Sleep apnea is a scary affliction that occurs while people are sleeping. An episode of sleep apnea means that the person actually fails to breathe for a period of time which can be a few seconds up to almost a minute in duration. These episodes can happen hundreds of times a night disturbing sound sleep and, in some cases, can even prove deadly. For most people, though, it’s merely nuisance behavior that leaves them tired even after sleeping all night because they have been roused so many times. It also exposes their partners to horrendous bouts of snoring which disturbs their sleep, too.
These breathing difficulties happen because the person’s airways narrow while lying down. It could be that excess body fat is blocking this area and making it hard to breathe. Historically the advice these sufferers have been given was to sew tennis balls in the back of their pajama shirts which will keep them from rolling on their backs. Obviously this treatment isn’t very comfortable. In recent years, however, manufacturers have come up with special sleep apnea pillows that make it possible for people to breathe properly all night long.
Sleep apnea pillows are designed to be extremely comfortable and very practical. They raise the sleeper’s head keeping the neck extended so that air passageways remain open. Some of the pillows are designed with C-Pap users in mind. It can be difficult sleeping on a regular pillow while wearing a mask and air hose, but because of the special design C-Pap pillows have, they make it easier to sleep while hooked up to your machine.
Even if you don’t know for sure that you suffer from sleep apnea, the fact that the person you sleep with or someone in your household complains about your snoring gives you a good clue that you probably have sleep apnea, too. You can also suspect apnea if you sleep all night and don’t feel refreshed in the morning. If you think you may being having episodes of sleep apnea, you need to see a doctor right away. He will probably refer you to a sleep clinic where you can be tested to find out for sure. You don’t want to just buy a sleep apnea pillow and call it good, because apnea is nothing to mess around with. Special pillows can help relieve the symptoms of sleep apnea, but you’ll also want to follow whatever instructions your doctor gives you.
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