Regardless of age, you can be affected by sleep apnea. Some people don’t realize they have sleep apnea and simply blame their symptoms on growing older or other things that aren’t to blame. In the remainder of this article, you are going to find ideas and tips that you can use to manage your condition and rest well at night.

Do you regularly smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol? If you suffer from sleep apnea, quit smoking and cut down on your alcohol consumption. They can do bad things to your airways. Smoking will cause your throat to swell, and alcohol will relax it too much. If you do not want to quit, just do not do it before laying down to sleep.

Believe it or not, wind instruments can help you deal with your sleep apnea. Researchers in Germany have found playing a didgeridoo can make your throat muscles stronger. These muscles are responsible for the strength of your airway passage and its ability to dilate. So try and play the didgeridoo regularly to help you get through the night with sleep apnea.

Try getting fitted for a custom-made mouth guard. Fitted mouth guards help people sleep through the night. This can be an alternative to a CPAP machine, and can be more comfortable, to boot. The mouth guard helps by keeping the airway open and providing stability for the soft tissues.

Take back a good night of rest by side sleeping. Back sleeping promotes airway obstruction. Try very hard to rest on your side, and you may find your symptoms alleviated.

If you sleep alone, figuring out if you suffer from sleep apnea may be difficult. Record yourself to get a better picture of what is happening while you sleep. Remember to make a video with sound so your doctor can hear you snore!

Be sure to treat allergies and sinus issues right away if you suffer from sleep apnea. You might have trouble breathing during the night because of sleep apnea. You should not have to deal with something else harming your ability to breathe while you’re asleep. Keep your airway clear by clearing your nostrils before you go to sleep.

If you have tried many treatment options and nothing works, then it is time to contact your doctor for more serious treatment alternatives. Some people don’t have any luck with conventional treatments, and usually opt for surgeries like a tonsillectomy, adenoid removal or airway enlargement as their last resort.

Reduce your sleep apnea risk factors. Be aware that certain risk factors, like gender and genes, cannot be changed. However, many other risk factors can be cut out, like being overweight, a smoker or a heavy drinker.

You need to have patience when you realize you have sleep apnea. There are treatments that work for some, but not others. Getting to a lower weight can cut back on symptoms in a lot of sufferers, but even slender folks can be afflicted. Other options, including the use of a CPAP machine, have helped a great number of people curb their symptoms. However, other people prefer having surgery where they can make changes in overcoming restrictions in the airway passages. Whatever you do, it will help.

Spending time exercising your throat muscles may significantly increase the complications of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a direct result of a collapse of tissue that occurs towards the far throat’s back. Strong muscles are less likely to constrict airways.

How you sleep influences how many times sleep apnea will strike on a given night. That is why it is important to sleep in the best position. You can try using a foam wedge; it will elevate your upper body. Or, if you can, raise the top of your bed by at least four inches.

The best position to sleep when suffering from sleep apnea is on your side. You can use something like pillows or blankets so that you will not want to sleep on your back. Then, when they try to roll on their back while sleeping, the uncomfortable ball stops them.

If you are someone who is dealing with sleep apnea, you should not sleep on your back. It can restrict your airway and make it hard to breathe. Attempt sleeping on your side. Should this be unnatural for you, use pillows to keep you in position on your side during the night.

A lot of people with sleep apnea sleep on their back. If you do this, you might want to start sleeping on your side, instead. You can significantly reduce your sleep apnea symptoms by not sleeping on your back and falling asleep on your side.

Chronic fatigue can complicate sleep apnea symptoms and make the disorder even worse. Establishing a regular sleep schedule can ease sleep apnea’s symptoms. Go to bed at a specific time, and get up at a specific hour, and try to maintain a regular sleeping schedule. You will help reduce the likelihood that your sleep apnea worsens.

Make sure you don’t drink any alcohol before bed. Your throat muscles over-relax when you drink which makes breathing harder. You do not have to stop drinking, just do not do it before you go to sleep.

Try exercising your throat and jaw. Sleep apnea can be exacerbated by weak muscles in your throat, so taking the time to strengthen them can help you manage your apnea. That could be all it takes.

Play a woodwind instrument. Take up the flute or clarinet or any wind instrument to help your apnea. These instruments help you control airflow in your windpipe and strengthen your throat muscles. You can really train your muscles to be strong with a bit of training.

As previously stated, many people today suffer from sleep apnea. People continue to suffer when they aren’t aware of what sleep apnea is and how it can be treated. The more you learn, the better off you will be and the greater control you will have of your sleep apnea.