Embracing a healthy lifestyle takes a lot of deliberate effort. Every little thing that you do concerning your body goes a long way. Health specialists, including a dentist Montreal, will advise you that proper care of your body goes a long way into leading a healthy lifestyle. The kinds of food you eat, the amount of water you drink, the sugar content level you consume, and even, the amount of sleep you get matters.
Surprisingly, not many people pay much attention to healthy sleeping habits. However, if you are not careful with the quality and quantity of sleep, then sleep apnea will be your number one problem. Here are four main ways you can improve your sleeping habits and fight sleep apnea at home:
Change your sleeping position: Since sleep apnea happens because of the shortage of oxygen while sleeping, it helps to alter your sleeping position. People have different sleeping positions, just like the varying choice of dentists in Dorval. Some people sleep on their back, some on their stomach, and some are side sleepers. Sleep apnea can get very severe for front and back sleepers more than for side sleepers.
Ideally, exerting the pressure of your weight all on your stomach or on your back can increase the shortage of oxygen in your breathing system. In that case, people who commonly employ the supine position when sleeping are always encouraged to change their position to sleeping on the sides. This way, you ease up the obstruction and return your breathing to normalcy. Remember, like you would consider a dentist in Montreal for your oral health, it is okay to consult a doctor on matters of your sleep patterns. If you are suffering from sleep apnea, a doctor can better guide you on proper sleeping positions.
Maintain a healthy weight: The obstruction of your breathing can greatly result from weight complications. The fat build-up in your system can make your nasal passage narrow. The result is an obstruction of the free flow of air and out, which gets severe when you sleep. Patients with obesity often struggle with sleep apnea. In fact, the nasal passage obstructions can cause one to stop breathing for an extended period of time during sleep. This can be dangerous and invite several other health complications. Consider maintaining a healthy weight. This can considerably reduce the nasal obstructions, hence, fighting sleep apnea.
To do so, you will need to engage in physical exercise. You do not have to join the gym. Try out some simple exercises in the comfort of your house. You can even try yoga, which works amazingly in encouraging the flow of oxygen in your body. Yoga can be all you need for respiratory strength and fighting sleep apnea.
Cut back on alcohol and smoking: Do you know how your Dorval dentist keeps insisting that smoking is not good for your oral health? Well, on matters of healthy sleeping, the same applies. Studies show that the use of tobacco can affect your throat and airways. Technically, smoking increases inflammation on your airways, causing unwarranted swelling. In the end, it blocks your airways and does nothing for your health in general.
On another note, alcohol goes a long way to disrupt your sleep patterns. Alcohol can cause inflammation of your throat and airways. Not only that, it relaxes your throat muscles that are responsible for controlling breathing. This might be why you snore in your sleep. Therefore, if you are going to quit smoking and alcohol, don’t just do it for your Dorval dentist, but for fighting sleep apnea.
Use oral appliances: The position of your tongue and jaw as you sleep can create a blockage to proper breathing. Luckily, a mandibular device or a tongue stabilizing device can help with this. Dentist Dorval QC provides for custom-fit devices for this purpose. You can find both over-the-counter and low-cost appliances that can help with sleep apnea. Try consulting a dentist near you to learn more about how oral appliances can help improve sleep apnea. However, for better results, opt for a fine-tuned jaw positioning appliance by visiting a dentist in Montreal today.
Conclusion:Sleep apnea does not have to stand in the way of good night sleep. With the four crucial tips mentioned above, you should be able to sleep soundly through the night and relax your body.