If your life is being disrupted by sleep apnea, whether it is you or your partner, you should take steps to address it and correct it so that you both can get a better night’s rest. The symptoms of sleep apnea should be taken seriously and should be discussed with your partner. Read on to gain more useful information.
Try your best to use your CPAP machine as much as possible if you get one. Going to bed with a CPAP machine humming away is certainly an adjustment that can be a challenge for some. Good health over the long term is what is important, and you need to build up the amount of time you use it until you can use it throughout the night. Keep trying to use your machine, and work up to a full night slowly if you need to.
Don’t drink a lot of alcohol. The natural effects of alcohol lead to over-relaxation of your muscles. Although you may think this improves your sleep, it actually just worsens it. Your throat muscles become relaxed, making it harder for your airway to stay open. If you feel you must drink, try not to do it as often or before you go to sleep.
Normally sleep apnea is diagnosed after getting a physical exam, but it also helps to study your family’s medical history to see if it’s prevalent among your relatives. Sleep studies may be suggested and your doctor might refer you over to a type of sleep specialist that can diagnose and treat your symptoms.
Swear off sleeping pills. The pills may relax the throat muscles so much that your airways do not function properly. For those with severe cases of sleep apnea, using these pills can be quite dangerous. Avoid using them even if you are having trouble sleeping.
It is important to use your CPAP machine if instructed to by your doctor. You should use it for the full night, but if you cannot, try to get at least 4 hours with the machine. Some individuals have a lot of trouble getting used to CPAP masks in their sleep. For this CPAP therapy to work successfully, you will need four hours each day to use it. If you struggle to adjust to it in the beginning, try using the CPAP for about four hours while you sleep.
It’s tough to find out you have sleep apnea. Fortunately, this is a condition that is eminently treatable. Take the sleep apnea health care tips you’ve learned from this article and apply them to your life. You will be able to live a better life even if you have sleep apnea.
