No matter what your normal habits of sleep are, you know you need it to lead a productive life. If sleep apnea is disturbing your sleep, get a handle on it as quickly as possible. Begin by checking out the following useful tips that can help you take control and get quality sleep.
For people who suffer from sleep apnea, they may stop using their CPAP machine because it is noisy or too large. See if you can get an upgrade. The machines have gotten much smaller and quieter in recent years. You may be eligible for an upgrade. Contact your doctor or insurance provider for more information.
If you are unsure whether or not you have sleep apnea, consider setting up an audio or video recorder next to your bed. When you review the recording, watch or listen for choking, gasping or other signs that you are not getting enough air as you sleep. Present your findings to your doctor if you suspect that you do have apnea.
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.
For people who are using a CPAP machine, you need to take notes to give to your doctor. If you experience any symptoms, like snoring, that were eliminated when you started using the CPAP machine and they come back, you need to let your doctor know. Only your doctor can properly assess any problems.
Don’t underestimate the potential health consequences of sleep apnea. If you suspect you have sleep apnea, see your doctor right away. When you have a diagnosis, your doctor may send you to a specialist or set you up with other tests.
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.
If you have tried a number of less drastic sleep apnea treatment options, you might want to consider discussing surgical treatment options for the condition with your primary care physician. Sleep apnea treatment surgery often involves increasing the diameter of your airway in an effort to reduce the number of apnea episodes that you experience.
If you have sleep apnea and were just prescribed a CPAP, keep trying different masks until you find the one that fits you just right. Some masks may not be the right size or shape for your face. If your CPAP mask is leaking air into your eyes all night or rubbing the skin on your forehead raw, ask your sleep center to prescribe a different mask for you.
Be sure to use just one, normal-sized pillow when you sleep. Your sleeping position can be affected negatively by multiple pillows or an over-sized one. This causes you to lie in a way where breathing is more difficult. So find a normal size pillow that is comfortable and doesn’t contort your airway because this will help you sleep better and breathe easier.
Night owl, morning person, day napper – it doesn’t make a difference what your choice habits of sleep are, so long as you get your necessary rest. Stop letting sleep apnea interfere with your days and nights, by employing the useful advice of this article. Do what is within your power to alleviate symptoms and improve the conditions of your sleep time soon.
