Exercises to reduce sleep apnea

[Rainfern]

Has anyone tried these exercises? Apparently I’m showing possible signs of sleep apnea (a silence followed by a couple of snores, noted by my husband). Apparently the signs can be quite subtle when we momentarily stop breathing in our sleep and really we need a full medical investigation. In the meantime I googled “exercises to reduce sleep apnea” and found some mouth and throat exercises that some research has shown to reduce occurrence of sleep apnea by 36%. Given the association between sleep apnea and AF this might be a useful practice for anyone both to prevent the sleep apnea worsening or developing in the first place. I believe there are similar exercises found in yoga.

[AsparagusLover]

Morning. What are the signs of sleep apnoea, please. Got to be more than the occasional waking up with dry mouth?

[Rainfern in reply to AsparagusLover]

nhs.uk/conditions/sleep-apn...

[AsparagusLover in reply to Rainfern]

Thank you. One less thing to worry about! Still worth doing a preventative course of action by doing the exercise! Have IPad/ will Google! 👵🏻

[ainslie]

which exercises are they?

[Rainfern in reply to ainslie]

I found them on a private company website “sleep care online” which came up when I googled “exercises to reduce sleep apnea”. I can’t vouch for the authenticity of this site and we’re not supposed to include links in our posts (I took a liberty with the NHS link above!) As I’ve done facial exercises in the past and remembered “the lion” asana from yoga the exercises described seemed straightforward and made sense to me.

[Rainfern]

Some well illustrated exercises on Sleep Foundation website

[ainslie in reply to Rainfern]

Thank you , I will have a look

[AsparagusLover]

Thank you kind lady. Im a great believer in preventative action 👌

Blood tests done last week - now waiting to hear about collection of Amiodarone prior to repeat of Cardioversion - while taking Amiodarone to confirm symptom benefits of staying in SR - until ablation! 🙏

[Rainfern in reply to AsparagusLover]

🤞🏼🍀🙏

[Megams]

~Sounds too good to be true - I say this because I was told that the muscle in back of throat relaxes and closes airway. I didn't fit the usual profile of overweight/larger neck circumference/smoker. Told it was hereditary - my late Father I believe had this condition.

If I could have got away with doing exercises it would have been a welcome addition to my daily exercise regime.

I went undiagnosed for years until sleep Specialist sent me home wired up to monitor for 24 hours - 19 times per hour stopped breathing which considered mild.

Good luck and best wishes~

[Efka]

I love this Rainfern as others have said prevention and simple "at home" treatments I think should be first port of call when possible.

I wanted to add a note about this little quirky device - Iqoro (IQORO) - I am sure there are many on the market, I know of this one as I am of Swedish origins and a friend of mine in England bought one and has used it successfully for his acid reflux.

It probably does the same as the yoga/facial exercises just using a device (like a dummy almost). It only takes a few minutes a day if that. In fact my friend said he was over keen in the beginning and over trained his muscles and had to back off for a while.

I appreciate it depends on the cause of sleep apnea as I'm not sure if this could help central sleep apnea but then I don't know maybe re-training the muslces might help (reset) the nerves and hence the impulses?!?

Thanks for the great suggestion!

[Madscientist16]

It is my understanding that most people and their partners don't know or can't quantify if and or how bad sleep apnea may be. Ever try using a fitness watch to monitor your sleep? If so, same could be used to indicate if these exercises improve sleep quality. I would be concerned that if I suspect that I have sleep apnea, why would I try exercises instead of consulting a medical professional. It is already well known that sleep apnea may be a cause of AF for some people, and the proper treatment can greatly reduce AF episodes.

[Rainfern in reply to Madscientist16]

Thanks for the nudge - my husband has also said I should get it checked out. Meanwhile I’m back side-sleeping much as possible.

I suspect the wait for professional help could be an age in our area. Sleep problems are endemic and the NHS clinics must be overflowing. I’m not sure I’ll get a referral on the basis of possible sleep apnoea without stronger signs and symptoms. But it’s worth a try.

I still think it’s worth doing the exercises on the basis of current evidence. In the same way I have an effective tool kit for allaying gut issues, anxiety, low mood and other signs of creeping old age!

[AsparagusLover]

Your take on NHS sleep clinic appts is pragmatic.

If you can use your recently garnered exercises & your other self help skills, you hopefully will nip the sleep apnoea in the bud.

Go for it!

[Rainfern in reply to AsparagusLover]

Thank you 😊