For years we have lived with my husband’s snoring and apnea. It has put a strain on us both and our marriage. We felt tired all the time and were therefore very grumpy and argued. This of course was the lack of quality sleep and the time came to do something about this. We had both had enough of me laying awake a lot of the night waiting to nudge him when he stopped breathing or nudging him to stop snoring.
We thought about possible solutions with surgery being the last course of action. We were looking for a simpler cure if possible.
Cranial Osteopathy was used and a few treatments later the snoring and apnea gone. The result was that the clients had more energy and a changed perspective on life and retirement. Osteopathy may not help everyone with snoring problems but it is certainly worth giving it a try.
A cranial Osteopath says: This is not an uncommon problem and I find that most couples, just like these, end up putting up with it as the medical solutions of nasal sprays, decongestants and surgery are not great options. It can be very worrying for the lying awake partner (usually the wife) with the flip side being anger at being kept awake by the snoring. Divorces do happen as a result of the exhaustion and strain this puts on the relationship.
On a serious note, there are several health risks to sleep apnea – it increases the risk of heart attacks. Sleep deprivation changes your stress responses and mental alertness – a factor in car accidents in the mornings, ability to manage life (especially noisy children!), your general mental well being and sense of peace etc.
There are some remedies that YOU can take action on:
- Lose weight. This makes a difference to how floppy the larynx and uvula is at the back of the throat. When it blocks off the wind-pipe you stop breathing, and when it vibrates you snore. Less weight, less tissue, less symptoms.
- Don’t drink alcohol before retiring. This makes the throat extra relaxed, extra floppy… and so there is more snoring!
- Lie on your side to sleep – the uvula falls away from the back of the throat and stops it occluding, hence no snoring. If you usually lie on your back – shore yourself up with pillows to stop you turning over.
From an Osteopathic point of view treatment aims at restoring the correct functioning. With long-standing sinus congestion, increasing the drainage through the face, head and neck, reduce the local inflammatory reactions not only helps head symptoms but also the joint aches and pains. Plus no constant sinus pain around the nose and eyes – this helps the sense of humour!
Work around the upper chest to help this area to function and drain better also helps circulation, including to the heart leads to more energy.
It IS a privilege to be able to make a difference to so many areas of someone’s life. You may not have to put up with things, even if you don’t get a satisfactory outcome from your GP… Consider Osteopathy…you can find local ones online or in the local directories. You will have to pay privately for this treatment but that may be a small price to pay for good sleep for everyone and less stress and other health concerns as a result of the nightly disturbances.
