4 Keys to Coping with Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Melbourne

If you have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in Melbourne, you may long for the days when you could sleep soundly through the night. Unfortunately, your disorder disrupts your sleep cycle and may cause you to wake up frequently while you’re trying to rest. You might also find it difficult to fall asleep at night. How can you get the high-quality, rejuvenating rest that your mind and body need to function at their best? Here are four keys to taking control of your OSA.

Improve Your Sleep Routine

Some individuals with mild sleep apnea in Melbourne find that making a few simple changes to their nighttime routine alleviates their symptoms. For example, alcohol is a depressant that can cause the muscles in your mouth to overrelax, thus leading to apneas (short periods of not breathing) throughout the night. Thus, avoiding alcohol in the last few hours before bed may help you. You may also find it beneficial to sleep on your side rather than on your back and address any allergies you have that may hinder your breathing at night.

Kick the Habit

If you smoke, your habit could be making your OSA worse. Cigarettes irritate and inflame tissues in the mouth and throat, which can cause the airway to narrow. Studies have found a direct correlation between snoring (a common indicator of OSA) and the amount a person smokes. If quitting altogether seems overwhelming, try to simply cut back at first. When you discover how reducing your cigarette consumption improves your sleep, that might give you the extra motivation you need to say goodbye to smoking for good.

Don’t Go It Alone

While there might be some things you can do on your own to improve the quality of your sleep despite your OSA, that’s not an excuse to avoid your doctor. Your primary care provider, or a local dental sleep medicine expert like Dr. Mogell, can help you arrange a sleep study. Not only will the sleep study confirm your OSA diagnosis, but it will also give your doctor insight into the severity of your condition. Then, you can begin exploring your treatment options.

Try an Oral Sleep Appliance

Many people who have OSA also have a prescription for a CPAP machine. Unfortunately, not everyone can tolerate a CPAP; you may find it to be noisy and uncomfortable. Thus, even though it may help you breathe at night, it might also make it difficult for you to sleep.

A custom-made oral sleep appliance is a viable alternative for many patients. This small device can move your jaw forward, thus opening up your airway and allowing you to breathe. It can do so without a noisy machine or a bunch of tubes and wires.

Is OSA robbing you of much-needed sleep? A few changes to your lifestyle, along with a custom oral appliance from a sleep medicine expert, may be what you need to start sleeping soundly through the night.

About the Author

Dr. Kenneth Mogell is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine. He has helped countless patients from Melbourne and the surrounding areas to find relief from OSA via oral appliance therapy. To learn more about how Dr. Mogell may be able to help you, contact our Melbourne office today at 321-313-5350.