You have to have sleep to be healthy and feel good, but sleep apnea can make this nearly impossible. Use this article to determine how to get rid of sleep apnea and how to live a comfortable life filled with peaceful dreams.
Using a mouth guard specifically made for sleep apnea sufferers may help you sleep better. Using these guards encourages proper jaw alignment and helps keep the breathing passages fully open while you sleep. Ask your doctor to help you get fitted for a mouth guard.
Do you smoke or drink? Get rid of these bad habits. They can do bad things to your airways. Smoking can actually swell your airways while alcohol can overly relax them; each causes sleep apnea. If you find that you just can’t give these bad habits up, do what you can to not do either of them within four hours of your bedtime.
Cut back on your alcohol consumption. Alcohol is a natural muscle relaxant. Drinking alcohol will make it hard for you to get through the night if you have sleep apnea. Your throat muscles become relaxed, making it harder for your airway to stay open. If you can’t give up drinking completely, at least make an effort to moderate your intake and avoid having alcohol in the hours leading up to your bedtime.
Try and get someone you know to tell you how you sleep through the night. Using a simple camcorder while you sleep can give you the information you need. Ensure that you record audio also, which will allow the doctors to evaluate noises you are making during sleep.
Try to keep a sleep schedule if sleep apnea is an issue in your life. Your condition is already messing with your regular sleep cycle every night. You can retain your health and daytime energy and focus by keeping a regular sleep schedule. Go to sleep and wake up each day on a regular schedule and this schedule should be used on the weekends, too.
Treat your allergies or other sinus problems when dealing with sleep apnea. You already are having difficulty breathing at night due to your sleep condition. You really don’t want anything else impacting your air flow during sleep. Keeping your airway free and clear by treating your nasal problems gives you a much better chance of sleeping through the night without problems.
Losing weight is an excellent way to alleviate the symptoms of sleep apnea. Many people have corrected their apnea by losing weight. Even a little weight loss can improve the symptoms of sleep apnea and cause the airways and throat to open up more.
If you have a stuffy nose, use a saline spray or neti pot. This will dry out the passages and help clear them out temporarily. Nasal spray is not a permanent solution to nighttime breathing issues, though; prolonged use will cause irritation and possibly sinus damage. A quick trip to the pharmacy can turn you onto a host of different treatments that can help reduce nasal congestion.
Lack of sleep will interfere with every aspect of your life, and may even pose a threat to your long-term health. Get a handle on your sleep apnea so you can get better sleep. Life is already hard and not getting enough sleep can mean more problems.