Sleep apnea is one of the most common and most severe of the sleep disorders that can affect people. According to ApneaGuide.com, between 12 and 20 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea to some varying degree. There are two main types of sleep apnea, obstructive and central. Central is related to a malfunction in the brain signals, but obstructive is due to tissue blocking a person's airway during the night and is by far the most common type.
Significance
Obstructive sleep apnea is significant because of the seriousness of the condition. According to HelpGuide.org, if you wake up countless times in a night because you cannot breathe, you will be at an increased risk of developing medical issues down the road. While medical treatments exist for sleep apnea, there are also home remedies you can try on your own.
Types
According to the Mayo Clinic, there are two main types of home remedies for obstructive sleep apnea: lifestyle changes and changing sleep patterns. Lifestyle changes include losing weight and abstaining from alcohol before bed. You can change your sleeping patterns by sleeping on your side, sewing a tennis ball into the back of your pajamas (so you cannot comfortably sleep on your back) and raising the incline of your bed.
Function
Since the airway blockage is caused by fatty tissue collapsing when the muscles relax at night, losing weight will begin to reduce the amount of tissue, says the Mayo Clinic. Alcohol consumption can cause the muscles to relax even more than normal, so reducing this can help to keep the situation in check. HelpGuide.org says that the sleep pattern changes discussed above can help mitigate the amount of blockage in the airway, because lying on your back is the worst position for sleep apnea.
Benefits
When you increase the amount of sleep you are getting, especially without the interruptions during the night due to the apnea, you will feel increasingly refreshed throughout the day. If you have suffered from past episodes of being drowsy or sluggish during the day, then that will gradually improve as your sleep apnea improves. If you have other ailments related to sleep apnea, like heart disease and high blood pressure, by reducing sleep apnea episodes you may see improvement in these areas too.
Considerations
If you suffer from sleep apnea or suspect that you do, it is important to see a doctor to have the condition confirmed with testing. Home remedies can certainly help to improve your symptoms, but medical treatments are crucially important for improving the condition. In addition to getting a doctor's help and treatment, lose some weight and begin to sleep on your side to see improvement in your obstructive sleep apnea symptoms.
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