Don't Let Sleep Apnea Keep You Down
Don't Let Sleep Apnea Keep You Down
A diagnosis for sleep apnea is alarming, but stay calm. You can live a happy life and avoid the serious health consequences of the condition by getting proper treatment. Due to this fact, you should do everything you can to make you condition have as little impact on your life as possible.
Do throat and tongue exercises daily to reduce your apnea symptoms. The results of recent research suggest that jaw exercise, and tongue exercises can greatly reduce the presence of sleep apnea symptoms. Doing just a few of these exercises every day can help you get a good night of rest.
Start sleeping on your side. When you sleep on your back and have sleep apnea, your airway gets block by your tongue and throat tissues. To avoid rolling onto your back once you are asleep, try sleeping with pillows cushioning your side. This helps prevent you from turning onto your back.
If you are taking a vacation and suffer from sleep apnea, don't forget to bring your CPAP machine along. It is important that you always have the machine, even if you feel it is an inconvenience. Your machine should include a padded travel bag. Any time that you need to sleep overnight while traveling, you should keep your CPAP machine in your sleeping quarters.
You will find it easier to go to sleep and remain asleep if you follow a schedule. Go to bed at the same time, follow a bedtime routine if it helps you relax and get at least eight hours of sleep every night. Create the ideal environment for you to sleep in.
If you have sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine when you sleep, ask your doctor to also prescribe a heated humidifier. Warm, moist air will help keep you asleep comfortably. Humidifiers are built into a lot of CPAP machines. Ask your doctor about prescribing you one.
For those individuals that suffer from sleep apnea, sometimes the position that you sleep in can make a difference. Try sleeping on your side. Many times when people sleep on their backs, their tongues can block the airways making it harder to breath, and causing sleep apnea symptoms to appear.
If you have sleep apnea and use a CPAP, try to replace your mask and hose every six months. Most insurance policies allow for a new mask and hose every six months, and some allow you to replace them every three months. The mask can stop fitting well after several months of use, and the hose can develop small cracks or holes that let air leak. Replace these items to keep getting the best CPAP therapy possible.
If you have sleep apnea and use a CPAP when you sleep at night, do not neglect your filters. It can be easy to forget about this, but you need to make sure your machine operates at maximum efficiency. Wash your reusable filter at least every week, and replace your white pollen filter at least once a month.
Sleep apnea can seriously harm your health if you don't try and care for it. What is good is that you have a variety of options available for how to treat it. Use what you've learned here, and create a better life through peaceful sleep.