Sleep Apnea Cures: Self-Help & Treatment Alternatives

Posted on October 03, 2017

Written by Salma Dawood, Nutritionist BSc

You’ve experienced a multitude of long restless nights, never-ending daytime drowsiness, and a constant feeling of fatigue. After consulting a physician, you’ve just discovered that you are suffering from sleep apnea. What are the most effective treatment methods and safest sleep apnea cures that you can try?

Sleep apnea increases risk of developing chronic illnesses

Sleep apnea is a very common sleep disorder, affecting millions of men and women worldwide. If left untreated, sleep apnea can increase your risk of developing chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and cardiac diseases. Although those diagnosed may resort to over-the-counter drugs, prescribed medication or surgery as a first-line choice to treat sleep apnea, there are many natural and alternative methods to cure sleep apnea. In fact, treating sleep apnea with natural methods is quite achievable, and is usually the safest and most effective way to control sleep apnea. These methods usually come with little/no side effects, and are more likely to provide long-term relief when compared with drug/surgery alternatives.

Natural sleep apnea treatments that you can try at home

1) Increase Magnesium Levels

 Magnesium is possibly one of the most neglected minerals, however one of the most critical when it comes to regulating sleep quality. Magnesium deficiency is often overlooked, when in fact, it could be one key causes of sleep apnea. The World Health Organization observed that around 80% of Americans suffer from low levels of magnesium. This mineral is essential for over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body, including reactions responsible for relaxing the muscles and the nervous system. Therefore, magnesium deficiency can result in poor sleep quality, agitated sleep, and frequent wakefulness during the night, which are all common symptoms of sleep apnea.

So, you should start guzzling magnesium supplements to treat your sleep apnea, right? Wrong! In fact, recent evidence by the Sleep Research Institute suggests that taking magnesium supplementation orally is not an effective method to boost your magnesium levels. Instead, it is recommended to obtain magnesium through the skin. It is found that magnesium is easily absorbed by the skin, and is a direct pathway to delivering magnesium to tissues and cells. Also, this prevents the risk of experiencing common side effects of oral supplementation, such as gut issues and abdominal pain.

Try out the pure Seven Minerals Sleep Well Magnesium Spray as an effective method to boost your magnesium levels and treat sleep apnea. 

2) Weight Loss

As sleep apnea is more prevalent in individuals that are overweight/obese, weight management can be an extremely effective method of curing the condition. To safely lose body fat, aim to reduce your daily caloric intake by 500 calories a day. Consume a variety of

To safely lose body fat follow these tips:

• Aim to reduce your daily caloric intake by 500 calories a day.
• Consume a variety of wholegrains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein sources, and healthy fats.
• Limit processed and sugary foods.
• Aim to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, five times a week.

By simply making substitutions to your dietary habits, and increasing your physical activity, you can safely lose up to 2 pounds a week. For further guidance in beginning your weight-loss journey, consult a nutritionist or dietician to personalize your treatment.

3) Positional Therapy

It is often found that individuals with obstructive sleep apnea can often snore when they are sleeping in a supine position. Therefore, positional therapy can be used as a possible natural method to prevent obstructive sleep apnea, by preventing the airway from collapsing during supine sleep. By simply sleeping on your side or stomach, you can prevent positional OSA.

Here are some methods to help you sleep on your side throughout the night:

#1 Try sleeping with a bumper belt, which makes it uncomfortable to sleep on your back should you roll into supine position during the night.

#2 Elevate your head and trunk at a 30-60 degree angle.

#3 Sleep with a heavy-filled backpack.

#4 Avoid Alcohol and Smoking.

Not only are these habits detrimental to health, excessive alcohol and regular smoking can interfere with sleep quality and cause sleep apnea. Alcohol has been shown to relax the throat muscles, increasing the risk of worsened snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Both alcohol and smoking can contribute to inflammation of the airways, which may also cause sleep apnea. Therefore, try to begin limiting/avoiding smoking and alcohol in order to help sleep apnea. By doing so, you will be improving your sleep quality and general wellbeing.

Conclusion

These are only a few of many natural methods that you can adapt to alleviate sleep apnea and improve your sleep quality. When it comes to treating sleep apnea, it is all about trial and error. Experiment with natural treatments and remedies and see what works for you. More importantly, aim to try as many alternative treatments before resorting to drugs and surgery as a possible cure.

Sleep Apnea Cures
~ Written by Salma Dawood, Nutritionist BSc

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