Everyone has to sleep, but when one has sleep apnea, the quality of sleep may not be very good. The next few paragraphs will give you useful pointers that will help you put your sleep apnea to bed and help you become a fully functioning human being again.
If you decide to try a CPAP machine, do not give up until at least a few weeks. A lot of sleep apnea patients give up before they really get a chance to get used to their machine. Wait until you are comfortable with sleeping while wearing a mask and you should really notice a difference.
You must be careful not to use sedating medications if you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. Anything that sedates you will slow down your breathing, especially when you go to sleep. When you are sedated by medication, your throat muscles will relax and collapse more quickly as you sleep.
It is best to have your sleep apnea diagnosed and treated by a doctor. If left untreated, you won’t be getting the needed rest you need, which will leave you feeling tired and unable to concentrate the next day, and may even lead to serious health problems down the road.
People who do not have a partner sleeping with them may not know they suffer from sleep apnea. If you wake up with a dry or sore mouth, wake up out of breath, have morning headaches, insomnia, and/or go to the bathroom frequently during the night, you may have sleep apnea and should talk to a doctor.
Exercise your throat. Make faces. Stick out your tongue. Rotate your jaw. It might feel a bit silly, but it can actually help people who suffer from sleep apnea. Doing these things exercises the muscles your body needs to moderate its breathing. Studies have shown that doing these exercises a few times a day can make a huge difference.
Give sleeping on your sides a try. Most people who have sleep apnea realize that they have been sleeping on their back too much. When you lay on your back during sleep, the tongue and soft palate shift to the back, which obstructs your airway. Side-sleeping can improve your breathing. Use pillows to force yourself to sleep sideways if you have a problem with rolling over once you are asleep.
If you do not know if your snoring is from sleep apnea or just simple snoring, try using a sleep diary. In this diary, you will need to record how much time you spend in bed, the number of times that you awaken each night, and how tired you feel when you arise in the morning.
If you tend to snore a lot and have difficulties staying asleep, you should go see your doctor right away. You might have a condition known as sleep apnea: find an effective treatment so you can get enough sleep and go through your daily activities without being held back by your health problem.
If you have a CPAP machine, carry your medical ID. If you need medical attention, it’s vital that the people treating you know about your condition and that you use a CPAP machine. This identification card should tell caregivers that you suffer from sleep apnea, and that you make use of a CPAP set to a specified pressure level to sleep.
Sleep deprivation compromises every facet of daily life and may even threaten your health in the long run. Start taking steps to conquer sleep apnea so you can finally get the sleep you deserve. Life is hard enough already, so you should not let your sleep be deprived as well.
