Is sleep apnea keeping you up at night? This rather common condition affects many people and some people don’t even know they have it. There are some things you can do to make loving with condition a little more bearable. The following article will help you sleep better with sleep apnea.
Learn how to play a wind instrument. Studies have found that playing a wind instrument like the flute or the didgeridoo can help with sleep apnea. Wind instruments exercise your breathing and help your body get accustomed to taking in sufficient amounts of air. Your throat will be able to better control airway dilation.
If you decide to try a CPAP machine, do not give up until at least a few weeks. A lot of sleep apnea patients give up before they really get a chance to get used to their machine. Wait until you are comfortable with sleeping while wearing a mask and you should really notice a difference.
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.
Eating healthier foods can help you deal with sleep apnea. A lot of people would be surprised to learn that eating badly makes sleep apnea worse. Good nutrition can help many medical conditions, including sleep apnea.
People who do not have a partner sleeping with them may not know they suffer from sleep apnea. If you wake up with a dry or sore mouth, wake up out of breath, have morning headaches, insomnia, and/or go to the bathroom frequently during the night, you may have sleep apnea and should talk to a doctor.
If you do not know if your snoring is from sleep apnea or just simple snoring, try using a sleep diary. In this diary, you will need to record how much time you spend in bed, the number of times that you awaken each night, and how tired you feel when you arise in the morning.
Sleep apnea is not something that should be ignored, because it will not go away without treatment. A variety of underlying medical conditions can contribute to sleep apnea. Very often, losing weight has a profound effect on sleep apnea symptoms; however, some very thin people have sleep apnea. Some other options include CPAP machines or other devices. However, there are people who prefer surgery over apparatus. Whichever route you choose should provide treatment that makes you happy.
Exercise your tongue and minimize sleep apnea symptoms. The process is to simply press the tongue against the roof of the mouth and maintain this for at least three minutes. You will have less chance of your throat muscles relaxing and blocking your airway if you strengthen the muscles of your tongue and throat.
Even though you want to sleep better, do not take sleeping medication if you suffer from, or have a history of sleep apnea. What you may think will help will only make the condition worse by relaxing your muscles even more when you sleep. If you suffer from insomnia along with sleep apnea, speak with your doctor.
Many people simply lay down whenever they feel about it, and then complain when they aren’t sleeping well. The human body is based off of routine, so it is greatly beneficial to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day. This can even help with snoring and apnea issues.
Do not use a large pillow when you sleep. Propping your head with a pillow will cause your airways to become narrower. Use a thin pillow or try sleeping with your head on your arm if you can. This should help you keep your airways open and sleep more peacefully.
Do not give up if the first treatment you try does not work. Give each treatment a few weeks before you decide to give up and move on to the next treatment. Finding the right solution can take some time, but you will be glad you went through this process.
Shed the pounds that have been bugging you. Those same pounds that you cringe at when you look in the mirror may also be causing your sleep apnea. In fact, there is a rule of thumb out there that for every 10% of the weight you lose, your sleep apnea will improve by 30%.
Use a CPAP machine. You may not like the idea of sleeping in a machine, but many people who use a CPAP have found relief of their sleep apnea symptoms in a very short time. Such a machine may be uncomfortable at first, but if you stick with it, you will find a great deal of relief.
Surgery may be your answer. If you have tried the at-home treatments with no success, surgery may be required to cure your sleep apnea. If your apnea is caused by severe misalignment of your jaw, you may require surgery to correct your alignment, thus enlarging your airway and curing the sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea sufferers should do everything they can to stop smoking. Smoking cigarettes inflames and irritates nasal tissues, which can make breathing much, much more difficult. Ideally, everyone with sleep apnea should totally give up cigarettes. This is, however, extremely difficult. Smokers with sleep apnea who can’t quit totally, should at least try to avoid smoking in the hours immediately before bedtime.
Find out as much as you can about your sleep apnea. You may know your symptoms and know what the doctor suggests, but do what you can to find out about your health condition. This way, you can be more confident that you are doing what you can to help yourself.
You do not have to look at sleep apnea as something that will ruin your life or your sleep. There are several things that you can do to make sleeping at night a more pleasurable experience. Use the tips in this article to help you deal with this common condition.
