Can Adjustable Beds Help Your Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a condition that occurs when a person is asleep, and it is caused by an obstruction to the air passageways of the nose, throat, and chest. The most common side effect of sleep apnea is snoring. This occurs when the air passageways become restricted to the point that even shallow inhalations and exhalations cause them to vibrate. Sleep apnea may be frightening because it is something that occurs while unconscious, and it is thus uncontrollable. The best way to prevent sleep apnea is to sleep in a position that helps the respiratory system function with ease. For this reason, physicians recommend sleeping upright to remove pressure from the chest and enable easy breathing throughout the night.
It is recommended that those with sleep apnea use a device to help them sleep in a semi-upright position to enable proper breathing throughout the night. For years, physicians typically recommended that individuals use pillows to prop themselves up in bed. This presents a problem for most sleepers, however, because pillows tend to deflate or shift during the night. As a result, a semi-upright position is nearly impossible to maintain through the night. The sleeper returns to a nearly flat position before long, causing the air passageways to become restricted and the side effects of sleep apnea to take hold.
Adjustable beds will be very helpful for individuals who suffer with sleep apnea. Adjustable beds allow the head to be elevated. This prevents the tongue from falling back and blocking the airway. Once this situation is prevented, the person’s sleep will no longer be interrupted. Adjustable beds naturally readjust the airway so that the sufferer will start having a good night’s sleep.
Those who are overweight also suffer from this sleeping disorder. Due to their weight, the body is more prone to narrowing of airway and painful pressure points in the body. An overweight person’s neck suffers as well. When there is much fat around the neck, the tissues causes the narrowing of airways. This is the reason why overweight people snores loudly at night. Even though the person is still overweight, adjustable beds can help. These beds support the body in a comfortable position in which the tongue will no longer fall back and cause breathing interruptions.
The most important thing one gets with an adjustable bed is the ability to sleep in a fixed angle throughout the night. This redistributes body weight across the body, relieving the upper torso from the pressure that typically causes sleep apnea. Sleeping in a semi-upright position also helps to prevent acid reflux and other GERD symptoms from forming. These new beds may also be used with a memory foam mattress to provide superior support for the hips, lower back, and shoulders. Such added support is ideal for individuals who suffer with arthritis pains as well. Sleeping in an upright and fully supported position relieves joints of the tension that causes morning stiffness, muscle tension, and arthritic pain.
Getting complete rest is essential to be energetic, revitalized, and productive the next day. Adjustable beds are a great investment for you to make sure that you will have complete rest. With an adjustable electric bed, all adjustments can be done using a remote control. With the different models of adjustable beds, you can pick portable, lighter or wall hugging ones to save space. There are also adjustable beds that come with massages to relax the body after a very tiring day.