Sleep apnea is a serious condition requiring medical treatment to prevent heart problems and other complications, according to the Mayo Clinic website, though holistic therapies may help. Discuss your symptoms with your doctor to get an accurate diagnosis, and ask what holistic therapies you can safely use. Acupuncture may improve sleep apnea, as well as making lifestyle changes such as losing weight.
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when your throat muscles relax while you sleep, which closes off your airways. As a result, your blood-oxygen levels drop, and you wake up briefly to restore normal breathing. If you have sleep apnea, you may feel excessively tired, snore loudly and wake up multiple times during the night, though you may not remember waking up. Unlike other sleep conditions, such as insomnia, people with sleep apnea should avoid substances that cause drowsiness, because this increases the chances that the throat muscles will relax and obstruct breathing. Avoid alcohol especially, as well as herbs or supplements that might sedate you such as valerian root, kava kava or melatonin.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture may improve sleep apnea, according to a 2007 study published in "Sleep Medicine." Patients studied had moderately severe obstructive sleep apnea, and they received acupuncture treatments on their head, face, hands, wrists and lower legs. After 10 weeks, patients receiving acupuncture experienced a reduction in the number of respiratory lapses as compared to a placebo group that received a phony acupuncture treatment, and a control group receiving no treatment. Acupuncture may complement medical treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, though more research is necessary to understand acupuncture's benefits.
Weight
Holistic health looks at the whole person when assessing illness, including lifestyle factors such as body weight. The Mayo Clinic website recommends that people with sleep apnea lose excess weight, which can actually cure sleep apnea in some cases. Even a small reduction of weight takes pressure off of your throat, making it easier for your airways to stay open. Consult your doctor or a registered dietitian to get advice for losing weight healthfully. Most weight loss programs involve some physical activity, which may also improve sleep problems. Avoid exercising before bed, though, because this can interfere with sleep.
Lifestyle
Other lifestyle factors that affect sleep apnea are sleep position and allergies. Sleeping on your side or stomach instead of your back may improve sleep apnea problems, as well as using a nasal spray to keep airways open. Try a neti pot, which is a container used to flush salt water through your nasal passages. Dr. James Balch writes in "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" that allergy treatment sometimes clears up sleep apnea, so ask your doctor for allergy testing, and make efforts to control known allergies.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Sleep Apnea; June 2010
- "Prescription for Nutritional Healing"; James F. Balch, M.D. and Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C.; 1997
- "Sleep Medicine"; Treatment of Moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome with Acupuncture: A Randomised, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Trial; Anaflavia O. Freire et al.; 2007
- National Center for Alternative and Complementary Medicine; Sleep Disorders and CAM: At a Glance; September 2010
