Traveling is stressful. It disrupts your routine and gets you awake and alert at random hours which can make it difficult to get the right amount of quality sleep you need. If you have a medical condition like sleep apnea it can make your already disrupted resting time much worse.
If you have sleep apnea and are traveling soon, this article is your guide to achieving a good sleep schedule.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a medical condition that causes irregular breathing while you’re asleep. The soft tissue inside your mouth and throat relaxes during sleep which can occur due to naturally narrow airways or obesity. If you are overweight, this can block your airway, making it difficult to breathe. A family history of sleep apnea, smoking, and alcohol consumption can also put you at risk for the condition.
Tips To Help You Travel With Sleep Apnea
- Use a CPAP Mask
A CPAP machine is the most important and useful investment you can make as a sleep apnea patient. Wearing a CPAP mask might be a hassle at first, but once you adjust to it, sleeping at night will become extremely comfortable.
The mask creates a positive pressure through your airways, which prevents them from collapsing as you sleep.
If you are traveling alone, then a regular CPAP machine will do. However, if you are away from home for longer periods and have other acquaintances along, then it’s best to invest in a travel CPAP machine. Compared to a regular machine, a travel-sized CPAP machine is smaller, more portable, and less bulky.
- Use An Appropriate Sleep Apnea Pillow
Carrying a comfortable pillow that accommodates your sleeping habits is very important when traveling.
While hotel room pillows are usually comfortable, they are unsuitable if you are wearing a CPAP machine, especially for accommodating the tube attached to it. So if you have sleep apnea, it’s best to travel with your own pillow.
3. Carry a Humidifier
Dry air can irritate your nasal passages, worsening your sleep apnea. A humidifier, which you can easily buy distilled water for online, helps by adding moisture to the air, which soothes your airways and helps you breathe better. So it’s always wise to carry a humidifier when you are away from home and aren’t used to the local weather.
A humidifier is especially effective when used with a CPAP machine at night, so it’s a good idea to combine the two when traveling.
4. Preplan to Adjust to New Sleeping Patterns
A disrupted routine is one of the major causes of disrupted sleep at night. Coupled with your sleep apnea, it can make sleeping impossible. This is why it’s a good idea to prepare for a new sleeping pattern in advance when traveling.
Slowly start pushing back your bedtime by an hour or so. A week before your trip, try going to bed 1 hour earlier than your regular bedtime. As the week progresses, increase this interval and go to bed earlier each day to slowly adjust your body to a new time zone and sleeping pattern.
5. Try Melatonin Supplements
Melatonin is a hormone that helps you sleep at night. It is released by the body before bedtime. When traveling, your body takes a while adjusting to the new time zone, which might reduce your melatonin production. So carrying a melatonin supplement during your journey might be a good idea.
They are usually harmless, with no side effects, and help you sleep better at night. Still, you should consult your healthcare provider whenever you want to try a new supplement. This is especially important if you take medicines for long-term health conditions like diabetes and hypertension.
6. Listen to Calming Music
Listening to calming music before bed is known to improve sleep quality. Calm music lowers stress and anxiety levels, which allows you to fall asleep easily. It has also been shown to lower blood pressure and heart rate, which might improve your breathing.
Other Tips to Help You Fight Sleep Apnea
The tips above were relevant to travel. Now, we’ll discuss some ideas you can use to improve your sleep apnea in the long run.
- Exercise and Maintain a Diet
Obesity is a major reason behind sleep apnea, which is why losing weight is a good way to combat it. And there’s no better way to lose weight than regular exercise.
Plus, as your body adjusts to regular exercise, it gets better at extracting oxygen from the air and transporting it to muscles. And an efficient oxygen intake system improves breathing and reduces sleep apnea symptoms.
Eating a healthy diet is another good way of losing weight. Here are some ideas to help you lose weight with a healthy diet.
- Avoid Alcohol and Smoking
Alcohol is known to disrupt sleep cycles. Alcohol consumption alters sleeping patterns and the time it takes for you to fall asleep.
More importantly, alcohol causes inflammation in your throat, which might cause it to swell. This causes airway blockage and makes breathing more difficult.
Tobacco plays a similar role in worsening sleep apnea, which is why it’s highly recommended for sleep apnea patients to stay away from tobacco and alcohol.
- Find a Comfortable Sleeping Position
A sleeping position that works well for you is essential for reducing sleep apnea symptoms and sleeping better at night.
All bodies are different, so it’s important to find a sleeping position that suits you the best. It might be a good idea to sleep on your right side because it has been shown to open airways and improve breathing.
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