10 Home Remedies for Sleep Apnea
Sleeping disorders have become a very serious issue in the USA and around the world. It’s estimated that over 20 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea and that up to 80% of people who experience it, haven’t been diagnosed. As a result they may not take the proper steps to tackle the problem they have with sleep apnea and suffer a longer part of their lives.
Sleep apnea can be a serious disorder and it happens when your breathing stops and starts repeatedly throughout the night. If you snore loudly and often wake up feeling tired, even after a full night’s rest, there is a good chance that you’re suffering from sleep apnea.
These are the three most common types of sleep apnea:
- Obstructive sleep apnea: this is the most common form, and it occurs when the throat muscles relax too much causing obstructed breathing
- Central sleep apnea: this happens when the brain doesn’t send the right signals to the muscles that control breathing
- Complex sleep apnea syndrome: this happens when someone has both types of sleep apnea listed above
These are the most common sleep apnea symptoms to look out for:
- Loud snoring
- Periods when you stop breathing, this needs to be confirmed by another person
- Gasping for more O2 during sleep
- Waking up with a dry mouth
- Morning headaches
- Problems staying asleep (insomnia)
- Excessive levels of sleepiness during the daytime
- Having a hard time concentrating or paying attention while awake
- Often becoming irritable
These are the most common risk factors:
- Being overweight or obese
- Having a thick neck often means having a thinner airway
- Narrow airways, usually an inherited trait
- Males are two to three times more likely to suffer from sleep apnea than their female counterparts
- The risk of sleep apnea increases with age
- Family history/heredity
- Alcohol and other sedative substances
- Smoking
- Nasal blockage/congestion
- Medical conditions such as: heart issues, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, hormonal disorders, history of strokes and chronic lung diseases
Although there are some severe cases when medical attention and medication might be necessary to help with your sleep apnea, but there are some key lifestyle changes and natural remedies that work well and have helped people get over this illness. Here are 10 home remedies for sleep apnea:
10 Home Remedies for Sleep Apnea
#1 – Keep a healthy weight This is easier said than done for most people, but being overweight or obese is perhaps the number one risk factor when it comes to suffering from sleep apnea. Being overweight increases the risk of airway obstruction and narrows the passages, this can cause you to cease breathing for periods of time while sleeping.
Diet and exercise are the most effective lifestyle changes you can make to help keep the weight off. It’s a good idea to find a diet and exercise routine that you enjoy, this kind of strategy will help you make these changes permanent.
#2 – Breathe James Nestor’s book Breath, explores the benefits of breathing properly, how breathing improperly is responsible for many of today’s civilizational illnesses and how our ancestors did not experience many of the health issues we have today because of how aware they were of the importance of breathing properly.
One of the major issues James Nestor mentions in his book is how common sleep apnea is in western civilization, and how it did not exist in the past. Breathing, or more precisely the lack of proper breathing is responsible for changing the shape of our mouths, airways, sinus problems and many other sleep apnea causing issues.
Although it has to be said that it’s worth reading the whole book, making small changes like breathing in for six seconds and breathing out for the same amount of time can change the way you sleep in a matter of weeks. Not to mention many other potential benefits.
.
#3 – Exercise There is nothing as effective a prophylactic as aerobic heavy exercise. When you run, jog, swim or cycle on a regular basis every organ and muscle is being worked, toned and improved.
It’s a good idea to find a routine that you enjoy so you can make it a part of your daily lifestyle. Getting the proper amount of aerobic exercise is considered to be one of the most effective treatments for sleep apnea, and that includes pharmaceuticals.
#4 – Yoga Yoga can improve your oxygen levels and over all respiratory system health, strengthen your heart and increase your energy levels. Yoga is also good for encouraging the flow of oxygen throughout your body and your bloodstream, this may be very helpful because sleep apnea is strongly associated with decreased levels of oxygen saturation in your blood.
#5 -Sleeping positions Changing your sleeping position, even only slightly, may be a big help in helping you deal with sleep apnea. Altering your sleeping position can help reduce symptoms and improve your over-all sleep. It’s been found that more than 50% of obstructive sleep apnea cases are caused by a bad sleeping position.
10 Home Remedies for Sleep Apnea
#6 – Humidify Using a humidifier to add moisture to the air in your home is a great way to deal with sleep apnea. Dry air can potentially irritate the respiratory system, while using a humidifier can help open your airways, decrease the level of your congestion and help encourage easier breathing.
You can also add some essential oils to your humidifier for some added benefits. Lavender, eucalyptus and peppermint oils all have anti-inflammatory properties and help soothe the respiratory system.
#7 – Quit smoking Quitting smoking is perhaps one of the most important lifestyle changes you can make, it’ll not only make you feel better when you’re awake, but it’ll help you sleep better as well. Tobacco can help cause inflammation and swelling in your airways, and this helps make your snoring louder, and your breathing worse.
#8 – Stop drinking alcohol Alcohol use make sleep apnea symptoms worse, mostly due to the inhibitory effect it has on your body’s ability to breathe when you’re sleeping. Alcohol relaxes the muscles in your throat creating a much bigger possibility that your upper airways are going to contract or collapse. The result of this is snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.
#9 – Raise the head of your bed It’s been shown that raising the head of your bed to about 60 degrees can help reduce the amount of sleep apnea episodes a person experiences12. This may be an especially effective remedy for people who find that their apnea increases when they sleep on their backs, but have a hard time sleeping on their side.
#10 – Oral and dental appliances There are devices that can hold the tongue or jaw in a specific position, and this can help you breathe better and more freely. It’s important to note that most of these devices do require a prescription, but they are non-pharmaceutical and can help you fight sleep apnea while you explore a more permanent solution.
Sleep apnea can be handled in a natural and non-pharmaceutical way in most cases, so it’s a pretty good idea to explore these home remedies before turning to a pharmaceutical option. It’s important to note that home and natural remedies are more permanent solutions because they help tackle the underlying cause of your problems instead of just fighting the symptoms.
Related Home Remedy Searches:
alternative cures for sleep apnea, alternative treatments for severe sleep apnea, can sleep apnea be cured, can sleep apnea be cured naturally, central sleep apnea, cures for sleep apnea, cures for sleep apnea without cpap, essential oils for sleep apnea, herbs for sleep apnea, homemade sleep apnea cure, how to cure sleep apnea naturally at home without cpap,
latest device for sleep apnea, maskless sleep apnea treatment, natural cure for central sleep apnea, natural remedies for sleep apnea, new device for sleep apnea, new sleep apnea machines, new sleep apnea treatment, new sleep apnea treatment 2019, new sleep apnea treatment 2020, patanjali medicine for sleep apnea, side effects of sleep apnea, sleep apnea cures, sleep apnea devices, sleep apnea help without cpap, sleep apnea home test kit, sleep apnea machines,
sleep apnea natural ayurvedic home remedies, sleep apnea oral appliance, sleep apnea screening tool, sleep apnea symptoms, sleep apnea symptoms in women, sleep apnea test at home, sleep apnea treatment, sleep apnea treatment in homeopathy, sleep apnea treatment without cpap, sleep better without cpap, throat exercises for sleep apnea, treatment for sleep apnea other than cpap, yoga for sleep apnea, 10 Home Remedies for Sleep Apnea, Natural Sleep Apnea Treatment,sleep apnea, sleep apnea remedy,
Sleep Apnea References and Sleep Apnea Information
- Sleep Apnea org: https://www.sleepapnea.org/learn/sleep-apnea-information-clinicians/#:~:text=A%20very%20short%20course%20on%20sleep%20apnea&text=Sleep%20disorders%2C%20including%20sleep%20apnea,severe%20obstructive%20sleep%20apnea%20undiagnosed.
- Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20377631#:~:text=Sleep%20apnea%20is%20a%20potentially,occurs%20when%20throat%20muscles%20relax
- Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20377631#:~:text=Sleep%20apnea%20is%20a%20potentially,occurs%20when%20throat%20muscles%20relax
- Harvard Health: http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/sleep-apnea/what-is-osa/risk-factors
- Pub Med (Scientific Study): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7963174/
- Research Gate (Scientific Study): https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joseph_Norman2/publication/11955895_Exercise_training_effect_on_obstructive_sleep_apnea_syndrome/links/560842b408ae8e08c09460ca.pdf
- Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health/yoga-for-blood-circulation
- Springer Link (Scientific Study): https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00405-006-0090-2
- Res Med: https://www.resmed.com/au/en/consumer/support/humidifiers.html
- Pub Med: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22932197/
- Advanced Sleep Medicine Service: https://www.sleepdr.com/the-sleep-blog/how-does-alcohol-affect-sleep/#:~:text=Alcohol%20use%20exacerbates%20sleep%20apnea,snoring%20or%20obstructive%20sleep%20apnea.
- US National Library of Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3480568/
- Read Also: https://homeremediesapp.com/10-home-remedies-for-sleep/
