Sleep Apnea Remedies- Weight Loss

There is no doubt that losing weigh improves sleep apnea symptoms. Several studies have shown that a reduction of ten to twenty percent of body weigh results in a 50% decrease in the number of apnea episodes during sleep.

So, your natural cure for sleep apnea would be to lose weight naturally. However, this solution is not at all simple and is far from easy. The heavier you are, the harder it is for you to lose weight through natural ways.

Do you drink alcohol?

Many patients are unaware that drinking alcohol before going to sleep exacerbates sleep respiratory disorders. The reason is that alcohol depresses the respiratory activity. So, for the future, avoid drinking alcohol before bedtime.

Do you take sleeping pills?

Sleeping pills have a similar effect as alcohol, because most of them depress the respiratory function. If you don't know that you have sleep apnea and you use sleeping pills, you are unintentionally aggravating your condition. Under the influence of sleeping pills, the apnea becomes more prolonged and the drop in the level of blood oxygen starts to decrease.

Sleeping on your back worsen your sleep apnea?

A large number of studies have shown that sleeping on the back can increase the symptoms of sleep apnea. Furthermore, some patients experience apnea episodes and snoring only when lying on their backs.

For avoiding sleeping on your back, there is a simple method, sew a pocket into the back of your pajama jacket and put a tennis ball in it. When you turn on your back, the ball will bother you causing you to turn on the side.

Do you like to eat a lot, even in the evening?

Don't eat big meals at night. Try to eat your largest "dinner" meal at lunch and a lighter lunch at the normal dinner hour.

Other advises for patients having sleep apnea:

• Try getting up about the same time every day.

• Establish relaxing rituals before sleep such as a warm bath, light bedtime snack or a couple of minutes of reading.

• Going to bed only when you feel sleepy.

• Are you a comfortable person? Exercise regularly, at least six hours prior to bedtime, and a couple of mild exercises, such as simple stretching or walking, at least four hours prior to bedtime.

• Avoid caffeine within six hours of bedtime and do not smoke before bedtime.

• Try to not use the sleeping pills, and if you have to use them, sleeping pills should never be used for more than three weeks at a time and remember that you should never take sleeping pills after drinking alcohol.

 

SLEEP APNEA TREATMENT-CPAP Pillow And WEIGHT LOSS

CPAP Pillow for CPAP users:

These pillows are designed to aid CPAP users to make them comfortable while sleeping. So, these pillows are not really alternatives to CPAP treatment, but it helps you in sleeping better with your CPAP mask.

This pillow is specially designed to allow the mask and nose to stay in place, while avoiding pressure points on the face and leaks in the mask while sleeping. Many pillows have soft polyester fill with a special cotton cover (removable for washing).

Benefits of CPAP pillow:

 

• Enhance your sleeping experience
• Provides unsurpassed comfort
• Provides increased freedom of the patient's movement during the night   
• Supports the neck and keeps the spine aligned
• Reduces leaks from the mask
• Decreases pressure of the CPAP mask against the face

Disadvantages of CPAP pillow:

• The pillow can be bulbous and hard
• Discomfort
• It can leave little real pillow to rest a head on
• According to some company's return policy, hygiene law prohibit them accepting returns or giving refunds on pillow

Sleep Apnea Weight Loss:

Sleep apnea weight loss should be recommended to all obese patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Decreasing body weight is a logical target to reduce OSA burden but also to improve a range of health outcomes and quality of life.

As obesity is the most important risk factor for apnea episodes, sleep apnea weight loss would be expected to lead to an increase in upper airway dimensions and an improvement in sleep breathing disorder.

It has been shown that loss of weight can lead to an improved sleep efficiency, decreased snoring and improved oxygenation of the blood.

In cases of dramatic weight loss by extreme dieting or surgery, OSA severity is improved and in some patients abolished.

The benefit of Sleep Apnea Weight Loss is that if your disorder is due to obesity, then weight loss is your lifesaver. 

Dietary weight loss remains challenging; therefore, achieving and maintaining a target body weight is difficult.

I think you know very well that substantial weight loss by non-surgical means is both difficult to achieve and even harder to sustain. Therefore, it is an effective but difficult long-term therapeutic strategy.

The treatment for sleep apnea through weight loss is not for lazy people.  You should be very motivated, not only to start this program, but to continue and make a habit of it.

If you add the fact that you are overweight, have fear for surgery, and you can't sleep with a CPAP machine...then I think you are very motivated to try a sleep apnea weight loss.