Habits To Help You Cope With Sleep Apnea
A good night’s sleep is important when it comes to enjoying a good quality of life. However, some conditions prevent people from resting properly. One of these conditions is sleep apnea. In the long run, this affects a person’s health. That’s why it’s important to know how to deal with sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is one of those conditions that can be improved thanks to modern medicine and various nighttime habits. The first step to a restful and healthy night’s sleep is knowing what sleep apnea is and how to deal with it.
What is Sleep Apnea?
While we sleep, our breathing slows down and takes on a smooth and constant rhythm that oxygenates the body and allows it to perform all its functions correctly. Sleep apnea is the interruption of breathing for seconds or even minutes, preventing oxygen from reaching the brain.
At first, the person may not realize that he/she has stopped breathing. However, when the condition becomes more advanced, the quality of the person’s sleep is also affected, causing him or her to wake up several times during the night. This causes changes in their normal sleep patterns and has harmful consequences.
There are two types of sleep apnea:
- Obstructive apnea occurs when there is an abnormal growth of tissue around the airways or throat. This type of apnea is easily detected because the person suffering from it usually snores. It can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on how many times you stop breathing during your sleep. The age of the person also plays a role.
- The other type of sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, is much more serious. The central nervous system is involved in this. In this case, the respiratory center stops receiving the brain’s command to breathe. This situation interrupts deep sleep and causes the person to wake up several times during the night.
Coping With Sleep Apnea: Factors Affecting It
Certain factors increase the likelihood that a person has sleep apnea. Some of them are:
- Old age: Apnea does not discriminate between gender. However, there is a higher percentage of adult men who suffer from it.
- Obesity: Being overweight has been proven to increase the risk of sleep apnea tenfold. This figure increases even more if the person in question is morbidly obese.
- Smoking and alcohol use: Both factors alter the respiratory center.
- Respiratory pathologies: this is quite common in children due to the excessive size of tonsils.
- Excessive intake of sleeping pills or sedatives: This causes a change in the nervous system. Alternatively, there are excellent natural remedies.
Other aggregated factors also exacerbate the situation. For example, think of overwork, stress, exposure to high levels of carbon dioxide, heart disease or stroke, hypertension and not getting enough sleep.
Symptoms
The first sign of this condition is drowsiness during the day. The constant awakening at night prevents the person from having a good night’s sleep. Therefore, during their workday, when studying or when performing everyday tasks, they are not quite on their minds.
Oxygen deficiency, even at shorter intervals, causes lack of memory and nervousness. It can even cause nausea, hallucinations and blurred vision.
Given these symptoms, the medical specialist will request a series of medical exams to determine what type of apnea the patient has. In addition to the physical examination of the mouth and throat, they can also perform specific sleep studies.
After the type and severity of the condition have been determined, the specialist decides on a treatment. Most medical advice focuses on changing the patient’s habits.
Coping With Sleep Apnea: Healthy Ways
These good habits can help you manage, or at least alleviate, sleep apnea:
- To prevent apnea, you should sleep on the left side of your body. This position helps the heart pump better and the airways open without any problems. It also prevents you from snoring.
- Do not drink alcohol in the six hours before going to sleep.
- Stop smoking.
- Do not use sleeping pills.
- Get regular exercise.
- Eat healthy.
- Watch your weight.
- Don’t watch TV, don’t use your computer or cell phone, and don’t listen to loud music before going to sleep.
With these simple nighttime habits, you can successfully cope with sleep apnea. It is, of course, essential to go to the doctor and follow his or her instructions. This way you can enjoy a good night’s sleep and a healthy lifestyle.
