Sleep apnea is a very serious condition and is much more than just snoring. Your breathing actually stops or is very shallow. Read on to see if you exhibit the signs of this serious affliction and learn what you can do to help you get a healthier night of sleep.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, you should use a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine while sleeping. This will help you treat your sleep apnea and get you on the path to having a full nights sleep. This machine uses either a face or nasal mask to pump air while you sleep.
Strengthen your throat and jaw with some basic exercises. Developing these muscles should reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea. You can exercise your throat and jaw by simply pulling your tongue or practicing some very simple breathing exercises. The goal is to train you to breathe differently and hopefully make your sleep apnea disappear.
You should know that getting a CPAP machine is not going to make your symptoms go away for good. These machines will help you sleep better and perhaps reduce your symptoms on the long term. Keep in mind that you really need to use your machine every night for this treatment to work.
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.
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.
Get a mouth guard made especially for sleep. If you have a recessed chin, overbite or a small jaw, they way your jaw sits while you sleep may be causing the breathing problems while you sleep by narrowing your airways. A mouth guard can correct this and help you sleep better.
You should ask your doctor what you can do about sleep apnea; however, there are areas that you can investigate for yourself. Dropping weight or dropping cigarettes are good ideas; more so for victims of sleep apnea. You should stay away from alcohol, anything caffeinated and even heavier meals within the hours leading up to bed time.
The first thing to do when you think you are dealing with sleep apnea is to discover if it is really apnea or just advanced snoring. If you have a loved one sleeping with you, this can be done alone at home, but if not you may need to visit a sleep clinic.
You should adopt a healthy lifestyle and monitor your weight and blood pressure. Your doctor should be able to advise you on your diet and perhaps on a fitness program if you need to be more active. Living a healthy life should really help you reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea.
If you have tried all the self-help ideas and treatments and made changes in your lifestyle, and you still have not had success in helping your sleep apnea, you should consult with a sleep doctor. These doctors can evaluate your condition and work with you to find a treatment that is effective.
While it is common sense to avoid caffeine before sleeping, this is especially true for people who have problems with snoring or apnea. This is a simple thing to cut out, just remember that this includes soft drinks, coffee and even some types of coffee flavored foods. This will also help you sleep faster.
If you consume alcohol or smoke, this could be the underlying cause of your sleep apnea symptoms. Meanwhile, smoking causes the swelling of the airways; alcohol does the complete opposite and relaxes them too much. If you want to be able to sleep well each night, limit or quit smoking and/or drinking.
Getting fitted for a mouth guard may help reduce your sleep apnea if you have an overbite, a small size jaw or a recessed chin. The position of your jawbone can actually block your airways when you have these problems. Using a mouth guard will help correct this issue, and can reduce the symptoms that you are struggling with.
As you have learned from the above article, sleep apnea is serious and needs to be treated. You have been given tips on what to look for and ideas what can help, but always check with a doctor first and foremost. You don't want to try to treat this on your own. Soon, you will be sleeping more restfully.
Orignal From: Advice That Can Help You Conquer Sleep Apnea
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