If it’s left alone for too long, sleep apnea can take a heavy toll on your health and your quality of life. As such, it’s important to take steps to address it as soon as you can. Naturally, you’ll want to pursue professional treatments such as a customized oral appliance. However, there are also a number of things you can do at home to improve the quality of your slumber. Below are 4 notable home remedies for sleep apnea.
1. Losing Weight
Being overweight is one of the top risk factors for sleep apnea; this is due to excess fat in the neck area that might interfere with breathing. Taking steps to lose weight can therefore often go a long way toward reducing the severity of your sleep disorder. Good weight-loss strategies include engaging in physical activity for at least 30 minutes every day and staying away from processed foods as much as possible.
2. Changing Sleeping Position
It may surprise you to learn that simply changing the position you sleep in could make it easier to get a better night’s rest. Sleeping on your back often makes sleep apnea symptoms worse as a result of the tongue falling to the back of the mouth and obstructing the airway. If you switch to sleeping on your side, it can lower the chances of such obstructions happening.
Getting your body used to side sleeping can take some effort. One technique is to attach a tennis ball to your back; this will discourage your body from turning while you’re asleep.
3. Staying Away from Alcohol
Drinking right before bed may have more of an impact on the quality of your sleep than you might think. Alcohol can relax the muscles in your throat, which can make existing sleep apnea symptoms even worse. As such, if you’re trying to keep your sleep disorder under control, you should make a point of reducing your alcohol intake. In particular, it’s best to avoid alcoholic beverages altogether for at least a few hours before you go to bed.
4. Investing in a Humidifier
Sometimes sleep apnea might be linked to dry air in your bedroom. Dry air can worsen sleep-disordered breathing by irritating the respiratory system. Thus, you may want to think about getting a humidifier to increase the moisture in the air while you sleep. As an added benefit, you can try adding essential oils with anti-inflammatory properties – such as lavender – to your humidifier.
Taking the right steps to treat your sleep apnea can help you enjoy more restful nights again. Be sure to talk to your sleep dentist as soon as possible to see what solutions they recommend.
About the Practice
At GoTo Sleep Center – Scottsdale, we’re fully dedicated to helping our patients overcome their sleep apnea. We offer many different types of oral appliances to suit a wide variety of needs, including Prosomnus, SomnoMed, Panthera, and Serena. If you’re looking for a solution for your sleep disorder, you can schedule a consultation with us by visiting our website or calling (623) 254-7433.
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