When you have sleep apnea, your breathing stops and starts repeatedly throughout the night. Although it is quite common, the abnormal breathing patterns it induces can have catastrophic implications.
Because of the disruption in natural sleep patterns, a person with sleep apnea is more likely to feel tired, have slower reflexes, have poor concentration, and be at increased risk of accidents. This can happen hundreds of times during a typical night's sleep, and each time breathing stops for 10-20 seconds. Without treatment, sleep apnea can progress to more severe conditions like diabetes, elevated blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
Snoring, insomnia, restless leg syndrome, and sleep apnea are just a few of the many sleep disorders that affect people. There is treatment available to help manage the symptoms of certain sleep disorders and restore normal sleep patterns. Alterations to one's way of living, such as the use of certain breathing exercises, can significantly lessen one's likelihood of developing these diseases and, in some circumstances, even reverse their effects.
Sleep apnea is exacerbated by smoking, which causes fluid retention in the throat and upper airway. You can lessen your odds of having a bad experience if you give up smoking.
It's not necessary to completely abstain from coffee and large meals, but you should try to avoid eating either one within two hours of bedtime.
Consistently going to bed at the same time each night trains your body to associate that time with the onset of sleep. This has the additional benefit of increasing the total time spent asleep, which is associated with a lower incidence of sleep apnea.
Sleep on your side instead of your back to avoid sleep apnea, which is caused by the tongue and other soft tissues falling to the back of the throat as you sleep. It's possible that if you shifted to your side, things might get much better.
You can avoid sleeping on your back by using a tennis ball, which is more than just an old wives' tale. If you tend to turn over onto your back in the middle of the night, sew a tennis ball onto the back of your pajamas or an old t-shirt to serve as a fairly unpleasant reminder that you shouldn't be in that position.
If you have a stuffy nose from a cold, propping your head up might help relieve the pressure. Put a stack of books beneath the bed's upper legs or use an extra cushion to elevate your head. This aids in maintaining clear airways, which is crucial in avoiding snoring and sleep apnea.
Nasal sprays, breathing strips, nasal dilators, and even a device called a neti pot can be purchased from pharmacies or bought online to help open nasal passages. All of these aid in keeping the nasal passages open during the night, hence reducing the risk of irregular breathing.
