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!
Stopping bad habits may help with your sleep apnea. Smoking and drinking can inflame your airways and make them swell. Alcohol relaxes the muscles in the throat, which restricts the airway while a person sleeps. Over time, your lungs will be damaged as the result of smoking. When you stop doing these things, your sleep apnea symptoms should be reduced.
If your airway is naturally narrow, a mouth guard for sleep may help with your sleep apnea. A mouth guard opens your airway and facilitate nighttime breathing. Talk to your physician about a mouth guard you can wear during sleep to help you control your condition.
Some people have problems using the CPAP machine to deal with their sleep apnea. The best advice is to stick with it. It is not a cure, but it does treat your sleep apnea. If you stop using it, you still have sleep apnea, so you need to keep using the machine regularly.
Try your best to lay off tobacco and nicotine products. Cigarette smoke can irritate your upper airway causing it to swell up, subsequently hindering your ability to breath during the night. Quitting smoking could therefore, significantly improve your sleep apnea symptoms and will also improve your body’s overall health and your feelings of well-being.
If you have sleep apnea and cannot break the habit of sleeping on your back, try sleeping in a t-shirt with two tennis balls sewn into the back. Making this sleep shirt is a simple project to do at home, and it can help to break you of sleeping on your back. Every time you try to roll over on your back in your sleep, the tennis balls will remind you to roll back onto your side.
Consider elevating the head of your bed if you suffer from sleep apnea. As you sleep, gravity is constantly pulling on your muscles and causing your airway to close. If you elevate the head of your bed a bit, the slight incline makes it easier for your body to maintain your airway when you are sleeping.
Doctors often recommend that sleep apnea patients consider treatment with a CPAP – Continuous Positive Airway Protection – mask and machine. The machine sends air through a hose to a mask covering your nose. The purpose is to help keep your airway open so you are breathing normally as you sleep. While the machine may initially seem a little foreign and uncomfortable, a great many patients adapt quickly and find they are getting much more restful sleep as a result.
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.
