Sleep Apnea Home Treatments
Sleep apnea is a dangerous problem. Sleep deprivation due to sleep apnea will make a person less functional and can lead to stroke, heart disease, and even death.
Snoring may be funny in a cartoon, but in real life, it is a sign of devastating sleep apnea. Snoring interferes with breathing and oxygen flow, causing the sleeper to wake numerous times during sleep.
Inadequate sleep is linked to many other health problems, including depression, moodiness, weight gain, and more. Sufferers of sleep apnea can do something to complement medical treatment. The following home remedies may help reduce snoring, promote breathing, and keep a sufferer of sleep apnea from waking during sleep.
• Do not eat or drink two hours before going to bed.
• Go to the restroom before going to bed.
• Raise the “head” end of your bed about four inches. Bricks, a large book, or some wooden blocks can work if they are large and sturdy enough. Make sure the bed will not fall off the supports, causing injury. If you do not want to raise your entire bed, just raise your mattress.
• Prop yourself up with extra pillows. Laying flat on your back can aggravate sleep apnea by causing your airway to collapse, obstructing your airway, and promoting snoring. Propping yourself up with extra pillows may help keep this from happening.
• Sleep on your side instead of sleeping on your back. If it is difficult to stay on your side, consider putting a pillow or something behind your back, keeping you from rolling onto your back. Hugging a pillow is another option to keep you on your side.
• Nasal strips that stick on the outside of the nose, opening the nasal passages may help some people suffering with sleep apnea. They may feel a little uncomfortable and may look a little silly, but they do help some people.
• If you suffer from allergies, change your bed linens often, removing allergens that may aggravate nasal passages and cause snoring. Many sufferers of sleep apnea also suffer from allergies. Vacuuming the floor, curtains, and anything else dusty in the room will help, too.
• Take a decongestant or antihistamine if congested before going to bed.
• Quit smoking. Smoking irritates the throat and airway.
• Gargle with peppermint mouthwash. This old-fashioned home remedy is supposed to shrink the nose lining, opening the airway.
• Drink nettle tea to sooth inflammation caused by allergies.
• Lose weight. Losing weight can reduce or even stop your snoring.
• Eat and live well.
• Place a tennis ball in a sock and sew it to the back of your pajamas. If you turn onto your back during sleep, it will be uncomfortable and your natural response will be to turn on your side and off your back. After a while, muscle memory may keep you on your side. This may sound silly, but it is an effective home treatment for sleep apnea.
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