Natural Treatment of Sleep Apnea

Natural Treatment of Sleep Apnea

1.Quit Smoking

One of the major causes of sleep apnea, particularly obstructive sleep apnea, is smoking. This causes constriction and weakness within the airway, as well as inflammation, which can block breathing efforts when we sleep. If you want to stop snoring, eliminating cigarettes from your life is a wise choice, particularly because of all the other health issues that it can cause. Smokers are found to have sleep apnea three times as often as non-smokers!

2.Sleep on Your Side

When you sleep on your back, it is much more difficult for your respiratory system to compensate for sleep apnea symptoms, like airway blockage. The tongue and soft tissue of the throat will naturally fall to the back of the mouth when you’re sleeping on your back, thus blocking the airway and causing snoring. Sleeping with a pillow between your knees can help keep you on your side while you sleep.

3.Lose Weight

Obesity is closely linked to sleep apnea, as the body is basically overloaded with extra tissue. This exists in the throat and neck as well, and this extra fat can block the airway, thus causing snoring and the interruption of respiratory activity. Losing weight can also help boost your health in other ways, but it is particularly effective for preventing all types of apnea.

4.Exercise Regularly

It is believed that aerobic exercise in many forms can strengthen the respiratory system and prevent sleep apnea. Exercise also saps our energy and promotes healthy, deep sleep to repair and recover. Exercise has a wealth of positive effects on the body, and boosting the duration and quality of your sleep are two of them!

5.Practice Singing

This may seem a bit unexpected, but strengthening the soft tissues of the throat and soft palate. By boosting the muscle control in these areas, through activities like singing, there is a lower chance of loose or lax muscles allowing the airway to be blocked. If you aren’t a singer, or have no interest in that option, there are also a number of instruments that can promote a stronger soft palate, including the use of a didgeridoo to improve breath control and respiratory system strength.

6.Add Magnesium

Sleep apnea primarily affects the muscles of the upper throat region, you should ensure that your muscle regulation is optimal if you’re suffering from sleep apnea. Magnesium is an essential mineral that directly affects the muscles throughout our body, so proper levels of magnesium are recommended. You can take magnesium in the form of a supplement, or in high-magnesium foods, such as leafy greens, bananas, beans, avocados and various seeds.

7.Lavender

One of the most commonly used sedative and soothing herbs is lavender. As a traditional remedy for sleep apnea, it can reduce inflammation in the throat and the muscles that affect sleep apnea. It can also induce deep, restful sleep to prevent the common symptoms of fatigue that sufferers of sleep apnea commonly experience.

8.Regulate Sleep Schedule

The most important lifestyle remedy for sleep apnea is ensuring that you generally sleep at the same time each day. By having irregularities in your sleep schedule, your body cannot establish set cycles. This causes you to sleep “lighter”, making you more prone to the muscle irregularities and respiratory issues of sleep apnea. Try to get a solid 7-8 hours of sleep each night, and set a certain schedule for yourself, give or take 30-45 minutes, particularly on nights before you need to wake up for work.

9.Practice Yoga

A number of yoga exercises have been associated with reducing inflammation and opening up the airways. Yoga breathing techniques are very effective for reducing sleep apnea symptoms, and you can speak with a yoga instructor for take-home exercises as well.