Sleep apnea is a disorder that can rob you of many peaceful nights. Not getting enough rest each night is not only annoying, it’s unhealthy too. If you suffer from sleep apnea, you need to get it under control. The following article is a compilation of tips that can help you do just that.
If you are dealing with sleep apnea and you’re a smoker and drinker, you should quit now to help improve the symptoms of this condition. Both of these habits are bad for the muscles in your air passage and can worsen apnea. If you avoid these things, it may help your sleep apnea.
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.
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.
Children can also suffer from sleep apnea. Children who breathe through their mouth rather than their nose can suffer from sleep apnea. Other symptoms can include hyperactivity, poor grades, irritability or hostility. Often these symptoms are similar to ADHD, but you need to talk to a physician and consider sleep apnea as a cause as well.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, avoid sleeping pills. Sleeping pills relax your palate and the muscles in your throat, which causes you to have even more trouble breathing while you sleep. Sleep medicines can cause more problems and can even be dangerous for people with apnea.
If you’re a sleep apnea sufferer and your mouth always opens as you sleep because of your CPAP, you may want to wear a chin strap. It’s simply fabric that keeps your chin up and mouth closed. If you keep your mouth open your CPAP will not work.
Be sure to take your CPAP with you if you have sleep apnea and have to visit the hospital. Whether the stay is for a planned surgery or sudden emergency, make sure you have access to your CPAP for the duration of your stay. You have already set the pressure to the appropriate level, and you are accustomed to the mask that you have been using nightly. Staying in a hospital is tough enough, and you might as well bring your own machine along to help ease the visit as much as you can.
If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, it is important to avoid drinking alcohol. Alcoholic beverages will relax the muscles in your throat, which makes it more likely that they will block your airway during your sleep. At the very least, avoid any alcoholic beverages in the evening before you get ready for bed.
A proven tip to reducing and preventing sleep apnea is to try sleeping on your side. You should avoid sleeping with your face up on your back. Gravity will cause the tongue and tissues in your neck fall back and block your airways. So sleep on your side for a better nights sleep.
As you can now see, there are ways that you can get your sleep apnea under control. Apply what you’ve just learned, and start getting the rest you need. You will not only be healthier, you’ll be happier too. Once you start getting adequate rest, you will be in control of your life.
