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The B's of Sleep Apnea Treatment
Behavioral therapy is the big "B" therapy of sleep apnea. This is a form of psychological therapy that looks specifically at ways to alter behavior and the cognitive processes that go with it. Cognitive behavioral therapy (often abbreviated to CBT) is based in cognitive theory and its subsequent research and it also lends heavily from behavior modification theory.
Bach flower remedies (also sometimes called flower remedy/essence therapy) revolve around the use of thirty-eight different flowers which each work on upon a mental or emotional attitude to improve upon it. The flower used the most often to treat sleep apnea is vervain, which can be purchased at a health food store or through the Internet. Besides relieving problems with breathing during sleep, the Bach flower remedies are also excellent at lowering levels of stress and tension in the body, promoting rest and relaxation and fighting the debilitating effects of depression.
There are some behavioral treatments that are very basic in nature but are nevertheless worthwhile in helping sleep apnea sufferers. The first one is to avoid sleeping on one's back and instead choose to sleep on your side. When you sleep on your back this makes it easy for the tongue to fall back into the throat and can easily contribute to the airway being restricted, therefore prompting an episode of sleep apnea known as an "apneic event." Also use a regular size pillow to sleep on as opposed to an extra large pillow or two large pillows.
Alcohol and drugs should be avoided as much as possible if you are a sleep apnea sufferer and in particular up to four hours before you turn in for the night. Alcoholic beverages, as well as sedatives, sleeping pills and any form of tranquilizers slow down the work of the respiratory system thereby causing the throat muscles to relax to an excessive amount. This makes it very possible for obstructive sleep apnea to take place. Sleep tests conducted in laboratories have yielded the result that eliminating the consumption of alcohol helps to dramatically decrease the amount of sleep apnea episodes suffered by patients and it promotes a more restful, calmer state of sleep. As well the level of oxygen in the blood increases when alcohol is not a factor. This helps bring about positive consequences for the sleep apnea sufferer.
Another behavioral treatment includes learning the art of deep breathing. Deep breathing has its roots in the practice of yoga and by learning it and practicing it on a regular basis, deep breathing can clean out the lungs and encourage the lungs to work better. It also helps blood to circulate better, reduces stress and lowers blood pressure. Although those who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea often only see temporary results from learning deep breathing (which is breathing that comes from the diaphragm), the effect it has in alleviating stress is well documented.
Panicking upon waking up and not being able to breathe properly is a common problem for sleep apnea sufferers. Often fear gets the best of sufferers and they struggle to breathe as best as they can. This problem can get worse over time. Sometimes it may be necessary to speak to a psychologist about ways to combat this fear so it doesn't develop into a phobia.
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