It’s a sleep condition characterized by brief pauses in breathing that happens hundreds of times during the night while you sleep. This can lead to snoring and the inability to get into a deep sleep mode.

Sleep apnea in West Vancouver affects health more than many people think. It’s not a disease per se but it can lead to many health problems such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity, high blood pressure, and cognitive problems, to name a few.

You might not know at first that you have sleep apnea in West Vancouver especially if you sleep alone. One way to tell if you have this condition is if you wake up with a dry mouth. You might also wake up coughing because sleep apnea causes brief pauses in breathing. It’s also not uncommon to suffer from daytime fatigue during this time.

To know if you have this condition, you can go to clinics such as Sleep Better Live Better where they have sleep experts who will test you for it. This is an important step before seeking treatments because you need to know the level of severity of your condition.

What happens next?

Once you know how severe your sleep apnea is, you can talk to your doctor about the best ways to treat it. That can include using oral devices that will prevent the airways from collapsing during sleep. This device will keep the airways up.

The next thing to do is to make some changes in your lifestyle. Avoid gaining too much weight. If you are overweight not, you should take the time to lose weight. You can do that by cutting back on carbohydrates-loaded food and sugary foods. Eat more vegetables and proteins for a steady source of energy.

Minimizing your stress also normalizes your body’s functions. You are less likely to overeat. This is why it’s a good idea to look for ways to reduce stress such as doing yoga, meditating, or doing activities such as painting and listening to classical music.

You can also make some changes to your bedroom. Get a comfortable mattress that can support the body better. Invest in a wedge pillow as well. It helps elevate your head so that the snoring is minimized when you sleep.

By improving your health as a whole, you can see positive changes to your sleep apnea.