Other than the normal medical treatment that helps with sleep apnea, such as CPAP and BiPAP machines, there are many lifestyle changes that can help to reduce your sleep apnea symptoms. Just making a few simple adjustments to your daily routine can have a significant impact on how you feel and the symptoms you experience.
Schedule Your Snoozes
Sleep schedules are important for people of any age, especially in adults with sleep apnea. It’s proven that you sleep better and are more relaxed when you’re maintaining regular sleep hours and getting plenty of rest.
Make Weight Loss a Goal
Even losing a small amount of weight can help with opening your airway significantly as you sleep. Those who are overweight often experience a block in the flow of air into their lungs while asleep because of the extra tissue. Strive to shed a few pounds and you’ll start noticing an improvement in your sleep apnea symptoms!
Get Exercising
Not only can hitting the gym help with losing weight, but it also greatly impacts sleep quality. Training can help you improve breathing and strengthen muscles, all while making you more tired when bedtime rolls around.
Avoid Unhealthy Habits
Having caffeine, alcohol or a heavy meal right before you sleep makes steady breathing more difficult. Alcohol tends to relax your muscles, leaving your throat overly relaxed which interferes with breathing patterns. Cutting out caffeine and big meals can help with weight loss, too, which is the number one way to improve sleep apnea symptoms.
Skip the Sleeping Pills
While those with sleep apnea may think sleeping pills are a good idea to help them have a restful night, they actually do more harm than good in this case. These medications relax the muscles in the back of your throat and can worsen the symptoms you’re already experiencing.
Sleep on Your Side
If you’re an avid back sleeper and have sleep apnea, now’s the time to switch it up. Sleeping on your back makes it more likely for your tongue to obstruct your airway, making the chances of experiencing sleep apnea much greater.
Try Throat Exercises
By strengthening the muscles in your airway, you can greatly reduce the severity of your sleep apnea as they’ll be less likely to collapse. Search for throat exercises to help with sleep apnea, give them a try every day for several weeks and see if your symptoms are lessened.
Having a good night of sleep is crucial for staying alert during the day and keeping your body healthy overall. Try these simple tricks along with your CPAP or BiPAP treatment to make the most of your sleep! Contact us with any questions or learn more about the services we offer.