6 Natural Remedies For Sleep Apnea

In this article, we’ll share some powerful natural remedies for sleep apnea and why you should get it treated.

Overview

Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder. It causes a person to stop breathing during sleep. This results in disturbed sleep patterns in sleep. Depending on the intensity, sleep apnea can affect a person’s life and health in different ways. It is important that you take the right steps to prevent this condition.

Is Sleep Apnea A Serious Issue? Is Treatment Necessary?

Most people do not take sleep disorders seriously. They wonder why sleep apnea should be taken seriously. Any health problem tends to affect the patient in many ways. Here are some ways in which sleep apnea may affect its patients:

1. Causes Weakness

Lack of sleep in sleep apnea results in increased fatigue. Exhaustion and fatigue may prevent you from handling your responsibilities properly. It may also affect your sex life by lowering your libido.

Your productivity and your overall performance may also be affected. If you wish to give your best, you need to get proper sleep. It is vital that you treat sleep apnea for this.

2. Increases Chance Of Cardiovascular Diseases

The breathing stops in sleep. This causes fluctuations in oxygen levels in the body. This may cause a strain on the heart. It could result in high blood pressure. It could also increase your chances of heart attack, stroke, and other heart health diseases. Heart health issues can restrict your life. It may also be very serious. Take the right steps to deal with sleep apnea when you observe the symptoms.

3. Leads To Other Sleep Health Issues

Sleep apnea causes sleep deprivation. This in turn may result in other sleep disorders. People with sleep apnea may develop epilepsy or narcolepsy over a course of time due to sleep deprivation. If you take the necessary steps at the right time, this can be prevented.

4. Affects Other People With You

Sleep apnea affects not just you but others around you. If you are suffering from this condition, you tend to snore. This can disturb others sleeping near you. They may also have disturbed sleep as a result.

If you have a lowered libido due to sleep apnea, it is bound to affect your relationship too. It may cause dissatisfaction with your partner. It makes sense to take the right steps to correct the condition.

5. Increases The Risk Of Psychological Health Problems

Good sleep is essential for good mental health. Many of the mental and psychological health problems are detected through sleep patterns. So, disrupted sleep patterns can increase the chances of mental health problems. Stress and anxiety are some problems that may crop up due to lack of sleep. There are other problems too like depression that could result from improper sleep.

Natural Remedies For Sleep Apnea

In severe cases of sleep apnea, the patient may have to undergo surgery. However, there are some natural remedies that may help in most mild cases of sleep apnea.

1. Yoga And Meditation

One of the major causes of sleep apnea is the inability to breathe properly while sleeping. When your heart functioning is improved, the chances of this occurring are few. Meditation and yoga can help to strengthen your body and mind. It can help to improve breathing patterns. Pranayama is a breathing exercise that can help to improve the respiratory systems. These measures can help to reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea. In mild cases of sleep apnea, the method may help to completely eliminate the condition.

2. Get Rid of Unhealthy Habits

There are several unhealthy habits that cause narrowing of the airways. One such habit is smoking. It is important to get rid of such unhealthy habits in order to get rid of sleep apnea. Smoking causes inflammation and swelling in the airways.

Excessive alcohol use is another poor health habit that may increase the risk of this sleep disorder. Alcohol use relaxes the throat muscles excessively. This may result in sleep apnea. Studies reveal that people with sleep apnea are more inclined to develop a smoking habit. Tackling this health condition may also help to get rid of this habit.

3. Improve Sleep Environment

Sleep environment can help greatly in most sleep health disorders. Sleep apnea is no exception to this rule. The position of sleeping is also known to contribute to the severity of sleep apnea. It was observed that sleeping on the back elevates the chances of sleep apnea in adults. Sleeping on the side can help to reduce the chances. There are studies that show children with sleep apnea do better when they sleep on their backs.

A patient with sleep apnea usually has disturbed sleep. This is the reason why care should be taken to maintain a better sleep environment. Make sure all the lights are switched off. This will ensure that the person’s sleep won’t be disturbed because of the lights. Pick the right bed and mattress to ensure complete comfort. Avoid consumption of coffee a few hours prior to sleeping. Caffeine is known to increase activity levels. This could prevent the patient from getting proper sleep.

4. Maintain Proper Body Weight

It has been observed that excessive body weight is a major risk factor in sleep apnea. That is why maintaining proper body weight could be an important home remedy. When people gain more upper body weight, chances of airway obstruction are more.

There have also been cases where maintaining healthy bodyweight helped to eliminate sleep apnea completely. You can do this through regular exercise. You can also modify your diet by reducing the intake of junk food.

5. Use Humidifier For Your Room

Humidifiers add moisture to the air. Dry air is known to cause congestion and respiratory irritation. This can in turn affect the way the function of the airway. Using a humidifier in your room can help to reduce the chances of such irritation. You may pick humidifiers with respiratory soothing effects such as lavender and eucalyptus oil. It will help further.

6. Use The Right Oral Devices

Oral devices are another way to improve your condition during sleep apnea. These devices can help to improve the air pathways ensuring better breathing. You may pick from the mandibular advancement devices or tongue stabilizing devices. These devices are effective ways to counter sleep apnea if it suits you.

Natural Remedies For Sleep Apnea: Wrap Up

There are different ways to deal with mild sleep apnea at home itself. We have discussed these above. Apart from these, there are surgeries and medicines that may help the condition. If you observe the symptoms of sleep apnea, consult a doctor. Based on the severity of the condition, he may suggest medicines and treatments. It will help you lead a better life.