If you have found that your breathing is repeatedly stopping and starting throughout your sleep, this is a major sign that you have obstructive sleep apnea. With over 22 million Americans suffering from this serious medical attention, if you fall into this statistic, it’s important that you try out techniques and remedies to alleviate symptoms.
5 Ways of Dealing with Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Ways of Dealing with Obstructive Sleep Apnea
With that in mind, here are five effective ways of dealing with obstructive sleep apnea.
1. Use a CPAP Machine
One of the common traditional treatments for individuals with obstructive sleep apnea is wearing a CPAP mask during the night. While they are effective for many, some people find them uncomfortable to wear. If you use a CPAP machine, it’s important that you take good care of it. See this for a guide on how to clean and sanitize your CPAP machine. While it may take some getting used to, a CPAP machine can reverse or prevent serious consequences that can result from obstructive sleep apnea.
2. Monitor Your Weight
If you are living with obstructive sleep apnea, your doctor may recommend that you lose weight. In general, those who are obese are at a greater risk of developing the condition. You can stop breathing suddenly because of obstructions like narrow nasal passages, which can have a major impact on your quality of sleep. Maintaining a healthy weight and factoring in regular exercise should be your first step in reducing symptoms associated with obstructive sleep apnea.
3. Use a Humidifier
When going to sleep, you may benefit from using a humidifier, which is a device that adds moisture to the air. If you have dry air in your room, this can irritate your body and exacerbate obstructive sleep apnea symptoms. Many people experience clearer breathing and a decrease in congestion from a humidifier. To maximize the benefits of a humidifier, you should consider purchasing peppermint or lavender oil.
4. Stop Smoking
There are numerous lifestyle changes you can make, which can aid sleep and help you wake up feeling well-rested and refreshed. If you’re a smoker, you will be all too aware of the negative health effects it has on your body. What you may not realize is how damaging smoking is for obstructive sleep apnea sufferers. Tobacco use can cause inflammation in your airways, which can increase snoring, so packing in the habit for good is strongly advised. If you’re having difficulty stopping smoking, there are tons of helpful resources available on the internet.
5. Try Yoga
While regular exercise can strengthen your heart, lower blood pressure, and improve obstructive sleep apnea, exercises like yoga that are known for encouraging oxygen flow are also useful. Practicing breathing exercises can boost your oxygen levels and decrease the number of sleep interruptions you experience throughout the night.
Obstructive sleep apnea can cause a variety of health complications, leaving you feeling tired and rundown, and in some cases also experiencing memory loss. If you have been diagnosed with the condition, all the points listed above may help alleviate symptoms and improve your sleep.
