No matter who you are or what you go through in a day, you need a restful night’s sleep to function properly! Sleep apnea can cause such continuous interruption of sleep that life becomes impossible. Consider the following tips that can help you get control of your sleep apnea and get a better night’s sleep.
Stop your destructive ways. Drinking and smoking are the biggest offenders. Alcohol can put you into a very deep sleep and depress your respiration. Smoking damages all parts of your airways. If you quit these habits you are likely to see an improvement in your sleeping difficulties.
Improve your sleep apnea by slimming down a bit. Recent research showed dramatic improvements in overweight men who shed 25 pounds over a period of one year to reduce sleep apnea symptoms. In some cases, the weight loss resulted in a cure of sleep apnea where no further treatment of the condition was necessary.
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.
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 sleeping sitting up if you have sleep apnea, and you do not have a CPAP available. Perhaps you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, but you have not had your CPAP prescribed yet. Maybe the power went out, and your CPAP will not work without electricity. Whenever you have to sleep without the benefit of CPAP therapy, sleeping sitting up will help to keep your airway from collapsing.
Lose the extra weight. Research has shown that losing weight can dramatically improve your sleep apnea symptoms. Losing a few pounds can reduce the amount of pressure on your neck as you sleep, a primary cause of sleep apnea. Some people were even able to completely cure their apnea using this method.
Try something other than sleeping pills. Relaxed throat muscles (caused by alcohol consumption as well as sleep medication) can contribute to an increase in sleep apnea. There can also cause other problems if you are dealing with sleep apnea. Consult with your doctor about what you should take besides sleeping pills.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, have a regular bedtime. Sleep apnea already disrupts your rest more than it should. Any steps you take to improve your overall sleep habits will help deal with the symptoms of your condition and minimize the impact it has. The best thing you can do is fall asleep around the same time each night and wake up around the same time each day.
Try to avoid sleeping at high altitudes. High altitudes can worsen sleep apnea. The air in high altitudes is much thinner and, consequently, more difficult to breathe. Sleep apnea is already causing your body to take in less oxygen at night. A high altitude environment can only exacerbate your condition.
Quality sleep is important to your health and ability to accomplish nearly everything you’ve got going in life. Hopefully this article has provided you with some very useful information you can put to good use, beginning tonight. Take charge of your life by getting control over sleep apnea and putting it to bed, once and for all.
