How to Manage Sleep Apnea Naturally
Sleep apnea is a condition where the patient’s breathing repeatedly starts and stops at night, causing them to wake up from sleep multiple times. There are various different types of the condition and it is important to know how to manage sleep apnea naturally as not all cases require immediate medical assistance. Depending on the type and severity of the disorder, certain lifestyle changes can be made at home.
Let us look at some natural ways to deal with sleep apnea:
- Maintain a healthy body weight
Obesity and being overweight is one of the common causes of sleep apnea. The extra fat, which is collected around the windpipe region, causes the path to get narrowed and clogged. This leads to obstruction in breathing. Following a healthy diet and eating less fatty food, sugar, and dairy products can help to reduce body fat, which can help reduce the fat deposits in the airways. - Exercising and yoga
Exercising regularly helps to reduce body fat and increase blood circulation in the body, which allows more oxygen to be distributed in the body. This helps the system to overcome fatigue caused by sleep apnea. Yoga and breathing exercises help your body to gain more control over the breathing muscles and decrease breathing issues. - Stop smoking
Smoking is one of the major causes of sleep apnea and continuing to indulge in the habit only worsens the disorder. One of the ways to deal with sleep apnea naturally is to stop smoking to reduce the severity of the condition and take the required steps to treat the inflammation in the windpipe. - Controlled use of sedatives
Medications like sleeping pills, painkillers, and muscle-relaxants to deal with muscle spasms can aggravate sleep apnea. Oftentimes, the muscles responsible for breathing get too relaxed and stop functioning due to these options. Controlled use of sedatives or mild dosages should be taken under the doctor’s supervision to avoid any problems in breathing during sleep. - Reduce alcohol consumption
Consuming excess alcohol is another factor that can increase the risk of sleep apnea. Make sure to completely stop the consumption of spirits as it acts as a sedative and has the same effect on the breathing of a person. - Sleeping position
This is one of the simplest ways to treat sleep apnea . Sleeping on your back is one of the reasons why breathing gets disrupted. It is advised that adults should sleep on their sides to allow proper breathing and avoid any symptoms of sleep apnea to appear. - Use of humidifiers
If you already have problems with breathing, then you are likely to suffer more during a dry climate. In order to manage sleep apnea naturally, it is best to use a humidifier, which increases the moisture in the air and allows comfortable breathing. The machine opens up the airway and allows breathing to become easier and less exerted.