If you have sleep apnea, try these five tips for getting a better night’s sleep
If you have obstructive sleep apnea or OSA, you probably already know a restful night’s sleep is a hard thing to come by. What with the breathing issues, and the constant waking throughout the night, it can make sleep a rarity, and it can make the following day a nightmare of tiredness, lethargy, anxiety, and depression. Worse yet, obstructive sleep apnea can fuel many other illnesses, from diabetes to Alzheimer’s disease.
Thankfully there are some things you can do to help mitigate some of the tiredness you are feeling each night and day, simply by altering your daytime behaviors. Here are five tips for having a more restful night, even if you have obstructive sleep apnea.
GO TO BED “EARLY”
No, we’re not saying go to bed at 7pm (unless you want to!) but don’t stay up too late, either! Staying up late can affect your sleep cycle, and it can make you more tired than you might be with obstructive sleep apnea alone.
MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT
This goes without saying, but maintaining a healthy weight is as good for your overall health as it is for your sleep apnea symptoms. In fact, a recent study has found that even slight weight loss can improve sleep apnea symptoms dramatically. Conversely, weight gain of ten percent increases your odds of obstructive sleep apnea by sixfold!
DON’T DRINK
While you don’t need to give up alcoholic beverages entirely, drinking alcohol close to bedtime can affect your obstructive sleep apnea by both disrupting sleep and making it more difficult to breathe.
SEE A DOCTOR
If you suspect you have sleep apnea, or if you know you suffer from the illness, be sure to discuss it with your doctor so that you may begin a safe and effective treatment program. Follow up with your doctor regularly to monitor symptoms and make adjustments to your treatment plan.
GET TREATED
While many people are prescribed CPAP therapy to treat their sleep apnea, many still do not use the therapy because they find it uncomfortable. If this is the case, there is good news! CPAP may be the most common treatment option, but it’s not the only game in town. In fact, Dr. Abelar offers sleep solutions for those with OSA. A custom sleep appliance may be the perfect solution to your issues with CPAP. This manual device fits comfortably into the mouth, requires no mask, requires no forced air or electricity, is easy to care for, and most people say it simply feels better.
To learn more about sleep appliances from Dr. Abelar, please contact the office today for more information.
