Try These Home Remedies For Relief From Sleep Apnea

Are you having a hard time sleeping lately? Has your partner complained about your obnoxious snoring waking them up at night? Are you so tired during the day that you feel like you need a nap just to make it through?

At Galleria of Smiles, Dr. Justin Emami and Dr. M. Emami have the training and experience necessary to relieve some of your sleep apnea symptoms. We encourage you to learn more about sleep apnea and whether you could have the condition, and what to do if you are diagnosed with the complex disorder.

The most important thing you can do for yourself right now is to learn more about sleep apnea and how to relieve your symptoms with home remedies.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a very serious sleep disorder characterized by repeated pauses in one’s breathing while they sleep. People with untreated sleep apnea can stop breathing as many as hundreds of times a night.

There are two types of sleep apnea:

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
  The more common type that occurs when the airway becomes blocked, usually when the soft tissue at the back of the throat sags during sleep.
• Central Sleep Apnea
  Occurs when the brain doesn’t send a signal to the muscles to breathe, caused by instability in the respiratory control center.

Sleep Apnea Symptoms

Keep in mind that because this disorder and many of its symptoms occur while you sleep, you may not even know you have sleep apnea. Your significant other could notice your symptoms before you do.

The most common symptoms of sleep apnea include:

• Loud snoring
• Waking up with a dry or sore throat
• Waking up with a choking feeling or feeling like you’re gasping for air
• Daytime fatigue
• Drowsiness while driving
• Morning headaches
• Restless sleep
• Insomnia
• Forgetfulness and mood changes

Home Remedies For Sleep Apnea Relief

Sleep apnea is a serious disorder that needs to be treated to avoid more complex health conditions. There are several home remedies that can work to provide relief from symptoms and even treat your sleep apnea.

It’s best that you consult with a doctor before making any dramatic changes, but we’re more than happy to talk with you about the home remedies that can help relieve the symptoms of sleep apnea.

First, because weight is one of the contributing factors to obstructive sleep apnea, it’s a good to try to lose weight. Experts agree that weight loss is an important part of managing sleep apnea, so try to make healthy changes to your diet. Practice moderation and limit the consumption of foods that can contribute to an unhealthy weight.

It’s also a good idea to limit your consumption of alcohol and the use of medicine. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol before you sleep can worsen symptoms. Your symptoms could also be aggravated by the use of sleeping pills or sedatives.

To relieve symptoms you should also stop smoking. The nicotine found in tobacco products relaxes the muscles at the back of the throat, causing the airway to become more narrow.

As surprising as this may be, it’s also important to get enough sleep. You may have more frequent episodes of sleep apnea if you haven’t had enough sleep.

Sleep Apnea Treatments

If you’re suffering from sleep apnea, don’t wait another day to seek treatment. While home remedies can work wonders for your symptoms, often more complex intervention is required.

At Galleria of Smiles, we offer several different mouthguards to treat obstructive sleep apnea, including DynaFlex, Narval, Herbst, and SomnoDent.