Sleep apnea is a condition that can be quite complicated when it comes to self treatments and we tend to wonder about the best ways that we can do on our own. Don’t worry, we’re here to answer your concerns.
So, does sleeping in a chair help sleep apnea? Yes, sleeping in a chair can help sleep apnea since it keeps the body straight and prevent the throat tissues from being obstructed since the head is also properly elevated.
Lying on your back can actually worsen sleep apnea so sleeping in a chair is a good way to prevent that.
Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by an obstruction in the airways and by sleeping on our backs, we worsen the obstruction since the tissues will most likely be pressed down the air passages.
By using a chair, you can also avoid unconsciously slouching down to lie straight down straight on your back again. We may try to sleep on our sides but once we fall asleep, our position is beyond our control.
However, not just any kind of chair can help sleep apnea. It should be a chair that can properly elevate the head to keep the airways open.
There are now special or medically designed chairs made for treating sleep apnea and they are commonly referred to as recliners.
But you must keep in mind that there are different types of sleep apnea and only obstructive sleep apnea can be helped by sleeping on recliners or chairs since it is more on keeping the body’s airways open.
Before getting yourself a recliner, it’s important that you consult a health care professional first and conduct a sleep study to properly diagnose your condition.
This will help figure out if sleeping on a recliner or other solutions can be applied for you. Sometimes, it can also depend on the severity of sleep apnea.
However, you must keep in mind that it will not be a permanent solution to sleep apnea. It will stop working as long as you stop sleeping in a chair or a recliner.
In case you are looking for other options, there are plenty of choices that you can still check into to treat your sleep apnea. Simply read on to find out and you can feel free to note them down.
Why sleeping in a chair may not help sleep apnea
If you’ve already tried sleeping in a chair and it doesn’t seem to help your sleep apnea, then the simple answer is that there might be other reasons that caused your sleep apnea.
There are certain factors that can cause sleep apnea that will only be cured through surgeries or special treatments. Here are some examples of those factors that you might not know of.
- Hypothyroidism
- The condition wherein your body does not produce enough thyroid hormones, which is needed to control how to use energy received from food through metabolism. Bad metabolism can affect heartbeat and breathing.
- Even if you are sleeping in a chair, if you have hypothyroidism, your sleep apnea may persist
- Acromegaly
- Opposite of hypothyroidism, acromegaly produces too much growth hormones which can affect your overall health including breathing.
- Allergies
- There are certain allergies that can worsen sleep apnea. Allergies that result with difficulty in breathing are the likes.
- Drug usage
- Sedations or other types of drugs especially when being abused can result in sleep apnea or worsen it.
- Being male
- Observations reveal that males tend to have sleep apnea more than females.
- Clearly, this factor is inevitable but this might mean you may need more than just simply sleeping in recliners.
- Being old
- Observations also revealed that older adults are more prone to sleep apnea than younger ones due to more complicated health issues that may trigger sleep apnea
- Similar to being male, this may mean simply sleeping in a chair will no longer be as effective as it should be especially if sleep apnea has been worsened by time.
Other natural causes of sleep apnea that may prevent sleeping in a chair from working can be a thick neck, narrow throat and having a round head.
What can you do if sleeping in a chair does not help sleep apnea
So once again, there is still a possibility that what’s effective for others may not be as effective for you. After all, people may have different conditions and causes for their sleep apnea.
In this case, if sleeping in a chair does not help you treat your sleep apnea, there are plenty of other options that you can consider. The main idea is knowing the cause to get rid of it, but here’s a list that you can try.
- Nasal Strips
- Nasal strips are one of the earliest tools used to treat sleep apnea and its symptoms such as snoring. Nowadays, there are newly developed nasal strips that you can try.
- Oral Appliance
- Oral pieces can help with sleep apnea and they are custom made to make sure it prevents the obstruction in the airways and counter sleep apnea.
- CPAP Treatment
- The CPAP or “Continuous Positive Airway Pressure” is a commonly used treatment and proven to be effective for sleep apnea patients.
- Lose weight
- Being overweight or obesity can be a cause of sleep apnea. You can potentially get rid of sleep apnea by getting plenty of exercises and maintaining a healthy, balanced diet.
- Sleep apnea will also cause you to uncontrollably gain weight, so you must counter the side effects to lessen the severity.
- Stop or avoid smoking too much.
- Excessive smoking can cause or worsen sleep apnea. Reducing your smoke intake per day will also reduce the risk of gaining fat. If possible, quit smoking to potentially get rid of sleep apnea.
- Avoid excessive alcohol consumption
- Drinking too much alcohol before sleeping can cause and worsen sleep apnea just like smoking.
- Avoid sedatives before going to sleep
- Certain sedatives can cause sleep apnea. Consult a medical expert to determine what type of sedative may be the cause.
- Maintain a proper sleep routine.
- Sometimes, we end up getting exposed to sleep apnea since we simply don’t sleep at the right time. Try to avoid staying up late and sleep early.
- Don’t overwork yourself all the time.
- Going to sleep exhausted can make us a lot more prone to sleep apnea. It’s important to relax a little bit at first before going to bed to lessen the risk of sleep apnea.
- Treat chronic allergies
- Some allergies can trigger obstruction in your body’s airways and may cause you to have sleep apnea. Treat or avoid triggering your allergies to avoid sleep apnea.
But what if you don’t want to keep sleeping on a chair? How do you permanently get rid of sleep apnea? Well don’t worry, it is possible to cure sleep apnea today using surgeries.
How to cure sleep apnea if sleeping in a chair is not enough
- Rapid Maxillary Expansion
- For children with obstructive sleep apnea. This process places an expandable brace on the roof of the mouth that increases the width of the upper jaw (maxilla).
- Over time, parents can adjust the brace using a special key to increase the amount of pressure for the teeth.
- Jaw Advancement Surgery
- For teenagers and adults. This process will surgically break the jaw bones, moved forward and then fixed properly with screws and plates and will change the person’s facial structure or profile.
- It might take months to recover.
- Surgical Airway Advancement
- Similar to the 2nd example. Bones of the upper and lower jaw will be repositioned in a way that will relieve airway obstruction.
When sleep apnea is not treated
When sleep apnea is ignored or sleeping in a chair is not enough to help make the situation better, you are leaving yourself exposed to a number of greater risks.
Sleep apnea is not a simple condition that must be overlooked, check this list of possible risks that can happen if you don’t find a way to help your sleep apnea get cured.
- Heart failure
- May lead to fatal conditions such as brain damages or even death
- Heart attack
- Can also be severely threatening
- Irregular heartbeat
- Worsens the ability to breathe
- Can trigger anxiety
- Stroke
- Can leave permanent damage
- May lead to paralysis
- Depression
- Not an easy condition to treat
- Diabetes
- Leaves you prone to more heart attacks
- High Blood Pressure
- Aside from your physical health, this can also affect your mental health and relationship with people around you including your work
- Increases ADHD
- Sleep apnea reduces your ability to focus which is what happens when you have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
- Having a lack of control to focus can lead to frustration
- Headaches
- You may wake up with a bad headache which will lead to other problems listed here
- Lack of daily energy
- As mentioned, your energy will be reduced since you are unable to sleep well.
- Seizures
- Sleep apnea patients are more prone to seizures during sleep compared to epilepsy patients without sleep apnea.
The thing is, sleep apnea, if left untreated or worsened by other factors, can lead to death. Its risks can be fatal and leave permanent damage or severe pain and feeling of sickness which can drag on daily.
If diagnosed with sleep apnea, one must consider treating the problem as soon as possible in order to prevent any unwanted scenarios related to your health.
Related Questions
- Will removing tonsils and adenoids help sleep apnea in adults?
Yes, removing an enlarged tonsils and adenoids can help sleep apnea since it can be the major cause of airway blockage. A tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy will be performed to cure the sleep apnea.
- Is it good to sleep without a pillow?
No, if you have sleep apnea, it is best to sleep with a moderately soft pillow to keep your head properly elevated.
Depending on what your body needs, sleeping without a pillow may be good if you are suffering from neck pain but not with sleep apnea.
