Sleep Apnea Tips
Posted on: 24 August 2017
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Getting enough sleep at night is one of the most important parts of your day. Without the proper amount of sleep you may not reach your full potential for the day, and with a career, children, and other obligations, you need to be at your best. Many people suffer from sleep apnea which is a disorder where the individual stops breathing repeatedly during the night. When your body stops breathing and then starts again, you are likely to wake up. However, the constant stopping and starting breathing can be exhausting for the body. Here are a few thing to remember if you suffer from sleep apnea.
Throat Muslces
One of the biggest problems with those that suffer from sleep apnea is their throat muscles relax during sleep and can cut off your breathing airway. So, it is important that you keep those muscles working properly. There are a few things to avoid if you are suffering from sleep apnea. The first thing to avoid is smoking and alcohol. Both of these substances can relax the muscles in your throat and cause you to stop breathing. You should also eat healthy and exercise, which can greatly reduce the number of times that your body stops breathing in the night.
Body Position
Another simple way that you can try to prevent or treat sleep apnea is to sleep on your side. When you sleep on your back you are much more likely to have breathing problems compared to sleeping on your side. If you have a hard time sleeping on your side, then you can go through therapy, or you can sleep with your back against the wall. Another trick to help you sleep on your side is by putting a small ball behind your body, or even sew it in the back pocket of your pajamas. Sleeping on your side can help with mild sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea Treatments
If you find that you are still struggling with sleep apnea after you have changed your sleep position and stopped smoking and drinking, it may be time to visit with the doctor. Your doctor will likely put you on a diet and exercise regime. However, the doctor may also have you go through a sleeping test where they monitor your sleeping. This allows the doctor to properly diagnose the problem and treat it correctly. Do not be surprised if you are required to wear a continuous positive airway pressure, a CPAP. This helps maintain your breathing through the night.