If you’re one of the estimated 1 billion people worldwide who suffer from sleep apnea, you know that this common sleep disorder can have a big impact on your life. Sleep apnea is a condition marked by brief interruptions in breathing while you sleep, and it can lead to a number of health problems including increased risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, you may be wondering what the best options are for treating it. Fortunately, there are many effective treatments available for those with sleep apnea. In this article, we will discuss the many natural remedies and treatments that can help you sleep soundly without surgery.
Understanding Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a condition characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), in which the muscles of the throat relax and sporadically block the airway, causing repeated interruptions in breathing. The other two types of sleep apnea are central sleep apnea (CSA), where the brain fails to send the signals to initiate breathing, and complex sleep apnea syndrome (CompSA), which is a combination of central and obstructive sleep apnea.
Symptoms of sleep apnea can include loud snoring, gasping for air during the night, difficulty sleeping, fatigue, morning headaches, and forgetfulness or accidental falling asleep during the day.
Coping with Sleep Apnea
If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, you may have been told you either need to wear a CPAP machine to bed or have surgery to correct the problem. While CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) therapy can help some people, it is not the only option for treating sleep apnea. There are many natural remedies and lifestyle changes that can help improve your symptoms of sleep apnea and help you feel more refreshed in the morning. These natural treatments include:
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Being overweight is one of the major risk factors for developing obstructive sleep apnea. By losing excess weight, you can alleviate some of the symptoms of sleep apnea. Try to get adequate exercise as well to help maintain a healthy weight and improve your sleep.
Avoid Alcohol and Smoking
Both alcohol and smoking can make the symptoms of sleep apnea worse, so it’s important to avoid using these substances if you have the condition.
Adjust Your Sleep Position
Try sleeping on your side instead of your back. Sleeping on your stomach can also improve breathing and reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea.
Control Allergens in Your Bedroom
Allergens in the bedroom can exacerbate the symptoms of sleep apnea, so it’s important to keep your bedroom as clean and allergen-free as possible. Change your sheets, pillows, and mattress once a week to keep them free of allergens.
Consider Alternative Therapies
Osteopathy and chiropractic therapy are two alternative therapies that may help reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea. Both of these therapies focus on realigning the body’s structure to help improve breathing and reduce the risk of obstruction.
Conclusion
If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, it’s important to take steps to ensure that you’re getting the best night’s sleep possible. Luckily, there are many natural remedies and lifestyle changes that can help improve the symptoms of sleep apnea and lead to a better night’s sleep. Some of these treatments include maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding alcohol and smoking, adjusting your sleep position, and controlling allergens in the bedroom. In addition to these natural remedies, alternative therapies such as osteopathy and chiropractic therapy can also help improve your symptoms. By finding the right treatment for your sleep apnea, you can make sure you get the sleep you need to stay healthy.
