Sleep apnea is a potentially dangerous sleep disorder in which you stop and start breathing frequently while you are sleeping. Symptoms of sleep apnea often include loud snoring and fatigue even if you sleep uninterrupted through the night. Obesity and age are the common risk factors of sleep apnea.

The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea, in which the throat muscles contract and relax while you are asleep. The other type of sleep apnea, called central sleep apnea, usually occurs in people who have been diagnosed with brain tumors, infections or heart failure, or have had a stroke.

Treatment of sleep apnea includes:

CPAP: The Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device is generally recommended in the treatment of sleep apnea. CPAP is a breathing machine that stops your airways from getting blocked when you are sleeping. The CPAP device is normally the size of a tissue box. It comes with a mask that you put over your mouth and nose. The machine attached to the mask pumps a continuous flow of air that keeps your airways clear as you sleep.
BPAP: The Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BPAP) device is used as an alternative to the CPAP device, if you find it hard to adjust to the CPAP. If you have a weak pattern of breathing, the BPAP can be helpful.
ASV: The Adaptive Servo-ventilation (ASV) device is used to treat both central and obstructive sleep apnea.
Treatment for other medical conditions: Sometimes sleep apnea can be caused by underlying health conditions. Problems such as rhinitis (nasal passage inflammation) and hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland) can cause sleep apnea. In such cases, your doctor needs to diagnose these conditions first before treating your sleep apnea.
Lifestyle changes: Excessive weight sometimes can cause sleep apnea; so losing excessive weight should be a priority. Also, alcohol and tobacco can contribute to your symptoms, so try avoiding those.
Medication: Usually, doctors do not prescribe any medicine, since sedatives and sleeping pills actually worsen sleep apnea. But, in case of sleep apnea in children, doctors typically suggest intra nasal corticosteroid medicine to treat the symptoms.
Surgery: Surgeries to increase the size of your airway or to remove your adenoids, tonsils or extra tissues in the rear of your throat or your nose can prove helpful.

Sleep Apnea - 7 Ways it Can Be Treated!

Sleep disorder is a medical and physiological condition that can come with a number of symptoms and pain points, including insomnia or problems in getting proper sleep, constant waking up at night on a rather frequent basis, difficulty in remaining asleep for long periods of time, waking up tired due to lack of restorative sleep where the brain does not go to sleep properly, waking up at a particular time early every morning and not being able to go back to sleep and a host of related problems.

There are many methods of dealing with the same including medication and sleep therapy. When we speak of medication, homeopathy is one such field of medicine that is known for its lasting efficacy. This form of medicine has emanated after centuries of research and has been in practice for over 200 years now. The medication prescribed by a homeopath doctor will usually have a small dose of naturally found elements so as to trigger the intrinsic healing prowess and system of the body into action. Few medicines with symptoms of sleeping disorder mentioned below-

Coffee Cruda: This homeopathic medicine is one of the most widely prescribed ones when it comes to issues that have to do with sleeplessness. It is best suited for patients who are facing a constant flow of random and often, worrying, thoughts in their mind, when they should actually be sleeping. This triggers insomnia and makes it difficult to maintain proper sleep, even when the patient finally manages to get some shuteye.
Kali Phos: This is also a well-known homeopathic cure for sleep disorders. This is ideally suited for patients of sleeplessness and especially those who are facing nagging worries, which have culminated into a state of stress. This kind of stress can have to do with one s studies, marriage, career, children and much more. It is also prescribed for patients who are having trouble when it comes to getting over some form of adversity in their lives like the loss of a loved one.
Natrum Mur: This is a homeopathic medicine that doctors usually prescribe for individuals who have been facing some chronic form of grief due to some incident or a series of such incidents in their life. Emotional disturbances can cause a repetition of thoughts and worry in their minds, which keeps them from getting any rest.
Nux Vomica: This medicine is ideal for those patients who have no trouble when it comes to falling off to sleep. But once they sleep, they find that they wake up frequently and cannot go back to sleep again. They may also have disturbing dreams, which can make their brain wake up and become too restless to go back to sleep in a hurry.
All homeopathic medicines although, do not have any side effects, but in order to make sure that they work effectively on a person they must be taken strictly under the supervision of a homeopathic physician as all times. 

Different Sleep Disorders & Homeopathic Remedies For Them!

Sleep apnea is a disorder that affects nighttime breathing and is caused by either a malfunction in the brain that temporarily stops sending signals to the muscles that control breathing, or by an obstruction in the airway. 

Causes of Sleep Apnea-
It occurs when muscles in the back of your throat relax, tonsillitis, adenoids, obesity, middle-aged, heart disease, stroke, sedative medicines, large neck circumference, large tongue etc.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea-

Feeling of excessively sleepy during a day
Lack concentration and low memory status
Depression
Short temperament
Irritability
Hyperactive children
Leg swelling
Impotency in males
Insomnia
Frequent waking up for urination in night
Tiresome feeling in morning
Homeopathic  Treatment of Sleep Apnea-
Homeopathy is one of the most popular holistic systems of medicine. The selection of remedy is based upon the theory of individualization and symptoms similarity by using holistic approach. This is the only way through which a state of complete health can be regained by removing all the sign and symptoms from which the patient is suffering. 

The aim of homeopathy is not only to treat sleep apnoea but to address its underlying cause and individual susceptibility. As far as therapeutic medication is concerned, several well-proved medicines are available for sleep apnoea treatment that can be selected on the basis of cause, sensation and modalities of the complaints. For individualized remedy selection and treatment, the patient should consult a qualified homeopathic doctor in person. Some of the most common homeopathic medicines for Sleep Apnea are-

Arsenicum Album: Arsenicum album is often prescribed for individuals who have breathing difficulties at night and is considered for people with a fearful, tense and agitated response to illness. 
Lachesis: Lachesis is a remedy prescribed for conditions that worsen at night. This medicine is designed for people who are typically fearful and anxious, but also prone to jealousy and excessive talking. 
Sulphur: By reputation, sulphur is a commonly prescribed homeopathic remedy, especially for nighttime congestion and sweating. Homeopathic sulphur combats a wheezy cough and congested head, both of which are suffered in sleep apnea. 
Spongia Tosta: This remedy for croup may help congestive sleep apnea sufferers as it treats respiratory symptoms that worsen when lying down. 
Before taking these medications, it is important to visit the doctor who will take a detailed case history of your problem and prescribe the right dosage and combination of medication.


Homeopathic Treatment For Sleep Apnea Problem

Getting a good night s sleep is needed not only to remove dark circles but to improve your overall health as well. Ideally, adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. This helps you stay physically and mentally healthy. However, getting a good night s sleep is easier said than done, as sleep apnea is one of the factors that could affect the quality of your sleep. This can cause a number of health issues including heart disease.

What is sleep apnea?
Sleep Apnea is a sleep disorder that can make your breathing start and stop repeatedly while you are asleep. These pauses can range from 5 times an hour to 30 times in one hour. Waking up tired after a long sleep and snoring are characteristic symptoms of this condition. This can be annoying for others, but for you, it could be life-threatening. When your breathing stops; your airways get blocked. 

This is characteristic of obstructive sleep apnea, as every time this happens, you wake up. This can increase the risk of high blood pressure. High blood pressure, in turn, can cause arrhythmia, heart failure, and strokes. This can increase the risk of a fatal heart attack by up to 5 times.

Heart disease and central sleep apnea have a cyclic relationship. In this case, heart disease causes the person to retain water and salts. At night, this excess fluid can enter the lungs making the person wake up feeling short of breath. This is not necessarily because the airways get blocked but because the brain does not send the diaphragm a signal to expand and contract. This is not as common as obstructive sleep apnea.

Reducing your risk of heart disease caused by sleep apnea
There are ways to treat sleep apnea so as to reduce the chances of heart diseases. To treat it, it must first be diagnosed. Thus, if your roommate notices you snoring, consult a doctor immediately. For a diagnosis, you will need to undergo a sleep study. This involves staying overnight in the hospital where they will monitor your sleep. Treatment for sleep apnea is known as continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP. 

This form of treatment involves wearing a mask that regulates the air pressure as you breathe thus ensuring that the air passages do not close down. In case of obstructive sleep apnea, losing weight if you are obese, can also help treat the condition and keep the airways open. 

Sleep Apnea - How It Can Increase The Risk Of Heart Disease?

So your folks have always been advising, Early to bed, early to rise, makes a person healthy, wealthy and wise? But, it is so not you. You realise that waking up early has its perks but cannot bring yourself to do it? You must have categorised yourself as nocturnal and left things at that.

Fact is, getting up early morning not only makes you more productive it also makes you less stressful. It is better to start your day on a calm note than rushing to get ready and leave for work. Give your body time to get out of sleep before you begin your daily grind. 

1) Sleep is first: Deadline is an excuse. Make it a point to sleep at an assigned hour and waking up at a particular time.
2) Break the cycle: You sleep late, you wake up late and the cycle continues. Break this by forcing yourself to sleep at a particular time. Use simple ways such as having a warm glass of milk before bed, exercising, etc to make yourself fall asleep.
3) Be patient: It is ok to fail. The trick is to keep trying. Your body is used to a certain sleeping pattern and it will take a few days before it can accept a new one.
4) Start small: Take baby steps. On the first day, sleep 15 minutes earlier than your regular time and wake up 15 minutes earlier. Increment it till you reach your goal time. 

Struggling to become a morning person?   Here are 4 tips to ditch your  Snooze  button.

Why Sleep Deprivation Can Be Hazardous

Exams, work, parties, stress, worries – there numerous reasons because of which we do not sleep well and begin the next day sleep deprived. At times, this extends to multiple times in a week and before we realize, it poses bigger health health hazards than you can imagine.

10 health hazards sleep deprivation can lead to-

1) Induces Accidents - If you haven’t slept well the night before, you are bound to be drowsy. It is extremely unsafe to drive when sleepy, as this puts you at a high risk of meeting with an accident. Not just while driving, there are known to be more accidents inside the office, when one is sleep deprived.
2) Makes You Dumb - When sleep deprived, our senses are not alert. And when our senses are not alert, our brain slackens. Lack of sleep impairs attention, reasoning, concentration, and reasoning. It takes us time to grasp situations and facts, we tend to be dumb.
3) Poses Serious Health Threats - Sleep disorders are known to cause heart attack, heart disease, heart failure, irregular heartbeat, stroke, diabetes, insomnia and high blood pressure.
4) Dip in Sex Drive - Sleep deprivation depletes one’s energy and increases tension in the mind. This leads to lack of concentration and a massive dip in one’s sex drive. Both men and women are known to express lowered interest in sex when they are sleep deprived.
5) Ages Your Skin - We all know that one sleepless night gives us puffy eyes and sallow skin. However, chronic sleep disorder also results in fine lines, dark circles under the eyes and lackluster skin. Human growth hormones are released while we sleep. So the lesser one sleep, the lesser is the hormone released. And thus affects our skin.
6) Leads To Depression - Depression feeds on insomnia and vice versa. While good sleep at regular intervals is known to calm the senses and helps treat depression, lack of sleep at times aggravates the symptoms of depression.
7) Makes You Forgetful - When sleep deprived, one tends to be forgotten. Not a surprise since due to lack of sleep, one is not alert as it is. Scientifically explained, one needs to be in deep sleep for the sharp wave ripples to occur and sharpen one’s memory.
8) Causes Weight Gain - Studies say that the more one sleeps, the more weight they lose. And in instances of sleep deprivation, exactly the opposite happens. Sleeping less than six hours a day increases your risk to be obese, according to studies.
9) Increases Risk Of Chronic Diseases - Lack of sleep increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. It is very important to sleep the required amount of hours, every night, to assist all organs to function smoothly.
10) Impairs judgement - Sleep deprivation affects focus and other senses. This in turn impairs judgment as one might find it difficult to focus while taking decisions. You might start sleeping lesser than 7-8 hours and find that your body has adjusted to it, however in the long run, it will start showing adverse effects on your body.

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10 Ways Sleep Deprivation Can Be Hazardous

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