9 Lifestyle Changes You Must Adopt To Tackle Sleep-Apnea

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing starts and stops abruptly, and you start snoring and gasping unconsciously in sleep. Untreated sleep apnea can deprive you of sleep, cause mood swings, increase your heart rate, and raise your blood pressure. 

Escalated sleep apnea troubles require stringent sleep apnea treatment like CPAP treatment or surgery. But you can avoid the consequences of sleep apnea with simple sleep apnea lifestyle changes.

Keep reading these 9 lifestyle changes to tackle sleep apnea! 

Lose weight

Sleep apnea is more prevalent in obese. The fat flabs pressurize the chest and narrow the airway passage in the upper-respiratory system. A narrow airway causes breathing troubles and sleep apnea. Therefore losing weight can prevent and cure sleep apnea.

The cardio and fat-burning exercises that lead to weight loss also improve your breathing efficiency. Hence it unblocks your upper airways.

Indulge in exercise 

A physically active lifestyle can beat all odds. Exercise can shed fat, making you lighter and easing your upper airways. Exercise improves sleep apnea by

• Boosting oxygen levels
• Mitigating day sleep and drowsiness
• Improving sleep quality
• Reducing symptoms of sleep apnea 

Research says 45 minutes of daily walking and 20 minutes of jogging or cardio activity can improve sleep apnea symptoms and overall health.

Quit alcohol and smoking

The booze harms not only your liver and digestive system but also the respiratory system. It can slow the breathing mechanism, collapse breathing muscles and narrow the breathing airway inducing sleep apnea.

Quitting drinking and smoking can positively reduce sleep apnea symptoms and defer stringent treatments.

Follow these instructions to avoid indulging in smoking and drinking.

• Reduce your smoking or alcohol quota to a minimum.
• Avoid alcohol before going to bed.
• Use alternate herbal products to beat smoking cravings.
• Watch your habits. You need to change your habit if you smoke or drink in distress.

The alcohol and chemicals harm your health and worsen sleep quality, eventually causing sleep apnea.

Avoid some medications

Some specific medications, such as opioids, a strong painkiller, may cause sleep apnea as a side effect. They can slow your breathing rate, causing breathing issues and other problems.

Some other drugs that might cause sleep apnea include:

• Muscle relaxants
• High-dose benzodiazepines
• Testosterone injections 
• Weight gain drugs

Change your sleep position

Change in sleeping positions can fix sleep apnea. If you snore or have a mild sleep-breathing problem, you can change your sleeping position to expect relief. Of course, you will need the help of your partner or friend to tell you about the improvement.

Treat nasal congestion

In most cases, nasal congestion contributes to causing sleep apnea. The congestion blocks the flow of the air. To adjust your snore and gasp, and over time, it develops sleep apnea.

The doctor might recommend congestion relief sprays to expel congestion and relieve blocked airways.

Watch your sleep cycle

Although you might have extra work or you might be tempted to do late-night parties, they cause sleep deprivation.  When you have sleep apnea symptoms, you already suffer sleep deprivation. Hence you must watch your sleep and complete your sleep quota every day to mitigate sleep apnea.

Avoid caffeine before sleep

Some people are addicted to coffee and caffeine consumption before bedtime. Caffeine stimulates your body in alert mode and helps you to remain awake; therefore, you might sleep hours after you go to bed. 

You must avoid caffeinated drinks and fatty food that can also cause digestion issues and delay your regular sleep.

Dr. Peter Baptista is a highly revered ENT doctor and one of the best doctors for the treatment of sleep apnea. He recommends you to apply the above sleep apnea lifestyle changes to tackle problems from sleep apnea.

So, book an appointment and discuss your breathing issues with him now!