Do you suffer from sleep apnea? You’re not alone. Did you know that 26% of adults between 30 and 70 suffer from sleep apnea? Thankfully, there are many treatment options out there, so say goodbye to trouble sleeping at night and waking up exhausted.
In this article, you’ll learn about sleep apnea solutions for everything from an oral appliance for sleep apnea to home remedies so you can sleep better at night. Read on to discover these oral appliances and other solutions for sleep apnea.
1. Oral Appliance for Sleep Apnea
Oral appliances are becoming increasingly popular now that people know these are an option. They’re worn in your mouth while you sleep, just like a mouthguard. This is a great option if you have mild to moderate sleep apnea.
Oral appliance options are:
The Mandibular advancement device(MAD) is like a mouthguard and is very similar to what athletes wear. They’re hinges which lets your lower jaw move forward to prevent your jaw and muscles from blocking the airway.
Tongue retaining device is like a splint that holds your tongue in place keeping your airway open. This is less used than the MAD since it’s less comfortable and harder to use.
You can buy boil and bites devices online
Make sure to talk with your doctor before choosing a device. For them to work you boil them in hot water and then bite to make it fit into your mouth. They might not work as well since they’re not custom made.
If you use a non-custom-made device it might not help your sleep apnea at all or make it worse.
If you decide to go the custom-made route, you’ll need to find a dentist who will do a full evaluation and make sure your teeth and mouth can wear a mouth device.
If your dentist gives you the OK, then you will have models of your teeth done and they’ll schedule a follow-up appointment to receive your new device. You’ll want a dentist who specializes in dental sleep medicine.
Your dentist will then continue to make sure the mouthpiece fits you well and follow up with you accordingly. The good news is it normally only takes a few days to get used to wearing your new mouth device.
2. Upper Airway Stimulation Therapy
Upper Airway Stimulation(UAS) therapy is for those who cannot use CPAP therapy and who suffer from moderate to severe sleep apnea. This is a newer therapy and it works inside your body with your breathing.
This might be for you if you don’t get relief from a CPAP or can’t use it and have moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea.
They’re 3 parts to this:
- A stimulation lead
- Breathing sensor lead
- Small generator
These 3 components are controlled by a handheld sleep remote. You turn it on at night before bed, and then turn it off in the morning. When you turn it on, it’ll keep track of your breathing and keep your airways open.
3. Positive Airway Pressure
Positive airway pressure machines are used with many different types of breathing masks. The mask will either be worn over your nose and mouth or just your nose while you’re sleeping. It supplies air that will flow into your throat while sleeping.
The pressurized air goes through air pressure machines. It goes through the CPAP(continuous positive airway pressure), BiPAP (bilevel positive airway pressure), and many others.
They are known to treat snoring as well as help control obstructive sleep apnea.
If you want to check out some high-quality CPAP machines and masks read more about SpryLyfe.
4. Nasal Strips
Nasal strips are great for those with mild sleep apnea or snoring. If your throat and soft tissue collapse while you’re sleeping, then nasal strips more than likely won’t help you.
5. Sleep Pillows
Another solution that has come about is a sleep pillow that’s made for sleep apnea. The way it works is it’ll raise your upper body which then helps keep your airways open.
6. Tennis Balls
No, you didn’t read that wrong, that really says tennis balls. Since sleep apnea is common in those who sleep on their back, sleeping on your side could help reduce your sleep apnea.
To make sure you’re not on your back, doctors say to pin a tube sock that is filled with tennis balls to the back of your pajamas.
7. Home Remedies
If you’re looking to stop sleep apnea and you suffer from one of the following conditions, you’ll want to change these habits and see if it helps your sleep apnea.
Lose weight- If you’re carrying more weight you could have sleep apnea. Losing weight could help.
Quit smoking- When you smoke you’re affecting your lungs and making it harder to breathe. If you decide to stop smoking you could see sleep apnea fade away.
Exercise- When you exercise, you’re improving your physical and mental well-being, and can also help improve your sleep apnea as well.
These can help get rid of or reduce your sleep apnea. Make sure to talk with your doctor about your options as far as treating sleep apnea.
Next Steps
In this article, you learned all about different solutions for everything from an oral appliance for sleep apnea to weight loss. Don’t feel like you can only choose one, oftentimes combining different methods works best. Make sure you speak with your doctor and see which method works best for you.
Would you like to learn more about everything from lifestyle to health? Check out our other articles.
