If your loved one regularly wakes in the night short of breath, it is important to know that it could be caused by sleep apnea. Read on to gain more information.
You may be able to improve or eliminate your symptoms by quitting smoking and/or drinking. Both of these cause muscles in your airway to relax, which can increase snoring and worsen sleep apnea. Unlike those medical interventions or pricey surgeries, eliminating these habits can save you money.
Get a mouth guard if your airways are the cause of your sleep at night. These mouth guards correct your airways and allow you to breathe properly during the night.
Sleep Apnea
If you’re using a CPAP, use it a minimum of four hours nightly. Some people have a really hard time sleeping with the device. Nonetheless, it will not be effective unless you wear it for a minimum of 4 hours nightly. If you are having difficulty adjusting to it at first, try to make sure you at least use your CPAP four hours each time you sleep.
You can really cut back on your sleep apnea by quitting smoking and/or drinking. Both smoking and drinking promote relaxation of these habits have a negative effect on the muscles in your airway. Quitting these addictions may help you avoid costly and invasive surgery in the easiest way to address your sleep apnea.
Get a mouth guard. These oral devices are specially made for patients with sleep apnea sufferers. It provides a more comfortable alternative to using a CPAP machine. The device assists you by keeping your airways and stabilizing the soft tissues.
If you can, sleep on one of your sides. Some sleep apnea patients lay on their backs. When you sleep, your throat muscles relax, and back sleeping causes gravity to pull the relaxed muscles downward, restricting airflow. You will breathe easier if you sleep on your side. To prevent rolling over onto your back while you sleep, build a wall of pillows behind yourself.
4 Hours
If you have been prescribed a CPAP for sleep apnea, try to wear it for about 4 hours every night.It is hard for some people to sleep with the CPAP. If you’re struggling to adjust, use it for only 4 hours at a go.
If you aren’t sleeping with a partner each night who can let you know of any irregularities in your sleeping patterns, it can be hard to know if you have this condition. One way to see is to set up a video camera to record yourself as you sleep. Make sure you have audio on your video so you and your doctor can hear the noises you make in your sleep.
It is not uncommon for children to suffer from sleep apnea sufferers. If your child exhibits any of the symptoms associated with sleep deprivation, active, and is breathing through his mouth, they may have sleep apnea. This swath of symptoms is not unlike ADHD, so be sure your doctor is investigating all the causes before making a diagnosis.
One way to check out your sleeping habits is to train a camcorder on yourself as you sleep.The video should also have audio too so that the doctors can hear the noises you make.
Many doctors ask patients to keep sleep logs to help diagnose sleep apnea. Keep track of how many hours you’re sleeping the entire night and any symptoms you have. Ask your partner for more specific information on how loud your snoring is, the quality of your breathing and even how restful you were. Your doctor can use this information to determine if you actually suffer from sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea
This article has provided you with a great start as you learn more about sleep apnea. If you believe you can ignore sleep apnea, you are very wrong. You may wish to print this article out to discuss it with others.
Stick to a schedule when it comes to your sleep. Your sleep apnea is already affecting your sleep. Any steps you take to improve your overall sleep habits will help deal with the symptoms of your condition and minimize the impact it has. For most people, the most important thing is to get up and sleep at the exact same time each day.