How To Prevent Sleep Apnea During Pregnancy


Pregnancy, which paves the way to motherhood, is a very crucial stage in a woman’s life. The female body undergoes a number of changes, including unprecedented ones in the various stages of pregnancy. While it is commonplace for pregnant women to face, nausea and fatigue, a lot of them are also subjected to sleep apnea. Women affected by this condition cope with interrupted breathing during sleep. They also get subjected to snoring and choking of breath. If left unchecked, the consequences may not be good either for the mother and the fetus.

Ways To Treat Sleep Apnea In Pregnancy

 Below listed are a few effective measures you can deploy to cope with sleep apnea in pregnancy.

Weight control- Obesity is a major reason behind the onset of sleep apnea in pregnancy. While every woman who gets pregnant is bound to gain some weight, obese women become more prone to developing this condition, say the doctors. Those who gain more than 20 pounds during pregnancy can become subjected to sleep apnea.

Adjusting sleeping position- Adjusting sleeping posture may be helpful to evade sleep apnea after you have conceived. As it is, most women sleep on their left after beginning of the second trimester. You may arrange pillows in a way so that your neck remains at a suitable angle to facilitate breathing.

Moderate exercises- Performing light to moderate exercises can be beneficial for pregnant women, as studies have indicated. Doing such exercises, including yoga can also helps to prevent sleep apnea during pregnancy.

Intake of magnesium- Like vitamins, your body also needs certain key minerals like magnesium. If your diet lacks magnesium rich foods your muscle flexibility can be affected. This can impact throat and nasal muscles too.

Stay away from heartburns- A number of pregnant women also suffer from heartburns. This is often linked with sleep apnea. To evade this you should avoid eating spicy, fried and acidic foods.

Vitamin D deficit- Often the deficit of Vitamin D can lead to the onset of sleep apnea in women in pregnancy. Ensure your pregnancy diet includes foods with Vitamin D. Your doctor may also recommend taking supplements containing this vitamin.

Using CPAP device- A number of pregnant women acing sleep apnea eventually resort to using continuous positive airway pressure device. It makes use of air pressure to facilitate free air flow in the throat as you doze off. However, some women find using the device quite cumbersome.

Using herbal remedies- While people suffering from sleep apnea resort to certain herbs and natural extracts. Pregnant women need to be cautious. The herbs include chamomile, passion flower and lemon balm tea. However, in pregnancy you should not start using such herbs with medical advice and approval.

Summing It Up

There is no fixed cure for sleep apnea in women during pregnancy. You may try one or more of these afore listed measures to get rid of it. You should consult your doctor before trying any medication to cope with this condition. 

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