If you are suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) the weight or fat tissues of your neck contribute to the blockage of the airway while you sleep. According to a study published by the Journal of the American Association, just a 10% decrease in weight and a 26% decrease in a patient’s apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) therefore reducing overall weight and neck circumference may reduce the sleep apnea symptoms.
As we are all aware one of the best forms of losing weight is through diet and exercise, however juggling with work and family did not make it any easier, here are some ways to include more exercise in your life and to help you sleep better. Setting a realistic weight goal by starting small like losing one kg per week, asking your friends and family for support in your weight loss journey makes it easier to lose weight, start with easy exercise routines such as taking a brisk walk a few times a day and build on it to include stretching and resistance training to running, make exercise fun by doing something that you enjoy such as playing a sport riding a bike or taking the dog to the park and try new things until you find the right fit, turn exercise into a lifestyle by incorporating small changes in life such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator or taking a walk during lunch or after dinner.
Myofunctional therapy, if you have not heard of this exercise for the mouth and facial muscles to increase airflow through the airway might improve sleep as these movements target the facial muscles and tongue to strengthen the oropharynx. According to a recent study of myofunctional therapy’s impact on OSA, adult patients and younger patients had a 50% and 65% decrease in AHI respectively. There are multiple easy and fun ways to incorporate myofunctional exercise which include picking up a musical instrument such as a trumpet or clarinet to help open up the windpipe and train throat muscles, regular singing can open and strengthen the throat muscles possibly reduce snoring and boost the immune system and lowering stress levels, and tongue exercises by placing the tip of the tongue to the roof of the mouth for 5s or sticking the tongue out and try
touching the nose for 10s or pushing the tongue all the way to the right or left for 10s and repeat 10 times for all. In addition, a healthy diet goes hand in hand to help maintain weight and more energy to exercise, some quality foods that can help stave off hunger include nuts as they are high in protein and healthy fats keeping you full longer, yogurt as high in protein for breakfast or snack to improve appetite control, and bananas as high in potassium to limit water retention and bloating.
Introducing new habits into your lifestyle and daily routine will help you to sleep better, feel better and breathe easier. If you suspect that you might be at risk of sleep apnea, try out the sleep apnea symptom quiz that is available on the American Sleep Association website, and do consult the doctor to be diagnosed early and confirm the diagnosis of either central or obstructive sleep apnea. The doctor will dispense a sleep apnea test in the comfort of your home or an in-lab sleep test to determine the precise nature of your condition and to avoid any long-term issues and early intervention such as CPAP therapy with a sleep apnea device to stop snoring, get better quality of sleep, and healthier overall well-being.
The Air Station
