sleep

Overcoming Sleep Apnea

by admin on April 27, 2010

Sleep apnea can be a serious medical condition in which an individual has interruptions in their breathing pattern during sleep. Researching sleep apnea cures can become a challenging problem. To treat the problem, one must correct the underlying cause.

In sleep apnea, the airway intermittently collapses during sleep (hence the name obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA), often secondary to obesity or other diseases. To prevent the airway from collapsing, the most simple—and potentially the most difficult—solution is to simply lose weight. Without extra pounds to compress the airway, breathing becomes much less labored. There are several other “quick and easy” fixes for sleep apnea, which include propping the head up with several pillows in order to keep the airway from collapsing. The same theory goes for sleeping on one’s side instead of the back—a person’s weight around the neck is not pressing directly on the airway, thus, gravity has less of an effect.

Sometimes weight loss is not enough of a cure for sleep apnea, and people with sleep apnea must resort to other means of treatment. Patients can use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, which delivers a constant flow of air into the patient’s airway through a face mask. This continuous pressure effectively props the airway open, preventing collapse. Unfortunately, CPAP can dry out mucous membranes, and the mask is not comfortable to wear.

Patients who do not have relief with CPAP can ask their doctors to prescribe a BiPAP machine. A BiPAP machine also delivers air to a patient via a face mask, but the pressure of the air delivered varies depending on whether the patient is breathing in or out. Most people find this significantly more tolerable than CPAP, where the air pressure is constant during inhalation. For very serious cases of sleep apnea, the opening to the airway can be improved by surgical means. This may mean removing tonsils and excess tissue, or could be as drastic as altering the structure of the jaw to permit freer breathing.

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If you have begun suffering from night sweats, you might begin to panic as you don’t understand what is bringing them on. Many things could be causing your night sweating, but when you first tackle this pesky sleep disorder, try to address things you can actually do something about and not focus on the unknown or on the potential causes of night sweats you can’t actually do anything about right now.

The first solution I suggest is to evaluate the materials you are using on your bed and for your bed clothes. Polyester and nylon are not good fabrics for letting your body cool and letting your skin breathe. Instead you should opt for light, natural and breathable fabrics. Two excellent options are cotton and linen.

Today you can even find pajamas designed to help wick away sweat from your body. Sheets made from bamboo are often becoming widespread for use with those suffering from night sweats, particular as resulting from low estrogen symptoms or menopause.

The second solution I suggest is to closely evaluate your diet for spicy foods, too many rich, fatty foods and too much red meat. Spicy food raise your core body temperature. Your digestive system must work harder to digest fatty foods and red meat, thus producing more of its own heat to help with digestion and increasing overall systemic effort.

Along with those foods, you should consider reducing or eliminating alcohol and caffeine from your diet. Both are common and well-known agents for triggering both night sweating and excessive sweating in general.

The third solution I suggest is to take some common sense steps to reduce the temperature and increase the air flow in your sleeping environment. Don’t think of temperature and air flow as one and the same. Air flow at the same temperature can increase the way the air around you wicks away heat from your body.

Many humans prefer a cooler sleeper temperature than they enjoy while awake. So experiment with lowering your bedroom’s temperature a few degrees with a cracked window or lowered thermostats.

If you still experience distinct and persistent night sweats after implementing all these solutions, I urge you to visit your doctor and discuss the matter.

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As we know that Sound Sleep is Good for Health, you should also know that Sleep is also important to reduce stress hormones, which will effectively improve your skin condition. Studies have also shown that sufficient rest and sleep controls your cortisol level, which directly controls your appetite. So, don’t sleep late to avoid increased fat deposition around the abdomen. These are the 5 best and very effective tips you can adopt which can improve your sleeping conditions and may result you in a better sleep, like a baby.
1- Exercising regularly! By Exercising for at least 30 minutes a day help you sleep better.
2- Keep the temperature cool! Keeping the temperature in your bedroom cool and comfortable, no higher than 70 degrees F. Too hot will make it too uncomfortable to sleep while too cold will leave you awake the whole night.
3- Don’t keep the time near you! You will always watch it then. So keep the clock out of sight because watching it every hour is not going to help you sleep better and you will be restless.
4- Wear comfortable! While going to sleep keep yourself in comfortable clothes, which will make you sleep better.
5- Stop working! Don’t work till the very last minute before you go to sleep. Put your work away at least one hour before bed so that you give your mind a break before you call it a night.
Besides these tips there are also some ‘Don’ts’ which you should avoid while going to sleep to get you affective and comfortable sleep.
To attain a slim, fit and healthy body, a natural and full sleep is necessary for your body. If you are restless in night you will be restless the whole day long. So according to me you can have a much comfortable sleep by avoiding the alcohols prior to sleep. You should carefully watch what you eat and drink before you are on your bed. it has been seen that although alcoholic drinks can fall you asleep faster, it is also the number one reason why you find yourself awake in the middle of night. Also, caffeine will only leave you feeling a buzz, which is not a place you want to be before you fall asleep.
Also remember to refrain from having heavy meals before your bed time. This will only make you feel uncomfortable and unable to rest easy when it is time to sleep.
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