Tricks for Treating Sleep Apnea

4 minutes

Harmful habits like smoking can have a lot to do with the appearance and development of sleep apnea. Alternatively, other habits like singing could help to manage this problem.

Reviewed and approved by the doctor Nelton Abdon Ramos Rojas.

Written by Okairy Zuñiga

Last update: 15 December, 2022

Sleep apnea is a potentially serious disorder that prevents you from breathing well while you sleep. Your breathing can stop anywhere from one to several seconds once or several times per night. After each pause, your breathing returns to normal.

If you snore heavily and you feel tired, even after sleeping the whole night, you may suffer from sleep apnea. However, not everyone who has sleep apnea snores. Similarly

Of course, if you’re concerned, we recommend you consult a doctor. They’ll be able to determine if your symptoms correspond with sleep apnea, and they’ll do the necessary studies to determine it.

Men, people that are overweight and over 40, those with a history of sleep apnea in the family, or those who have small airways are more at risk of sleep apnea. It’s also a common problem for those who suffer from asthma or respiratory problems.

Below we give you some tips that you can use for treating sleep apnea.

Advice for treating sleep apnea

The advice we give here doesn’t substitute anything a doctor may suggest, but it can help to manage the symptoms of sleep apnea.

young woman sleeping on her back — Good quality sleep is essential to regulate the hormonal processes that help to control appetite.

Reorganize your sleeping schedule

The most common way to treat apnea is to set a sleep schedule. Make sure that the times are continuous and consistent. This lets your body enter into a “lighter” state of rest. Remember that not being consistent or comfortable when sleeping makes you more likely to have muscular irregularities and breathing problems.

Lose weight

Obesity is loosely related to sleep apnea. The fat that accumulates in your throat and neck can be dangerous as it can block your airways. It can cause snoring and stops your lungs from working at their best.

Losing weight can be helpful to reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea. This is what investigations like the one published in 2004 in the University of Navarra’s Journal of Medicine confirm.

It’s enough to follow a simple exercise routine and reduce your intake of processed foods that are rich in sugar and fat.

Also read: Restful Sleep – How Much Do We Really Need?

Treating sleep apnea: try sleeping on your side!

When you sleep face up, it’s much harder for your respiratory system to resolve sleep apnea. Your body struggles to clear blocked air passages. In this position, your tongue and the soft tissues in your throat naturally fall to the back of your mouth. This can block your airways and cause you to snore.

In addition to sleeping on your side, place a pillow between your knees while you sleep. This keeps you from unconsciously changing your position.

It’s also important that you avoid sleeping on your back or stomach. These two positions cause interrupted sleep. In addition, you’ll end up snoring much more.

Add exercise to your routine

Exercise is an integral factor in losing weight. Doing continual exercise strengthens your airways. This means that when you go to bed, it’ll be easier to get to sleep.

Make sure you’re following a balanced diet

According to Dr. Diego Garcia Borreguero, the Medical Director of the International Institute for Sleep a deficit in the absorption of magnesium, complex B vitamins, zinc, copper, calcium, and iron in your daily diet is related to sleep disorders.

In fact, it’s clear that following a balanced diet that includes all these nutrients is essential if you want to keep sleep disorders at bay – specifically sleep apnea.

Avoid smoking, actively or passively

Smoking is one of the causes of sleep apnea. The chemicals in smoke or tobacco that you introduce into your body cause constriction, inflammation, and irritation in your airways. If you want to stop snoring. it’s a good idea to avoid cigarettes and tobacco in any and all forms.

You may also like: Everything You Should Know About Staying Away from Tobacco

Singing can be positive in treating sleep apnea

woman singing and playing guitar low angle shot

Although it may seem weird, singing is beneficial for strengthening the soft tissues in the palate and throat. As a result, when you increase your muscular control in these areas you reduce the probability that your airways will become blocked due to loose or lax muscles is decreased.

Investigations like that conducted by specialists in the United Kingdom confirm this. A research group in the United Kingdom conducted a study to determine whether singing classes reduced snoring in a group of people who snored. They noticed that in the majority of subjects, the snoring had reduced. Now that you know, try singing every now and again!

It doesn’t matter if you haven’t got a good voice, the only thing you need to choose is your favorite song and then sing it. Also, remember that singing can help reduce stress.

These tips can be of help when it comes to treating sleep apnea. However, we recommend that you visit a doctor if you think you’re suffering from any of these symptoms.