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The Doctors Book of Home Remedies II: Sleep Apnea

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Sleep Apnea

When it comes to comedy, whether it's Dagwood Bumstead's sofa antics or the Three Stooges and their sleeping sound effects, snoring has always given us a good laugh--and the louder the snarfing, gurgling and harrumphing, the louder our yuks.

But shake-the-walls snoring could be a sign of a potentially life-threatening condition called sleep apnea, in which the throat relaxes and closes during sleep. Sleep apnea affects nearly one of every ten Americans--primarily middle-aged to older men who are usually overweight.

"The difference between regular snoring and sleep apnea is that with sleep apnea, you actually stop breathing, anywhere from ten seconds up to three minutes," says Peter Hauri, Ph.D., co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center in Rochester, Minnesota."And these stoppages are frequent--a minimum of at least 15 per hour. Usually the person stops breathing for 30 or 40 seconds and then gasps for air (making the snoring sound) and resumes breathing. For your bed partner, it can be most terrifying." And it could be dangerous as well--since people with sleep apnea have a much higher risk of heart attack.

If your doctor has diagnosed you with sleep apnea--and that can happen only after a thorough examination of your sleeping habits--you probably have been made aware of the risks. But here are some remedies you should also note.

Solve it with spray. One way to cut your congestion is with an over-the-counter saline spray that will moisten mucous membranes and help make breathing easier. You can mix your own saline nasal spray by dissolving no more than 1/2 teaspoon of salt (1/3 teaspoon if you're hypertensive) in eight ounces of warm water. Collecting the solution in a nosedropper, tilt your head back and sniff the spray into each nostril. Spit out the water and blow your nose. Note: Don't overdo the salt--too much can burn your nostrils.

Lighten your load. It's no wonder that nearly all those with sleep apnea are overweight. "Often, losing weight alone is enough to solve the problem," says Dr. Hauri. That's because fat deposits in the obese--particularly men--are at the base of the tongue. The extra fatty tissue blocks an already clogged air passage, making nighttime breathing more difficult.

Say no to nightcaps. Drinking in the evening is never a good idea for snorers, but it's particularly dangerous for those with sleep apnea. Research by Merrill Mitler, Ph.D., director of research for the Division of Chest, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the Scripps Clinic Sleep Disorders Center in San Diego, found that drinking can double your episodes of sleep apnea compared with going to bed sober.

"You should limit alcohol for at least six hours before going to sleep," says Bernard DeBerry, M.D., a Laguna Hills, California, surgeon who specializes in procedures related to snoring and sleep apnea and who is clinical associate professor of surgery in the Head and Neck Division at the University of California, Irvine, College of Medicine. "Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, and as such, it decreases control of muscles in your upper airway." The more "relaxed" those muscles are, the more snoring--and the greater chance that the person with sleep apnea will stop breathing.

Avoid allergenic foods. "People with food allergies should avoid the foods that cause a reaction, because those foods can add to their congestion," according to Dr. DeBerry. "The more congested you are, the more clogged your airway, and the greater the risk of sleep apnea. So if you know that eating a certain food will cause your nose to block up, by all means, don't eat that food--especially in the hours before bedtime."

Ban the butts. "Smoking irritates the upper respiratory tract and makes sleep apnea worse," says Thomas Roth, Ph.D., director of the Henry Ford Hospital Sleep Disorders and Research Center in Detroit and president of the National Sleep Foundation. Besides, smoking also contributes to congestion.

Don't nosh at night. A midnight snack may help cure insomnia, but it can spell disaster for those with sleep apnea. "Eating just before sleep can add to congestion," says Dr. DeBerry.

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