Try Some Different Foods And Drink
Have you heard that having a warm cup of milk before bed helps you sleep?
Warm milk contains the amino acid L-tryptophan, a precursor to the sleep hormone melatonin, which helps your body produce melatonin that signals your body to wind down and sleep at night.5
Other foods containing the amino acid L-tryptophan include chicken, turkey, fish, and shellfish, eggs, tofu and sunflower seeds if you want to give any of those a try instead.
Can Air Pollution Cause Sleep Apnea
Air pollution impacts everyones health across the world, but it can also affect something much closer to home: your sleep. When it comes to exploring this link, research has shown that sleep apnea may be associated with chronic exposure to air pollution. Below, you will find more about this link, its implications for indoor air quality in your home and what you can do to reduce your exposure.
Signs And Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea
Family members or bed partners often pick up on the signs of sleep apnea first. Many people with sleep apnea don’t know they’re snoring and gasping for breath at night. If you have any of the following signs, see your doctor:
- daytime sleepiness
- loud snoring followed by silent pauses
- gasping or choking during sleep
- morning headache
- poor concentration or memory loss
- lowered sex drive
Snoring by itself doesn’t necessarily mean that you have sleep apnea. It is true that loud snoring is common in people with this disorder, but there’s a big difference between simple snoring and sleep apnea.
Untreated sleep apnea can cause serious health problems. If it’s not treated, sleep apnea can lead to:
- high blood pressure
- work-related injuries
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Hearing Loss Caused By Loud Snoring
Prolonged exposure to loud noises can easily cause hearing loss that can in turn cause Tinnitus. Loud snoring is something that a lot of sleep apnea patients struggle with. Snoring can easily have decibel scores in excess of 85, the cut off for loud noises. Prolonged exposure to these loud snoring sounds can cause or worsen Tinnitus.
Is Vaping Bad For Your Sleep
It can be. While e-cigarettes may reduce some of the health risks associated with smoking, vaping still delivers nicotine to your body. Vaping with flavoured nicotine products have been associated with severe lung disease that is irreversible , and also interferes with sleep. If there is nicotine in your e-liquid, it will affect your sleep.
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Thought Diary And Coping Strategies
When dealing with stress, many people, such as myself have a tendency to internalize their feelings! They hide their anger and frustration until they begin to suffer the consequences. Using a thought diary, you can easily express your feelings and reduce the risk of such problems hitting you later on.
Seeing your thoughts transported onto the screen, you will be able to detach from them and think with clarity. This can help improve your sleep duration and quality. You might also notice that you are more stressed when feeling pressured, or that you have trouble accepting negative emotions. Based on your entries, a monthly report will be created and you can share that with your therapist, making genuine breakthroughs.
These reports can be more useful than you might think. When you go to therapy, you get to spend one hour, or perhaps two, with the therapist. During that time, you will have to relate how you have been feeling over the past few weeks. It can be difficult to remember every useful piece of information, so referring to your CareClinic health app can help you a lot with this.
You can also use the app to record potential coping strategies and stress-relieving solutions. When needed, you can review these and opt for the one that suits you the best in that specific moment. You can record breathing and relaxation exercises, as these will help you overcome the fight-or-flight response which occurs in stressful situations.
Doctor James Ross On The Causes Of Sleep Apnea
Some of the causes of sleep apnea are physiological, just the way a persons anatomy is. Sometimes it can be weight, tongue size, can be a small arch that just blocks air from the airway. I see some people in the office where their jaws retrognathic, which means the jaws back a little bit, and theyre more prone to having it. I have a lot of patients that are professional athletes, and some are just athletes, and they work out a lot, and they have large necks. We see a high proportion of those with sleep apnea. We also see a proportion I have a patient of mine thats a cardiovascular surgeon. He mentioned to me that 80% or so of his patients are sleep apnea patients. Hell take care of the cardiac problem, but what caused the cardiac problem was the sleep apnea. It has a number of different causes, but its really just closing off the airway, so you dont have oxygen, and then your oxygen blood saturation is low, and thats what carries the oxygen to the organs.
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Sleep Apnea Can Also Lead To Nicotine Addiction
One interesting recent study regarding sleep apnea, published in 2012, also found that those with obstructive sleep apnea may be more susceptible nicotine addiction. Perhaps those with sleep apnea turn to tobacco and smoking to deal with feeling tired during the day or to deal with anxiety related to daytime fatigue.
Other Things To Think About For Sleep Apnea And Vaping
So far, weve mostly talked about sleep apnea and vaping, but there are plenty of other downsides to keep in mind.
Yes, E-cigarettes contain fewer chemicals than in traditional cigarettes. However, they still contain chemicals that can harm the body.
And, nicotine is still nicotine its just as addictive and with extra strength cartridges you can get more than you would in a tobacco cigarette.
Other health risks that may come with vaping include:
- heart attacks
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Lower Oxygenation Caused By Reduced Blood Flow
Your blood is the only source of nutrients to help your ears function. When you suffer from sleep apnea, not enough oxygen-carrying blood is is pumped to properly supply the ears structures. This can potentially result in Tinnitus. Please note that sleeping orientation does not affect or exacerbate this problem. If you have ringing only when you lie down, read this post about Tinnitus while lying down.
The Effects Of Smoking On Your Sleep
Nicotine is a stimulant just like sugar and coffee, which can alter the expression of clock genes in the lungs and the brain according to research, with long term effects.
Smoking can cause frequent awakenings, snoring and make it harder to fall asleep. It also acts as an irritant that can provoke swelling in the nose and throat, reducing the space left for airflow. This makes it harder to breathe as your throat tissue becomes more irritated and swollen, which can cause obstructive sleep apnea.1
Just as you wouldnt wind down with an espresso before bed, a cigarette prior to going to sleep actually introduces a powerful stimulus into the bloodstream which can cause insomnia and/or sleep-disordered breathing, rather than relaxing your body. 2
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Other Methods For Reducing Stress To Improve Sleep
Another method is picturing yourself asleep. By envisioning yourself in a peaceful sleep, you will instantly put yourself in a state of relaxation.
While exercising right before bed can sometimes keep you awake, gentle leg exercises are unlikely to negatively affect your sleep. Low energy exercises such as leg lifts and squats help bring blood flow down to your legs. This can have a soothing effect and make it easier to drift off.
Exercise is a great stress reliever and has been shown to improve the quality of sleep. You should make sure that you do not do more intense workouts close to bedtime.
When your mind is racing and full of concerns and worries, it can be hard to fall asleep. Instead, set aside 15 minutes during the day to process these thoughts. Writing a to-do list or thinking about solutions can be a healthy way to deal with stress. Thinking about your to-do list and worries earlier in the day can help you fall asleep easily. You will keep a clear mind before bedtime through this method.
Relaxation Music For Sleep Stress And Anxiety Relief
Music therapy uses sound and rhythm to reduce stress and increase anxiety relief. For people who have problems with sleeping and sleep apnea stress, listening to relaxation music for sleep stress and anxiety relief is helpful.
Relaxation music for sleep stress and anxiety relief stimulates the limbic system. This is the central station in the brain for our feelings. People listening to classical music did recreate the structure and meaning of the music in their limbic systems. At the same time, the limbic regions release dopamine when listening to music, which is known as the happiness hormone.
Relaxing music is what makes us feel at home before sleeping. We can also affect our well being with the help of the right environment. We have a way to create the perfect home environment for sleep through music.
Mediation music for meditation practice may also help you reduce stress and fall asleep. It can serve to neutralize external disturbing sound sources. It can also help to let go of thoughts and worries while concentrating on the sounds during your meditation sessions before bedtime.
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Sleep Apnea After Quitting Smoking: What To Know
The main concern surrounding sleep apnea and smoking cigarettes is, can smoking cause sleep apnea? However, there is also a significant focus on the opposite effect: that is, whether you can begin to develop sleep apnea after quitting smoking.
The relationship between smoking cessation and sleep apnea is a complex one. After smoking your last cigarette, you may suffer from a wide range of side effects, including tingling, nausea, irritability, headaches, and coughing. However, one of the most prominent side effects of nicotine withdrawal is insomnia.
When suffering from insomnia, you may find yourself experiencing symptoms similar to the symptoms of sleep apnea. You might have trouble staying asleep throughout the night or feel excessively fatigued in the daytime. These troubling effects might lead many former smokers to believe that quitting smoking caused more harm than good.
However, its vital to keep in mind that the side effects of nicotine withdrawal are merely temporary. In the long term, those who quit smoking enjoy a greater quality of life than those who maintain their habit. This is because once the side effects dissipate, particularly insomnia, you will have an easier time falling asleep while enjoying greater well-being in general.
In addition, smoking is one of the risk factors for developing sleep apnea. If you actively smoke, the symptoms of sleep apnea tend to become progressively worse until they interfere with your daily life.
What Are The Most At
Some people are more exposed than others to the risks of snoring. Among them, we can mention: men and women over 50, obese persons, those who have physiological anomalies or ailments treated by ENT specialists, persons who take sleeping pills or alcohol and/or tobacco addicts.
Indeed, the respiratory tract can get irritated and swell because of the cigarette smoke. As a result, the air will have difficulty to go through the tract as it shrinks. This process will only worsen the snores. The influence of tobacco on the snores has been proved, as studies have shown that the rate of snorers is twice as high among smokers compared to the non-smoker population.
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Understanding The Connection Between Smoking And Sleep Apnea
According to the Harvard Medical School, roughly 42 percent of Americans smoked cigarettes in 1964. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that today, only 13.7 percent of adults in the United States smoke cigarettes.
While this may seem like significant progress at first glance, the harm caused by the use of tobacco is still a major cause for concern. Each year, approximately 480,000 preventable deaths are attributed to cigarette smoking in the United States alone.
Though the consequences of cigarette smoking are serious, some side effects of smoking are often overlooked. However, studies have consistently determined that smoking can be a contributing factor to sleep apnea, further complicated smokers overall health.
In case you need even more motivation to quit smoking, here is a closer look at the link between smoking and sleep apnea.
Tracking Your Stress And Mood
CareClinic is a very useful stress tracker, helping you see when you are more stressed or relaxed. As you continue to track your mood, you will be able to see a general tendency and even a pattern in your stress level changes.
From a different perspective, the stress tracker app will help you understand that there are a lot of moments in which you felt perfectly fine, relaxed even. For this reason, it is important to take your time and record not only the moments that seem difficult or when your stress level is at its maximum. You can also record positive experiences and these will help you see the bigger picture. You can identify which factors help you deal with your stress.
The mood tracking feature in CareClinic is important, it allows you to become more aware of your feelings and when stress occurs in relation to various situations. You will figure out the connection between a particular life event and your mood, discovering more effective stress management strategies.
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The Value Of Cpap Therapy
When it comes to sleep apnea, CPAP therapy is going to be the most effective option for treatment. Typically, individuals who are experiencing symptoms of sleep apnea will consult with a medical professional and undergo a sleep study. A sleep study can help reveal whether CPAP or BiPAP therapy is best suited for an individuals needs, while also determining the proper air pressure level for treatment.
Most people who start using CPAP therapy begin seeing improvements within a few months. They become more alert during the day. Morning headaches disappear. They become more emotionally stable and have an easier time concentrating. Quite often, their bed partner is the first to notice changes because the CPAP user is no longer snoring.
Of course, using CPAP therapy can also stave off the more severe long-term consequences of sleep apnea. Incredibly, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine indicates that individuals with OSA who are not compliant to CPAP have a higher mortality rate when compared to heavy smokers. If you have severe sleep apnea, sticking with a CPAP treatment plan could prove just as important for living a long and happy life as quitting smoking.
How Do You Sleep
Your sleep apnea can become worse because of yoursleeping position. For those with Obstructive Sleep Apnea, your sleeping position can make it difficult to get a good night of sleep in certain positions since it affects the way you breathe. For instance, sleeping on your back can make your sleep apnea worse.
This position makes your jaw and tongue drop back towards your throat. It leads to narrowing of your airways and makes it difficult to breathe. To compact this, try sleeping on your side.
Sleeping on your side allows gravity to work with you and not against you as back sleeping would. However, try out different sleeping positions to see which one works best for you.
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What Is Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a breathing-related sleep disorder in which a persons breathing repeatedly stops and starts in their sleep due to a blockage of the airway. Obstructive sleep apnea can be caused by the anatomy of the soft palate, obesity, or inflammation of the airway. Some of the most common signs of this condition include loud snoring, grogginess, and gasping for air during the night. With over 22 million Americans suffering from sleep apnea each year, it is one of the most common sleeping disorders in adults.
How Smoking Affects Your Sleep
In 2011, researchers studied how nightly nicotine withdrawal, as well as other respiratory and pulmonary effects of smoking, may result in sleep-disordered breathing, especially obstructive sleep apnea . They found that current smokers are 2.5 times more likely to suffer from OSA than former smokers and nonsmokers combined, and 2.8 times more likely to have OSA than former smokers alone.
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Does Smoking Cause Snoring
According to research on the subject, there is a positive correlation between the amount of smoking one engages in and his or her risk of snoring. Snoring is often a direct result of reduced airflow to the lungs. Since decreased airflow plays a critical part in the development of sleep apnea, many medical experts have cautioned against smoking as a major risk factor for this sleep condition.
One of the most important things to keep in mind when wondering, can smoking make you snore, is the integral connection between smoking and Obstructive Sleep Apnea. If you decide to quit smoking to reduce your risk of sleep apnea, you can help oxygen flow more easily through your lungs and supply your brain with what it needs to thrive.
Stick To A Regular Sleep Schedule
Going to bed and waking up at roughly the same times every day helps you to get the right kind of sleep. You need to experience the full cycle of deep- and lighter-stage sleep to feel well rested. A regular sleeping schedule also prevents you from getting overtired, which can make sleep apnea symptoms worse.
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