You wish it was not true. But yes, you admit putting on a couple of extra pounds—or 30—over the last several years. Add to the mix only getting, on average, five hours of sleep per night, and you can’t seem to refrain from smoking when the stress of the day gets to you. And no, the above description is not due to your significant other’s cooking, sleeping habits or personality.
Face the fact: You might have sleep apnea and not even know about it. But before you venture down the road of having a sleep study to confirm, you can try some simple lifestyle changes to find a sleep apnea cure at home.
- Shed the unwanted weight. According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, losing weight was shown to reduce the number of times breathing ceases due to sleep apnea. Taking off the pounds will help airflow to your lungs and in turn, increase energy and stamina. Hence, visiting a dietitian or a nutritional counselor can help you manage your sleep apnea.
- Avoid excessive use of medication and alcohol. Limiting the number of times you reach for sleeping pills or other medication to help you sleep, as well as not having that extra glass of red wine before bed can decrease your sleep apnea symptoms.
- Stop smoking. You should stop smoking regardless of whether or not you suffer from sleep apnea. During the night, the muscles that control your airway relax due to the nicotine in cigarettes that you smoked throughout the course of the day. As a result, you are more likely to have your airway obstructed while you sleep.
- Increase your sleep time. It is a relatively easy equation to solve. Get in more time to sleep, and the number of sleep apnea occurrences will decrease.
- Treat upper respiratory problems and the flu ASAP. It is pretty obvious and self-explanatory. If your nasal passages are stuffed with a cold or the pollen in the air has triggered allergies, your breathing is adversely affected. Hence, your sleep apnea will worsen if you do not quickly treat your stuffy nose.
- Change your sleeping habits. If you tend to sleep on your back, sleep apnea episodes will increase. Sleeping on your side is best to decrease the incidence of mild sleep apnea. Some tips to keep you in this position would be to use pillows as props. Or if you happen to be crafty (or know someone who can help), create a pocket in order to insert a ball within and sew the compartment shut and onto your pajama top In the middle of your back. Another hint would be to try raising your bed near the head under the legs by approximately 6 inches with bricks. Keep in mind, using pillows to prop your head and upper body will NOT help lessen the severity of your sleep apnea.
If you are still experiencing symptoms or having issues after trying these home remedies for sleep apnea, contact one of our medical concierges today at 1-855-863-4537 to schedule a free consultation to learn how we can help cure your sleep apnea.
