The best sleeping posture to prevent sleep apnea

How to prevent sleep apnea?

Sleep is part of the group of “fundamental needs” whose function is to renew our body both physically and mentally. One of the most common reasons why you may not get enough rest is when you suffer from sleep apnea. The word apnea means ‘no breathing’, in other words sleep apnea can be defined as ‘no breathing’ while you are sleeping. In this blog we have gathered all the information about the best sleeping posture to avoid sleep apnea and we are sure it will be of interest to you.

Sleeping and also sleeping well is essential for good physical, mental and emotional health. For this reason, it is critical to choose a correct sleeping posture that helps prevent sleep apnea. The World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM) points out that 45% of the world’s population suffers from some type of sleep-related pathology and the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery (Separ) carried out a study in which it showed that only 1 in 10 people who suffer from sleep apnea in Spain are correctly diagnosed. Stress, inadequate nutrition, the current vertiginous pace of life, the possibility of suffering from other pathologies or even the accumulation of bad habits can cause the dreaded sleep apnea.

The best sleeping posture to prevent sleep apnea

When sleep apnea is mild, it is possible to take some self-control actions with positive effects on your body in the medium term, such as: losing weight, sleeping in a specific way, reducing alcohol consumption, exercising or improving conscious nasal breathing.

Everyone can sleep in a correct position that prevents sleep apnea. With this good practice, you can stop experiencing these sudden interruptions in breathing while you sleep. Experts place special emphasis on choosing a correct posture when surrendering to Morpheus’ arms, but what is the best sleeping posture? Neither up nor down, to avoid sleep apnea it is recommended to sleep on your side, in this way you will not be straining any part of your body.

While you might think that sleeping on your back will improve your nighttime breathing problems, this is not true. A study published by the National Library of Medicine analyzes that when sleeping on your back, your tongue relaxes and retracts while you are lying down, causing greater upper respiratory obstruction. Sleeping on your stomach is the worst position for people who suffer from sleep apnea, as snoring and choking can make the situation worse and create more apneas during rest.

Experts also choose to implement other smart solutions to help people with sleep apnea improve the quality of their rest, such as oxygen concentrators. These concentrators deliver clinical oxygen via a pulse dosing system to keep even the most demanding patient oxygenated.

Find the accessories that work best for you

Once you’ve determined that sleeping on your side is your best option to fight sleep apnea, you may want to use the best accessories, including different therapeutic pillows, rubber balls or anti-snoring belts. Therapeutic pillows are very helpful as they help keep your head and neck in line with your spine while sleeping on your side. Finally, under-leg pillows are highly recommended to help you rest better, relieving pressure on your hips and achieving a more relaxed position.

In summary, in this article we learn what sleep apnea is and what is the best sleeping posture if you suffer from this pathology. Remember that in Spain only 1 in 10 people suffering from sleep apnea are diagnosed. If you snore a lot, feel tired, don’t rest well, or know someone who has these symptoms, we highly recommend visiting your trusted specialist for an overnight polysomnography or a sleep study at home.

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