If you are visiting with us soon to discuss whether you need sleep apnea treatment, the answer will be “yes” if we diagnose you with the sleep disorder. While the treatment will provide you with exceptional improvement for your nightly sleep, it is also important that you consider making some lifestyle changes. The goal is to ensure you are making the most of your treatment (rather than ignoring issues that can become counterproductive in achieving a good night’s sleep).
Change #1: Address Congestion Issues
If you are struggling to breathe because of congestion issues, you are already dealing with partially blocked airways. Add sleep apnea into the mix and keeping your air passages open while you sleep becomes much more challenging. Do yourself a favor and keep your airways as clear as possible by seeking not only sleep apnea treatment but also treatment for allergies, sinusitis, or whatever the cause of your chronic congestion.
Change #2: Stop Sleeping On Your Back
Do you sleep on your back? The good news is that this habit is usually easy to break with just a little bit of repeated effort on a nightly basis. Attempt to sleep on your stomach or roll onto your side as you go to sleep. This will prevent your soft palate and tongue from pressing back into your airways, resulting in partial obstruction while you sleep.
Change #3: Relax Through Natural Means
If you have a hard time falling asleep at night, reaching for a glass of wine or a sleep aid will help you fall asleep. However, they will contribute to your sleep apnea rather than helping your sleep apnea treatment. This is because they will relax not only your nerves but also the muscles that support your throat tissues (the very tissues that collapse and block your breathing during sleep apnea events). Instead, seek naturally relaxing therapies like meditation, calming music, or exercise.
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