You may be searching for treatment options for sleep apnea if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with this condition. There are actually different things that work with different people. Reading this article is going to help you learn more about sleep apnea.
Try playing a wind instrument. Playing the trumpet or a similar musical instrument should help you strengthen your throat and help you control your breathing. Your upper airways should become stronger and remain open throughout the night, which would make the symptoms of sleep apnea disappear or at least reduce them.
It may sound silly, but taking up a music instrument may improve your sleep apnea. When subjects in Germany were taught to play the didgeridoo, their sleep apnea symptoms were reduced. The researchers believe that practicing the instrument improved the tone of the muscles in the upper airway, which are responsible for airway dilation.
Have a mouth guard fitted for your needs. Some guards are made to treat sleep apnea. Many people find they can adjust to wearing a mouth guard every night while they sleep much more easily than they can get used to wearing a CPAP mask. It really helps keep the airways clear and keeps the soft tissues of the throat stable.
Refrain from consuming alcoholic beverages as much as possible, especially at bedtime. Alcohol naturally relaxes your muscles. You may want to feel more relaxed, but it can exacerbate your apnea. Alcohol has an effect on throat muscles and it can hurt your body. If you feel you must drink, try not to do it as often or before you go to sleep.
Try yourself to sleep on your side. If you fall asleep on your back, gravity can make it easier for your tongue and/or tonsils to fall back into your throat and obstruct your windpipe, causing apnea episodes. While it may be hard a first, as time passes, however, it will start to become second nature to sleep on your side.
Consider putting yourself on a strict bedtime schedule and routine, if sleep apnea is keeping you from a good night’s sleep. Doing the same things at the same time may help condition your mind and body to better sleeping, and if you suffer from sleep apnea, you need all the help you can get!
If you have sleep apnea and your mouth keeps falling open while you sleep with your CPAP every night, try wearing a chin strap. This minor fabric piece and make sure that your chin stays up and your mouth closed. Use this device to solve this annoying problem, as leaving it unfixed will make your CPAP therapy ineffective.
If you are a smoker and suffer from sleep apnea, quit, or at the very least, cut back dramatically. Smoking is dangerous for those who suffer from sleep apnea because it causes swelling to the airways, not to mention all the tar it leaves behind in your lungs and airways.
If you have to use a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine, you may find it hard to get used to at first. It is important that you do not quit using the machine, though. Focus on the benefits of the machine rather than the inconvenience. It will make life safer for yourself and others. Daytime sleepiness caused by sleep apnea is a major risk factor for car accidents, for instance.
Knowledge is power. It’s easier to find a solution for sleep apnea when you understand more about the condition and what you can do about it. With so much information on sleep apnea available, it is a blessing to find it all in one spot, this article.
