5 home remedies to try if your partner has sleep apnea (snoring)

Dry mouth (cotton mouth) upon waking up, morning headache, difficulty achieving deep restful sleep, daytime sleepiness, trouble focusing, and irritability.

Unregulated or untreated sleep apnea increase risk of heart disease, accidents behind the wheel and mental disorders.

The disorder results from two scenarios

Obstructive sleep apnea: here the throat muscles become too relaxed and block the air passage. This is the most common type.

Central sleep apnea: when the brain doesn't send proper signals to the muscles in charge of breathing.

Try these home remedies to help your partner, and yourself, get better sleep.

1. Humidifier

This is a portable device that acts as a moisturiser to relieve dryness in the house, especially in the bedroom. Sometimes nasal congestion, irritated vocal cords, dry air can worsen sleep apnea. A humidifier lessens the effects from such aggravations to aid breathing.

2. Aromatherapy

To fight off irritation from inflamed airways use essential oils: peppermint and lavender to reduce irritation from inflammation. It is also advisable to to put a few drops of the essential oils into the humidifier before bedtime.

3. Throat exercises

These exercises build tongue strength and the muscles that collapse during sleep apnea. The most common one to try is curling the tongue for a few times throughout the day. Say the five vowels (a,e, i, o, u) loudly and singing or humming.

4. Keep alcohol away before bedtime

Since it is a relaxant, it worsens the already collapsed muscles in the upper airway. It also causes inflammation and worsens congestion.

5. Medication

Currently, there's no known cure for sleep apnea. But its effects can be significantly reduced. Modafinil, an approved medicine, is a stimulant that can relieve daytime sleepiness. It also improves alertness during day.

Thyroid treatment medication can relieve symptoms for those suffering from hypothyroidism sleep apnea.

However, make a visit to a physician to rule out any underlying causes like hypertension, cardiac arrest, stroke, diabetes, hypothyroidism, and irregular heart rhythm.