Lifestyle changes to treat mild obstructive sleep apnea

Some people with mild OSA can improve their symptoms by making some simple changes.
In some people, these changes will be enough to treat their sleep apnea symptoms: Lose weight: Overweight people can have extra tissue around their necks- this tissue can block their airway. By losing weight, you can shrink the tissue around your airway, and allow more air to pass to your lungs. A recent study showed that people who lose 10% of their weight can have a 30% decrease in their sleep apnea symptoms. Read more about losing weight to help treat sleep apnea symptoms. Avoid alcohol and sedatives (medicines that make you sleepy): Alcohol and sedatives can make your throat muscles relax too much, allowing your airway to close off. If you avoid alcohol and sedatives, you may be able to keep your airway open. Read more about avoiding alcohol to improve sleep apnea symptoms. Sleep on your side, not your back: Some people only get obstructive sleep apnea when they sleep on their backs. Sleeping on your back lets gravity pull on the tissues at the back of your throat and neck. This can make your airway narrow or make it collapse completely. You can train yourself to sleep on you side by: Using pillows: Putting pillows against your back to prop yourself on your side. Using the “tennis ball trick”: sew a pocket onto the back of your pajama top and put a tennis ball in it. If you start to roll to your back during sleep, the pressure from the ball will make you roll back onto to your side. Lifestyle changes don’t work for everyone, and may not work forever. As you get older or if you gain weight, these simple solutions may no longer treat your sleep apnea symptoms. Keep track of your sleep apnea symptoms. If your symptoms come back, see your doctor for another kind of treatment.