If you suspect you have sleep apnea, there are a few things that you might do before going to see a doctor or sleep specialist.
1. Keep a sleep diary – For a few nights, you or a sleep partner can record if you are snoring and how loud your snoring is, how well you are sleeping, whether you are having trouble breathing (choking or gasping), and whether you feel refreshed in the morning.
2. Record yourself sleeping – Recording yourself can be a helpful tool for your doctor. You can use a sound-activated audio recorder or a software program that turns your computer into a recorder.
With your sleep record in hand, consult a knowledgeable doctor or a sleep specialist. If your doctor suspects sleep apnea, you will probably be sent for an overnight sleep study in a sleep clinic (also known as a sleep lab or sleep center). Sleep tests in a sleep clinic help to diagnose sleep apnea by measuring how frequently you stop breathing.
Self-help treatment for sleep apnea
Minor sleep apnea is responsive to self-help remedies, or “behavioral treatments.” Some of the following self-help treatments for sleep apnea may work for you.
· Lose weight. Overweight individuals who lose even 10% of their weight can reduce sleep apnea and improve sleep quality.
· Stop using alcohol, tobacco, and sedatives, or anything that relaxes the muscles of the throat and encourages snoring.
· Sleep on your side. Special pillows or remedies that encourage side-sleeping, such as the “tennis ball trick,” might help people who only experience sleep apnea when they sleep on their back. See Snoring Causes and Cures for more tips.
· Elevate the head of your bed 4 -6 inches. This can alleviate snoring and make breathing easier.
· Maintain regular sleep hours.
· Use a nasal dilator, breathe right strips or saline nasal spray to help open nasal passages.
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