We hate to hear, read, or think about it, but the truth is that every day we are getting a little bit older. Depressing, we know. But if we don’t take care of our bodies properly, then it’s possible that signs of aging could show more quickly than we’d like. For example, take sleep apnea, a serious disorder that occurs when your breathing is interrupted during sleep as a result of not enough oxygen being sent to the brain. But how exactly does sleep apnea hurt us and how do we prevent it from occurring?
There are two forms of sleep apnea: obstructive and central sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when there is a blockage in the airway, and central sleep apnea occurs when the brain fails to signal the muscles to breath. So obviously, neither of these two forms is “better” than the other, and both can result in some pretty serious damages to the body. So how do you know if you have sleep apnea?
Signs and symptoms of sleep apnea range from loud snoring to loss of memory, so it’s important to keep up with certain lifestyle routines to decrease the likelihood of sleep apnea. According to Dr. Oz, there are four important steps to take in order to help prevent the sleeping disorder.
Get enough sleep. You are so busy throughout the day that the end of the night is the only time to get your personal stuff done, or to even just take some quiet time to yourself. Well remember to make it apriority to go to bed at a decent hour. The 7-hour sleep rule is not something to forget if you want to function at 100 percent the next day.
Stop smoking and lose excess weight. As if cigarettes weren’t bad enough for your body already, the cigarette smoke also causes your airways to inflame, making it more difficult for the right amount of oxygen to enter your body. Maintaining a healthy weight is also important. Losing at least 10 percent of excess weight can help eliminate the extra tissue in the back of your throat that can result into the blocking of air flow into the lungs.
>> Read more: 18 Things You Can Do To Sleep Better At Night
Treat nasal congestion. Not only does reducing nasal inflammation relieve the loud snoring your spouse might get lack of sleep over, but it will also help open up your airways to continue a healthy amount of oxygen flow throughout your body.
Avoid alcohol and sedatives. Your brain activity only weakens when consuming sedatives and alcohol, and as we already know, a weakened brain results in not getting enough oxygen to the body. So you may want to reconsider a sleeping pill when you’re having problems because it can actually delay your brain from doing its job, instead of help it.
>> Read more: Insomnia: Why Aren’t You Sleeping and How to Fix It