Understanding Sleep Apnea And Learning To Cope

Millions of people around the world wake up tired each morning despite eight hours sleep, and they simply chalk it up to growing older. The mistake in believing its simply age related can mean many more years of being unnecessarily tired, when the answer is sleep apnea. Read this article to see if you fit the sleep apnea profile.

You may be able to improve or eliminate your symptoms by quitting smoking and/or drinking. Both smoking and drinking promote relaxation of the airways causing sleep apnea and excessive snoring. Dropping bad habits can help you live your life comfortably again.

Consider doing a few very specific exercises before going to bed each night, to alleviate some of your sleep apnea symptoms. Exercising throat and tongue muscles has been proven in scientific studies to reduce snoring, improve breathing and lessen the more profound effects of sleep apnea when done according to doctors orders.

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.

If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea and prescribed a CPAP, work hard to get in the habit of using it every time you sleep. While it can be a struggle to get used to sleeping with a mask on your face, your health and your life depend on it. Work with your sleep center to get everything adjusted just right so that you can use CPAP therapy with a minimal amount of discomfort.

Sleep while on your side. Sleep apnea sufferers tend to sleep on their back. When you lay on your back during sleep, the tongue and soft palate shift to the back, which obstructs your airway. Sleep on your side to keep your airways straight. If you tend to lay on your back while sleeping, prop yourself on your side using pillows.

For the sleep apnea patient using CPAP treatment, the wide range of options in machines and masks can seem overwhelming. The key to selecting the best equipment for your needs is to test out the various models yourself. Your Durable Medical Equipment (DME) provider should have a variety of masks and accessories available for you to try out. Dont settle for the "standard" company mask. Insist on viewing several and being fitted properly. Comfort and good fit are key to successfully adjusting to CPAP treatment.

Exercise

Exercise your throat. Make faces. Stick out your tongue. Rotate your jaw. It might feel a bit silly, but it can actually help people who suffer from sleep apnea. Doing these things exercises the muscles your body needs to moderate its breathing. Studies have shown that doing these exercises a few times a day can make a huge difference.

Exercise your neck and throat. Sleep apnea is caused by your throat becoming obstructed as you sleep. By strengthening the muscles in your neck, throat, and jaw, you can help your muscles withstand the pressure. Spend a few minutes every day performing exercises designed for the jaw and neck area.

Learn to play a woodwind instrument. This will be not only fun, but it will also help strengthen your throat muscles. As you make these muscles stronger, you will see increased control and minimize apnea symptoms.

Taking the time to exercise your jaw and stick out your tongue may seem like childrens play. In a recent scientific study, people who performed jaw and tongue exercises daily were able to relieve some of their sleep apnea symptoms. It may not work for everyone, but could be worth a try for a good nights rest.

If any of the information shared here sounds like it fits your troubles, it is time to do something about it. There is no need to suffer month after month. There is a solution for you and its as close as speaking up and getting a diagnosis. You deserve a good nights rest!