Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which the sufferer has trouble breathing during sleep. They will actually miss a few breaths and not breath for small stretches of time. This isn’t a deadly disorder, but it may cause the sufferer to wake up often during the night or feel tired and drowsy all day.
Instructions
Prevent Sleep Apnea
1. Watch your weight. Too much weight, especially on your chest and neck, can restrict airflow. Healthy eating and regular exercise will help you to avoid a sleep disorder as well as many other serious health problems.
2. Be mindful of what drugs you take before going to bed. Muscle relaxers and sedatives will relax throat muscles and cause an obstruction of airflow. Drinking alcohol before bed is not a good idea for the same reasons and will cause a poor night's sleep independent of apnea problems. Finally, cigarettes weaken and relax the muscles of your throat and should be avoided.
3. Treat illnesses that restrict your breathing. A build up of mucus in the nose or sinuses may block up your windpipe at night. Use a decongestant before going to bed to help clear this up. Avoid anything that will make you drowsy and relax your throat muscles. If the illness remains for an extended period, contact your doctor.
4. Elevate the head of your bed, or buy a pillow that will keep your head in an elevated position. A proper angle will put less stress on your throat muscles and will open up the airways again.
5. Sleep on your side. Just as in Step four, a proper angle to your sleep can go a long way in curing your sleep troubles. Sleeping on your side puts less strain on your windpipe. It also helps to fight snoring, which is the sidekick of sleep apnea (although not everyone who snores has sleep apnea). It may take some effort but if you train yourself to sleep on your side, you'll be helping yourself and your bed-mate get a good rest.
Tags: throat muscles, your side, your throat, before going, Prevent Sleep, Prevent Sleep Apnea