Sleeping on Your Side. Side sleeping is better for reducing sleep apnea than back sleeping. Research shows that in many cases, sleeping on your side can significantly reduce breathing disruptions. View Source from both OSA and CSA.
“Side sleeping with your back mostly straight is the best sleep position as it reduces apnea severity and snoring,” Dr. Knobbe said. It can also help keep your spine in proper alignment, although it can put additional strain on your shoulders, hips and spine. This is where having the right pillow can help (see tip 5!).
Yes, sleeping with your head elevated can help sleep apnea as it stops gravity from causing your tongue and soft tissue to fall back and block your airways. You can elevate your head with a wedge-shaped pillow or an adjustable base bed.
Back Sleeping
However, it is the worst sleeping position for individuals with sleep apnea. It allows gravity to pull the soft tissues in the throat downward, which increases the chances that they will collapse during sleep and lead to airway blockages. It can also make snoring much worse.
Sleeping upright or on the side, also called positional therapy, can help people whose sleep apnea is worse when they lie flat on their backs. People with POSA typically have fewer symptoms of sleep apnea when they sleep upright than when they sleep flat on their backs.
Use of alcohol, sedatives or tranquilizers.
These substances relax the muscles in your throat, which can worsen obstructive sleep apnea.
Best Head Position for Sleep Apnea
If you sleep on your side, you may naturally face toward the side when you sleep. If you tend to sleep on your back, one small study found that you may be able to reduce breathing disruptions from sleep apnea if you turn your head to the side. View Source while in this position.
Studies show that patients who develop sleep apnea before the age of fifty have a life expectancy between 8 and 18 years. Fortunately lifestyle changes, treatment, and other interventions can improve the life expectancy of someone with sleep apnea.
In some cases, sleep apnea can resolve if you return to a healthy weight, but it can recur if you regain the weight. Exercise. Regular exercise can help ease the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea even without weight loss. Try to get 30 minutes of moderate activity, such as a brisk walk, most days of the week.
If you sleep on your stomach or your side, you're less likely to experience sleep apnea. If you sleep on your back, though, you're more likely to experience problems. Devices that attach to your waist or back can help keep you from lying on your back and reduce the need for a CPAP machine.
Not all snorers have apnea, but the two often go hand-in-hand. As snoring gets louder, chances of having sleep apnea are greater and greater.
Weight loss of just 10-15% can reduce the severity of OSA by 50% in moderately obese patients. Unfortunately, while weight loss can provide meaningful improvements in OSA, it usually does not lead to a complete cure, and many sleep apnea patients need additional therapies.
There is good news. Upper airway stimulation therapy using a hypoglossal nerve stimulator is an option for people who are unable to tolerate their CPAPs. It's been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.
If you undergo surgery, it will take several days to recover. If you are using CPAP, it will take some time before you notice the positive effects of the treatment. Averagely, the effects will start showing around three months, and full recovery can be up to a year.
People who have sleep apnea can wake up 15 to 25 times an hour during sleep – without knowing it. The condition causes them to awaken for only a few seconds, but leaves the sufferer feeling exhausted, even after a full night's rest.
Foods to Avoid If You Have Sleep Apnea
People with sleep apnea are already at an increased risk of cardiovascular problems. Eating fatty or highly processed meats like bacon, sausage, salami, ham, and hot dogs can increase your chances of heart trouble.
If you have problems with OSA from being obese or overweight, weight loss can be an option to help manage your OSA. Losing as little as 5-10% of your body weight can improve or resolve OSA.
Obstructive sleep apnea is classified by severity: Severe obstructive sleep apnea means that your AHI is greater than 30 (more than 30 episodes per hour) Moderate obstructive sleep apnea means that your AHI is between 15 and 30. Mild obstructive sleep apnea means that your AHI is between 5 and 15.
Anything that could narrow your airway such as obesity, large tonsils, or changes in your Hormone levels can increase your risk for obstructive sleep apnea.
The amount of time that a sleep apnea patient stops breathing can be from 10 seconds to two minutes or more. These breathing "stoppages" can happen a few times per hour or, in more severe cases, 60-100 times per hour or to the point where someone spends more time NOT breathing than they are breathing.
According to ancient traditions like vastu shastra, the best direction to sleep in is toward the south. This theory is also supported by some recent research . This means that when you lie in bed, your head is pointed south , and your feet are pointed north.
Statistical analysis showed that sleep apnea was significantly associated with both insomnia and high levels of stress. They found that high stress levels were associated with a 50% higher risk of sleep apnea.
These breathing pauses can prevent your body from supplying enough oxygen to the brain. In severe cases this lack of oxygen can lead to brain damage. Signs of this damage include memory problems, difficulty concentrating, and moodiness. The new study involved 17 men with severe, untreated sleep apnea.