Get A Great Night's Sleep With These Tips
Get A Great Night's Sleep With These Tips
If you or a loved one have experience the agony sleep apnea can cause, you are likely interested in management tips that actually work. The good news is that there are many ways to approach this difficult condition that actually can make a difference. Review the advice below to start getting a handle on the situation.
If a person is severely overweight, they are much more likely to develop sleep apnea. If this happens to be the problem then anyone dealing with sleep apnea should immediately shed this weight. Make sure that you stick with a plan that makes sense and combine a low calorie diet with an exercise regimen. Many people have success following a low carb diet.
Adjust your CPAP machine. Most machines come with default settings that might not correspond to your needs. You should be able to regulate the airflow: try different settings and choose one that seems to work for you. If you feel like your machine is not working like it should, try changing the settings again.
If you are over weight, going on a diet can reduce your sleep apnea, or in rare cases, eliminate it completely. Maintaining a healthy weight can help you breathe easier, so losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight when you have trouble breathing is an obvious step in treating your sleep apnea.
Try yourself to sleep on your side. If you fall asleep on your back, gravity can make it easier for your tongue and/or tonsils to fall back into your throat and obstruct your windpipe, causing apnea episodes. While it may be hard a first, as time passes, however, it will start to become second nature to sleep on your side.
Do you always sleep on your back? Try sleeping on your side instead. When you sleep on your back with a head propped on a pillow, your airways get narrower. Go to sleep on your side and use cushions to prevent yourself from rolling in your sleep. Your airways should remain open as long as you are on your side.
If you need to be hospitalized for some reason, be sure that you take your CPAP machine with you to the hospital. While a hospital will have CPAP machines, you may be much more comfortable with a machine that already fits you well. You will your mask you're used to, and the pressure will be set right. You'll be able to resume your CPAP therapy much easier by having these things in the hospital with you.
Anyone who suffers from sleep apnea should avoid using sleeping pills. It can be tempting to try to use them to help you sleep better, but these pills can relax your throat muscles and make your sleep apnea worse. They also have a number of other side effects that can be unpleasant.
Sleep apnea has caused problems in the lives of countless individuals and their families. In order to minimize the impact this condition has on your daily experience, knowledge is essential. Review the concepts in this piece as often as necessary to employ effective strategies that really can improve your life and your ability to get the rest you need.