Sleep Hygiene Tweaks for People With Sleep Apnea
A few small changes can make sleep apnea treatment easier to stick with and improve sleep.
Don’t sweat the small stuff. Walia also tells patients not to fixate on small issues that aren’t actually affecting their results.
“A lot of patients want to do really well with their CPAP machine, and that becomes stressful,” he says.
For example, if your CPAP app flags a leak, but it’s not bothering you and your numbers look good, don’t worry about it, says Walia.
“I have some patients who get stressed about their sleep and small issues with their treatment, and unfortunately, being stressed out is a big inhibitor to sleep,” he says.
“Sleep is kind of like playing with a cat,” says Walia. “If you try really hard, it’s hard to do — you’ve got to let it come to you a little bit.”
Keep your schedule consistent. A steady bedtime and wake time make it easier to fall asleep and easier to use a CPAP night after night, says Walia.
Limit caffeine, especially later in the day. Caffeine takes six to eight hours to fully clear your system, says Safia S. Khan, MD, an associate professor of neurology at UT Southwestern Medical Center and sleep disorder specialist in Dallas.
A caffeinated drink with dinner can disrupt sleep whether or not you’re being treated for sleep apnea, she says. She generally recommends limiting caffeine to two or three drinks in the morning, ideally before lunch, and avoiding it afterward.
“If you need a lot of caffeine to stay alert during the day, that can also be a clue that your sleep quality isn’t where it should be,” says Dr. Khan.
Limit alcohol, and time it carefully. Alcohol’s muscle-relaxing effect on the throat doesn’t go away just because you’re being treated, says Walia; it can still make a CPAP work harder.
Khan generally doesn’t recommend alcohol for her patients; if you choose to drink, she suggests moderation: one to two drinks a day for men and one for women, and finish drinking three to four hours before bed.
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