Can Changes in Your Diet Help with Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is associated with a higher risk of heart disease, dementia, and a shortened lifespan. Because of the risks associated, it is important to treat sleep apnea and create solutions for lasting relief. Sleep Cycle Center does not just treat your sleep apnea but helps you increase your overall health. By doing so, you will see a significant decrease in your apnea events. Learn more about how Sleep Cycle Center can help you today by providing options to help change your diet and decrease sleep apnea.

Your Weight Affects Sleep Apnea

While it is possible to be overweight and not have sleep apnea or to have sleep apnea while maintaining a healthy weight, the two are very commonly connected. In fact, approximately 60% of patients referred for sleep apnea treatment are overweight.
The risk for sleep apnea increases with weight gain. This is because as the body gains weight, more tissue can be found on or around the throat. This makes apnea events more common because the extra weight makes it more likely the tissues in the soft palate will collapse, causing an apnea event. Because of this, weight management programs are often a part of a comprehensive sleep apnea treatment plan. One of the best ways to manage your weight is to change your diet!

How Weight Loss Affects Sleep Apnea

Studies have shown that a 10-15% loss in body weight can reduce the severity of sleep apnea by 30-50%. When you couple weight loss with other treatments, such as an oral device, you can create a treatment plan that will provide relief in the short term and results in the long term.

A study published in the European Respiratory Society shows that low-carbohydrate or Mediterranean diets are effective weight management methods and can have more benefits in treating sleep apnea than simple weight loss. The Ideal Protein and Juice Plus+ services offered at Sleep Cycle Center are great options when trying to manage diet. These weight loss services work well because a doctor will monitor you through the whole process. This way, your progress can be tracked and improved upon to maximize your results, all while making sure your sleep apnea events are resolved.

It’s important to note that even if you are not overweight, there are foods that may worsen your sleep apnea. Highly processed foods, sugary drinks and snacks, and refined carbs can negatively affect our sleeping habits.

Alcohol Makes Sleep Apnea Worse

Alcohol consumption poses a greater risk for people with sleep apnea. Alcohol has been shown to increase apnea events by an average of 4 more events per hour. For reference, if you having 20 or more apnea events per hour, sleep apnea treatment is most likely warranted.

Alcohol causes your blood’s oxygen levels to decrease, which is not good – especially if you are already struggling to breathe at night. It also relaxes your muscles and decreases the body’s drive to breathe. If you are at risk for your muscles relaxing in the throat while you sleep, you definitely don’t want to make it any harder for your body to breathe.

If you are concerned about your diet and how it affects your sleep or feel you could be a potential candidate for sleep apnea, we encourage you to contact us. We offer multiple nutrition services to help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight. In addition, we offer a variety of sleep apnea solutions, which helps you increase your overall health.