Sleep Apnea Solutions
Sleep apnea is a disease in which breathing is interrupted during sleep. Recent studies in the US suggests that 1 in 15 Americans suffer from sleep apnea — most of whom go untreated. Sleep apnea is much different from snoring. While snoring occurs when air is moving, sleep apnea occurs when air is stopped. And although snoring can be annoying to loved ones, sleep apnea can cause serious health issues.
As is typical in US medicine, surgical options are frequently cited as “best care”. However, many natural sleep apnea solutions are available. An easy and natural solution is to sleep on one’s side, which lessens the chance of blockages. Specially formed pillows may help sufferers re-learn sleeping habits and lessen the frequency of wakening. Some people have had good results from sleeping with a tennis ball taped to their back — perfectly comfortable for side-sleeping but miserable for back-sleeping. Regardless of the shape of the pillow, elevating the head 6-8 inches has been shown to improve sleep results and airway flow. Just upgrading your pillow to a firmer, thicker one may have good results.
Similarly, improving the sleep routine may also have strong results. This includes calming down before sleep, avoiding caffeine, and not reading or working in bed. Having a stable and consistent sleep routine may also be helpful. Avoiding alcohol or sedatives around sleeping times may also stop muscles from over-relaxing, and thus blocking air passages. Also make sure that the bedroom is very dark. Adding additional curtains to block light may aid in reaching deeper levels of sleep.
A particular risk factor for sleep apnea is excess weight. If a sufferer is overweight, losing this excess weight may have a positive impact on the frequency of wakening. Keeping trim has many other positive impacts as well.
Since sleep apnea is caused by blockage of air passageways, you may use one of many natural solutions to keep air passages open. Nasal strips or dilators can be helpful in less severe cases. A gentle and natural salt water rinse can open up nasal packages before sleep. Some people also will benefit from a humidifier in the bedroom. Regularly swimming will also help clean out nasal passages and improve your overall health.
Other natural remedies focus on building up the lungs and breath capacity. These can involve playing instruments requiring large lung capacity (e.g., trombones, tubas, etc.) or through singing practice. By training the lungs to be more efficient during waking hours, they become more efficient during sleeping hours as well.
Tags: air passage, air passages, blockages, health, health issues, nasal passage, nasal strips, natural solutions, pillows, REM, sleep, Sleep Apnea, Sleep Apnea Solutions, sleeping habits, snoring, surgical options