Although sleep apnea goes a long way in preventing sufferers from getting a decent night’s sleep, there are still some other important factors within your control that can help to ensure you sleep well.
If you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, your doctor and sleep specialist will help decide on a course of action to help alleviate the problem. Depending on the type of sleep apnea you have, this may be one of the forms of airway pressure therapy such as CPAP.
They will also, no doubt, suggest you adhere to the following guidelines, to ensure that along with the therapy, you have every chance of beating sleep apnea and giving yourself a quality night of rest.
Set aside time to sleep… and enough of it!
More often than not, our modern, rushed lifestyles mean that we just do not get enough sleep. Begin by setting yourself a nightly bedtime. Although this may seem a little silly and something you would do for your children, by sticking to it, you can make sure that you have enough time to sleep and rest properly for the next day.
A rule of thumb here should be at least 7-8 hours for adults, 9-10 hours for teens, 10 hours for pre-teens and 11-12 hours for children in pre-school. If that means forgoing your favorite television program, so be it! Your sleep is much more important than something you could catch up on over the weekend!
Develop stable sleep habits
Humans are naturally creatures of habit. Your sleep routine should be no different. Try to maintain the same ritual every night. It could be a cup of hot cocoa before bed, or perhaps you prefer to shower and get straight into bed. Do this every night and keep it up. Sleep habits also include going to bed at the same time (covered earlier) as well as waking up at the same time (except for weekends of course). This consistency will help you to fall asleep far more easily.
Your sleeping environment must be comfortable
Your bedroom is an important place when it comes to restful sleep. Before you go sleep, make sure the temperature is at a level where you won’t need to adjust it through the night. Also, turn off any distractions that may keep you from sleep or make a noise, such as your mobile phone. Of course, your bed and sleep accessories are important, so make sure you have a comfortable pillow that you love.
Cut down on screen time before bedtime
Take the 30 minutes before you go to sleep to start to relax and unwind. This means leaving your mobile phone, stop checking emails on your laptop and even switching off the television. This is especially true if you normally take part in these activities while lying in bed. Your brain should associate your bed with sleep and sleep alone.
Use sleep technology
There is a multitude of different technologies that you can use to help understand your sleep better. Do some research online or perhaps download an app that records your sleep patterns to better understand how you sleep.
These simple tips, combined with your sleep apnea treatment will go a long way to help overcome the disorder, finally giving you the peaceful night’s sleep you deserve.