If you have sleep apnea you understand that it can hurt your health. In order to be healthy you have to get enough sleep every night. Luckily, you can do something about it. Keep reading to learn how to better handle sleep apnea.
Avoid contact with cigarette smoke and consumption of alcohol if you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. Smoking and drinking can inflame your airways and make them swell. Drinking potentially causes extreme breathing issues because it reduces the ability of your respiratory system to function. Cigarettes can hurt your lungs, possibly even causing lung cancer. Letting these habits go can reduce your symptoms and make sleeping easier.
Depending on the condition that is causing your sleep apnea, you may be able to find a simple tool to improve your sleep. Narrow airways can be opened, jaws can be properly aligned and nasal passages can be opened up to allow more air into the lungs. Consult with a doctor or get a mouth guard made if you are suffering.
Ask your doctor for a mouth piece to help alleviate your apnea issues. If you have a narrow airway, recessed chin or small jaw, it is likely you have amplified sleep apnea effects. You can overcome these difficulties and experience much more restful sleep by using a custom-fitted device to keep your jaw and airway properly aligned.
Sleep Apnea
Even children can suffer from sleep apnea. Signs of sleep apnea in kids includes hyperactivity, hostility and breathing through their mouth. A lot of times these symptoms look like the symptoms of someone suffering with ADHD, but you should consult with your doctor who can evaluate all the symptoms.
Try to sleep on your side instead of your back to breathe easier when you sleep. Our airways can get obstructed if we sleep while on our backs. Make a conscious effort to fall asleep on your side, and that will probably reduce some of the symptoms caused by your sleep apnea.
A doctor looks at both your medical history and family history when diagnosing sleep apnea. Your doctor may recommend a sleep study as well. When your doctor has this information, he passes it on to a specialist who can help you even more.
If you do not have a partner to let you know how you sleep at night, it can be difficult to assess if you have sleep apnea. You can consider recording your sleep patterns with a camcorder. Your video needs to have audio as well because the doctors will want to hear any noises you make.
Maintain a regular sleeping schedule if you suffer from sleep apnea. Your sleep condition already disrupts your sleep cycle nightly. Using simple sleep hygiene techniques like this one will help you avoid health problems and falling asleep during the day. Start with going to bed at a set time each night and waking up at a set time daily.
Chin Strap
If you are using a CPAP machine but having trouble keeping your mouth closed, you should consider using a chin strap. The chin strap is a fabric strap that supports your chin to keep your mouth shut. CPAP therapy will not work if your mouth is open, so try this simple device to see if it fixes the problem.
Now after reading the above information, you should be aware of some helpful solutions to deal with sleep apnea. Incorporate the tips in the above article to help yourself finally get the sleep you deserve. As soon as you begin to get a good night’s sleep, your entire life will change for the better.