About 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, or obstructed sleep apnea, according to UC Health Surgical Hospital in Ohio. When you have sleep apnea, your airway collapses and restricts oxygen flow to your lungs and brain. Your breathing also stops repeatedly while you're sleeping and you can develop health problems. A few natural remedies can help to treat sleep apnea, including yoga.
Symptoms and Complications
Sleep apnea can cause snoring, choking or gasping for breath when you're trying to sleep. According to UC Health, when sleep apnea cuts off breathing, your brain senses it and increases your attempts to breathe, causing you to wake up. Once you begin breathing again, you fall back asleep, but the whole process starts over. The breathing problems you experience disrupt your sleep and lead to conditions such as daytime drowsiness, headaches and irritability. Left untreated, sleep apnea can heighten your risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease or stroke.
Effects of Yoga
Yoga cannot cure sleep apnea, but it can help to improve breathing, according to K.O. Paulose, an ear, nose and throat plastic and laser surgeon. Breathing exercises during yoga help tone muscles in your throat and air passages. If you have allergic rhinitis and sleep apnea, you're also likely to have high levels of stress. The most common reason people in the West practice yoga is to reduce stress, says the University of Maryland Medical Center. It increases endorphins in the brain, reduces heart rate and blood pressure and relaxes muscles.
Recommended Yoga Technique
One breathing technique Paulose recommends is the ujjayi pranayama, or hissing breath, which opens up your lungs and removes blockages in your throat. Pranayama exercises also boost blood circulation and increase lung capacity and oxygen flow to the brain. Begin by sitting on a mat on the ground in the padma asana, or lotus pose. If you can't quite accomplish a lotus pose, sit with with your legs crossed comfortably. Breathe in and out deeply through your nostrils with your eyes closed until you feel relaxed, says Paulose. Then inhale strongly through both nostrils and contract your neck muscles to make a low, throbbing sound. Hold the breath as long as possible and then use your finger to block one nostril and exhale slowly through the other one. Repeat this exercise and end by exhaling through your other nostril. Paulose recommends practicing this technique at least three to five times daily.
Recommendations
Start by practicing with a qualified yoga teacher to learn the proper breathing methods and body alignment during poses. Expect classes to be about 45 to 90 minutes. Always warm up before you begin the poses, which helps to increase blood circulation to your muscles. Classes often end with deep relaxation or meditation. Once you feel you've grasped the proper techniques, you can also practice at home.
