Understanding And Dealing With Your Sleep Apnea Condition
Understanding And Dealing With Your Sleep Apnea Condition
If you find that you often feel grouchy, tired, and irritable in the morning, this may be a sign of some serious condition. You may be suffering from sleep apnea, a common sleep disorder caused by your airways becoming blocked at night. To find out more about this condition, keep reading this article.
Get a checkup regularly and act upon your doctor's suggestions. Besides excess weight, you could be suffering from health issues such as heart disease and hypertension, which can greatly increase your chance of suffering from sleep apnea. Even problems with blood sugar can make sleeping a miserable experience for apnea sufferers.
Get a CPAP mask that fits your face perfectly. If the mask that comes with your CPAP machine is too narrow or too loose, you will probably experience discomfort when you sleep and the machine might not work properly. Get a customized mask if you need to: the expense will be worth it.
Mouth guards can be custom fit. Guards like these are specifically made for assisting sleep apnea patients. They make a good substitute for CPAP machine use, and provide better nighttime comfort. It will provide stability and help your airway to remain open.
Consider elevating the head of your bed if you suffer from sleep apnea. As you sleep, gravity is constantly pulling on your muscles and causing your airway to close. If you elevate the head of your bed a bit, the slight incline makes it easier for your body to maintain your airway when you are sleeping.
If you have just been diagnosed with sleep apnea and prescribed a CPAP, join a CPAP support group. It can be quite difficult to get used to sleeping with a mask on your face every night. Sitting in a room full of other people going through the same thing can be very empowering. You can learn from others who have had the same issues you are having and made adjustments to make it work.
It is best to have your sleep apnea diagnosed and treated by a doctor. If left untreated, you won't be getting the needed rest you need, which will leave you feeling tired and unable to concentrate the next day, and may even lead to serious health problems down the road.
Start sleeping on your side. When you sleep on your back and have sleep apnea, your airway gets block by your tongue and throat tissues. To avoid rolling onto your back once you are asleep, try sleeping with pillows cushioning your side. This helps prevent you from turning onto your back.
Get a chin strap to keep your mouth closed when you are sleeping with a CPAP or BIPAP machine. This little piece of fabric holds your chin upright when sleeping so that your mouth remains closed. CPAP devices don't work well when your mouth is wide open, so this device can help.
Sleep apnea affects millions of people, causing them to snore, feel tired, and even suffer from more serious health problems. If this affliction is causing problems in your life, you need to seek treatment right away. Try using the tips you have read in this article, and talk to your doctor about your problems.