key to selecting the best equipment for your needs is to test out the various models yourself. Your Durable Medical Equipment (DME) provider should have a variety of masks and accessories available for you to try out. Don’t settle for the “standard” company mask. Insist on viewing several and being fitted properly. Comfort and good fit are key to successfully adjusting to CPAP treatment.
Keeping a sleep ledger can help your doctor monitor your sleep apnea. You simply log the amount of hours you’re sleeping each night, and mentioning other symptoms too. If you sleep with another person, they’ll be able to help you keep track of snoring, interruptions in breathing, or jerking of your limbs. That helps the physician determine whether your symptoms are, in fact, sleep apnea.
Try using a device made to eliminate snoring. Snoring occurs when air passages are almost closed, while sleep apnea occurs when air passages are completely closed. A device that can eliminate snoring can also relieve sleep apnea. Anti-snoring devices help you reduce apnea as you sleep.
If you have sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine at night, consider using saline nasal spray. The continuous airflow being pushed through your nose every time you sleep can cause your sinuses to dry out. Keep them hydrated by using two pumps of saline nasal spray in each nostril morning and night.
Quit smoking. Not only is it a good idea to quit smoking for your health in general, but it will also help with your sleep apnea. Smoking affects your lungs and respiratory system, causing your airways to swell and exacerbating your sleep apnea. By quitting, you allow your airways to return to normal and as an added bonus, you’ll also save a ton of money!
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 drowsy, listen to your body. If you are not getting enough sleep at night because of sleep apnea, you are more likely to feel drowsy during the day. This indicates that your treatments are not effective. So, when you are feeling drowsy on a regular basis, consider visiting your doctor to re-discuss your treatment options and your current apnea treatment plan.
Go to your doctor if you always feel sleepy and irritated. This might be caused by sleep apnea, even though your condition is not bad enough to wake you up in the middle of the night. A mild case of sleep apnea can cause you to sleep very lightly and not feel refreshed in the morning.
A majority of sleep apnea sufferers sleep on their backs. If you do this, you might want to start sleeping on your side, instead. Many studies indicate that if you sleep on your side, it will help with 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.
Make sure you exercise your throat and jaw muscles. Sometimes sleep apnea is just dependent on weak internal muscles you have, so take the time to learn a few exercises that can help you deal with your apnea. You can really benefit from a few exercises.
If you use a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure)device for your sleep apnea, make sure you know how to put it on correctly. Make sure the straps are tightened just right and make sure the device is sealing over your air passageways. The device’s fit is important to its operation.
Communicate with your significant other who may be sharing the bed with you. Sleep apnea is a serious condition that has many health risks. It’s important that you, as a family, are aware of those risks, how to combat it and tell-tale signs of side effects that can be harmful.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, remember that there are no overnight miracles. It is important that your treat the underlying causes of your sleep apnea symptoms. Find the treatment that works best for you and keep trying until you find the one that truly works. If one doesn’t work, keep moving on.
You can now hopefully see that you have options available to you for dealing with your sleep apnea. Try them one at a time until you find one that works best for you. You will get the sleep you need by using this advice. Sleep apnea is something that does not have to take over your daily life, as long as you do something about it.
