Control Sleep Apnea
According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea. Apnea can cause life-threatening illnesses such as hypertension and heart disease, therefore it is not something to be taken lightly. What can you do if you suspect you have sleep apnea?
Instructions
1. See your doctor. As mentioned above, sleep apnea can cause harmful disease and be life-threatening in and of itself. Your doctor can help determine whether you do indeed have apnea and if so, how severe of a case you have. He can then prescribe a course of action for you.
2. Lose weight. One of the main factors of sleep apnea is being overweight. By losing as little as ten percent of your body weight, you can reduce the severity of and sometimes even eliminate apnea.
3. Abstain from alcohol. Even though you may think it helps you sleep more soundly, it actually causes you to wake up frequently during the night (although you probably won't remember). It also makes the muscles in your upper airway relax, and can cause your apnea to worsen.
4. Stop smoking. Need another reason to kick the tobacco habit? Smoking causes swelling to occur in your upper airway, which means louder snoring and more severe apnea.
5. Lie on your side. In many cases of apnea, the severity of the disorder is lessened when the patient sleeps on his side rather than his back. Buy a body pillow and wedge it up against your back so that you will be less likely to roll over during the night.
Tags: your upper airway, Control Sleep, Control Sleep Apnea, during night, sleep apnea