3 Natural Ways to Overcome Sleep Apnea Symptoms

Sleep apnea is a type of disorder that can cause you to suffer from poor sleep quality due to pauses in your breathing. Someone suffering from sleep apnea could stop breathing as many as 30 times during the course of an hour. Oftentimes, the person doesn’t even realize they are doing it. In fact, many who have this condition believe that they are actually getting a good night’s rest.

It isn’t just about heavy snoring. This serious diagnosis could be life-threatening, affect your quality of life and cause a number of negative symptoms. Breaks in your breathing prevent oxygen from making its way to your brain and anywhere else in your body. People who struggle with sleep apnea often end up awaking and gasping for air to try and get their airways back open once again. The entire process associated with sleep apnea causes a number of different symptoms, such as choking noises, loud snoring, feelings of anxiety and fatigue and poor sleep. Missing sleep causes a number of problems for your health. Check out some of the ways you can overcome your sleep apnea.

Maintain a healthy weight.

One of the main reasons that weight gain tends to increase the chance of your getting sleep apnea is because of the added weight on your neck affecting your breathing capabilities and throat muscles. The more weight you have on you, the higher the chances are that you are going to suffer from a sleep disturbance. All of those fat deposits around your airways can end up obstructing your breathing patterns. Men with neck circumferences over 17-inches and women with circumferences over 15-inches are at an increased risk of suffering from sleep apnea. Getting your weight under control can help put an end to your struggles.

Avoid excessive smoking, alcohol and sedatives.

Alcohol can interfere with your sleep quality and relax the muscles in your throat that you need for breathing. Prescription tranquilizers, sedatives and sleep aids can all end up having the same devastating effects. They increase snoring and a whole host of other symptoms, not to mention added grogginess during the course of the day. Both alcohol and smoking can cause inflammation and fluid retention, which can make it more difficult to sleep. Smokers are three times as likely to end up struggling with the condition. The best thing you can do is to kick your bad habits to the curb as quickly as possible.

Treat coughs and acid reflux.

Many individuals suffering from the condition have other types of medical problems as well that can make normal breathing more difficult. Nasal congestion can make it harder for you to breathe through your nose and make the symptoms worse, thus causing sleep apnea to form. If you suffer with esophageal reflux, the acid in your throat can end up causing swelling and irritation around your throat muscles. Coughing can also irritate your airways and cause you to snore more. Changing your diet and keeping your head elevated can help to reduce congestion and reflux.

By going through the tips above, you can help to alleviate some of the common symptoms of sleep apnea and enjoy getting a good night’s sleep once and for all.