Have you been driving your partner nuts with your snoring? Or do you suffer from daytime sleepiness or fatigue? You might not be getting a restful night’s sleep due to snoring, or you might even have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a common disorder, and it is on the rise! Many people have opted into using a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) kit to help themselves or their partner to get a better night’s sleep.
Read on for how to do a sleep apnea self-check.
We all know how important sleep is for us to be able to function properly throughout the day. So, for the people who struggle to get the recommended hours, it makes sense for them to try methods that may not be the first thing people think of. For example, the use of CBD is said to have benefits for people suffering from insomnia, as the use of this natural product provides a sense of calmness. If this is something that’s new to you, it may be worth doing some research into the benefits this can have on anyone who struggles to get to sleep. Get more info before trying anything new. With this being said, this is just one way to hopefully improve sleep quality, which may also help with reducing the symptoms of sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is characterized by pauses in breathing or short, shallow breaths while you sleep. There are two main forms of sleep apnea: Central, where breathing is interrupted by a lack of respiratory effort, and Obstructive, where breathing is interrupted by a physical block to your airflow – with this form, snoring is common. There can also be a third form, which is mixed sleep apnea, or a combination of the central and obstructive forms.
When it comes to normal nighttime breathing, the airway is King! People who snore are not breathing through their nose for various reasons. In other words, you need to be able to breathe through your nose when you are sleeping. So how do you know if you are? You need to check your “nasal patency.” Patency, in a medical sense, is defined as “the state of a bodily passage, duct, etc., of being open or unobstructed” (Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged©). Here is one quick sleep apnea self-check test to check your own nose for ease in taking air in and pushing it out:
Close your lips, use a finger to close off one nostril (from the outside), and breathe in and out. Then repeat on the other side. Unless you are sick, both sides should be clear. If not, you might be suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Concerned that this might be the case? Give us a call – the team at Incredible Smiles offers our guests a method of doing a sleep study in the comfort of their own home. We also offer sleep apnea treatment options.
