If your case of sleep apnea is not severe, you may find that some sleep apnea solutions that can improve it. If you are overweight, then losing weight can reduce the occurrences. Also, try not to drink alcohol at night time. Smoking can also be a contributory factor, so giving up cigarettes can also help. Anything that relaxes the muscles medically, such as tranquillizers or sleeping pills can also have a detrimental effect on the throat’s muscle system. Some people find that sleeping on one side, instead of on their back lessens the symptoms too.

For more severe cases, sleep apnea treatments such as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is a possible treatment. This is a mask which you wear over your mouth when sleeping. It sends compressed air into your throat, ensuring that the airway does not get blocked. Many people find this strange to wear to begin with, and some stop using it because of this. However, patients who persevere with it report that it works very effectively, despite their initial misgivings.

Amazingly, several medical studies in respected journals, such as the British Medical Journal have suggested that regularly playing the didgeridoo can also reduce snoring, daytime sleepiness, and other symptoms of sleep apnea. The study suggested that this was due to the patient training themselves to control their upper airways, and becoming more aware of how the muscles work. The study used 25 patients suffering from moderate obstructive sleep apnea. They took a random selection of these patients, and asked them to practice the didgeridoo every day for four months. After four months, the didgeridoo players reported significant improvements, compared to the control group.

Instead of resorting to popping those sleeping pills (which can be addictive in itself and will require you to take more and more as you become increasingly dependent on it), you can go at it the natural way. Here are some quick and easy ways to fall asleep. Although some of these will not work immediately, keeping at it will eventually reap the benefits of good sleep.

1. Keep away from heavy and late meals at night or during the wee hours of the morning. An empty stomach will actually help in quieting your mind so that it is geared towards sleeping.

2. Get rid of caffeine in your diet. Or, if you really can’t avoid coffee, drink this in the mornings, and not before you need to go to bed to sleep.

3. Read. This habit can relax you.

4. Remember that the bedroom is for sleep and sex only! This will help condition your mind that once you are in bed, you should already fall asleep. Eliminate distractions – such as the television, the phone and the computer.

5. Take a warm and scented bath. Sprinkle chamomile or lavender oil into the bath to thoroughly relax and soothe your body and sense. The warmth and the steam will make you feel drowsy an hour after the bath.

6. Get comfortable – wear the night clothes you are comfortable with. Be willing to spend money on a good and comfy bed – it should not be too hard nor too soft. A memory foam pillow would be another wise investment.

7. Use a fan to get rid of surrounding noises. It can also serve to distribute the air throughout the room.

8. If it helps, listen to relaxing music – such as the sound of the waves or birds chirping.

9. Eliminate distractions in the bedroom – turn the TV off, put away magazines and fliers, if you’re sleeping beside someone, request that they be quiet as possible.

10. Shun coffee at least 3 hours before you go to bed. The same goes for candies and chocolates.

11. When you have to exercise, don’t do so before bedtime. The exercise will give you an energy boost and will certainly not help you fall asleep.

12. Don’t go to bed when you are not sleepy. This will increase your struggle to sleep and condition your mind that getting some sleep is a struggle.

13. Fake it until you make it. Pretend to be sleepy.

14. Picture yourself doing something in the house, like painting the walls with slow up and down motions.

The most obvious effect of sleep apnea is that the sufferers’ sleep is frequently interrupted because when the airway is shut off, the person suffocates, and wakes up to breathe. This sleep deprivation can lead to a number of maladies, of which the most obvious is daytime sleepiness. In addition, the extra tissue which can cause OSA will frequently also vibrate while the person is breathing, causing snoring. Sleep apnea has also been linked to waking up with morning headaches, sexual dysfunction and even certain cognitive disabilities (related to memory and learning). To add insult to injury, the sleep deprivation caused by sleep apnea also leads to an increased rate of automobile accidents, which, of course, carry a range of negative outcomes, ranging from simple property damage all of the way to dismemberment and death.

Although these effects are all unpleasant and inconvenient, they pale next to the more serious side effects of sleep apnea. People who suffer from sleep apnea have a much higher incidence of cardiovascular problems, as well as diabetes. The high blood pressure which can be caused by OSA is unique in that it never allows the body to rest since readings do not stop during sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea also has neurological effects, including both increased risk of stroke and, recently discovered, tissue loss in parts of the brain that serve as memory storage.

Finally, obstructive sleep apnea can cause cor pulmonary. This is the failure of the right ventricle of the heart, which provides blood to the lungs. Cor pulmonary is fatal. Central sleep apnea is a much rarer form of the malady and is caused by a failure in the respiratory controls in the brain. Put simply, the brain forgets to have the sufferer breathe. This can be caused by a number of things, including medications which depress the central nervous system. It has similar effects to OSA.

Although sleep apnea has a number of unpleasant side effects, it is treatable. Some sleep apnea treatments are as simple as lifestyle changes (losing weight, ceasing smoking or alcohol use), while the use of a CPAP machine is also an option. Serious cases can also be treated surgically. Luckily, the serious side effects of sleep apnea can be removed by treating the apnea.

Based on the symptoms such as sudden awaking during sleep at night, loud snoring and daytime sleepiness, one can go for a proper diagnosis if they believe they suffer from sleep apnea. The doctor who will diagnose you for the presence of sleep apnea will generally first ask for a detailed family history. Then the doctor will examine your nose, mouth, as well as throat for some enlarged tissues that might be obstructing the airflow causing breaks in your breathing pattern.

The common tests done by a doctor are:

-Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), in which the doctor records the time in which you fall asleep during the day. Falling asleep quickly indicates that you are probably not getting enough sleep at night.

-Polysomnogram (PSG), is a test in which your breathing pattern is recorded throughout the night by a sleep specialist and that information is used to determine if you have a sleep disorder.

If you are diagnosed with a case of serious sleep apnea, then more sophisticated medical treatments might be required, these include:

-Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), in which the person suffering from the sleep disorder of sleep apnea has to wear a special mask that keeps the airway open through the night while sleeping. It is the most common treatment offered for serious cases of sleep apnea. The airway is prevented from collapsing by pushing pressurized air through the mask and into the sufferers airway.

-Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), which is basically a surgical method where the extra overgrown obstructive tissue is removed from the airway. The tissue is removed from nose, throat, neck, uvula or soft palate to remove the blockage of air. The surgeon may also consider adjusting the shape of your jaw, if it is believed to be in some way obstructive.

-Medical Mouthpieces, which are special types of mouthpieces, that help the person suffering from sleep apnea. Sufferers wear these while they sleep, it is designed to help them keep their airway broad and prevent choking during sleep. They basically keep the air passage clear through to the throat.

If you believe you are suffering from sleep apnea, consult your doctor for diagnosis and to talk about the appropriate treatment.

When you sleep, your blood pressure and heart rate lower, giving your heart a chance to rest. Sleep apnea related breathing pauses, snoring and choking or having to gasp for air, keep the heart from getting the rest it needs and usually gets from uninterrupted sleep. This can often lead to high blood pressure, which is an even greater strain to the heart. Many sleep apnea sufferers have high blood pressure, which can in many cases, lead to heart attacks or strokes.

Should you think you might be suffering from sleep apnea, you should consult a doctor right away for proper diagnosis. You can find online sleep apnea “daytime sleepiness” tests, that you can take to give you a better idea of how severe your problem could be.

If a doctor thinks that you may be suffering from sleep apnea, you might be sent to a sleep lab for what is known as polysomnography testing. This is a special sleep test that records both brain waves and breathing as you sleep. This is usually a test done overnight at a sleep lab. Small wires are attached to your face, head, legs and chest, as well as sensor belts around your chest to record your breathing. Sometimes a video camera is also used to monitor your sleeping position.

If you are found to have this condition, sleep apnea treatments will differ depending on the severity of it.  Mild sleep apnea can be successfully treated by something as simple as a few lifestyle changes, or a dental device that you put in your mouth when you go to sleep, which holds your lower jaw and tongue forward. Moderate and severe cases of sleep apnea can be treated a number of different ways such as, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. This is a treatment in which a steady flow of air is sent through a mask that keeps your airway open while you sleep. A new treatment available in some places is radio frequency treatment, this is a way of shrinking the tissue in your tongue or throat to making more room in your throat using radio waves that heat the tissue, causing it to shrink. There are also other surgery options for treatment that can be done to remove blockages in your throat, such as laser reduction.

All of these options are available but should only be considered if suggested by your doctor. What you think is the best treatment might not the right one for you, only a doctor or specialist can properly diagnose sleep apnea and suggest the proper treatment for the varying degrees of sleep apnea.