“Maintaining a regular routine can help improve daytime alertness, energy levels, and adherence to sleep apnea therapy,” says Madeleine Basist, MD, a pulmonologist at Northwell Health Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. These practices shouldn’t replace medical care. But even small tweaks to your daily habits, like changing your dinnertime or going for a short walk every day, can have a significant effect, she says.
Here are five tips to consider as you start building your routine.
1. Limit Food and Drink Before Bedtime
Modifying when you eat and drink can help improve sleep quality overall and can reduce sleep apnea symptoms, says the pulmonologist and sleep medicine specialist Sarathi Bhattacharyya, MD, the medical director of MemorialCare Sleep Disorders Center at Long Beach Medical Center in California.
”Allow three to four hours between the day‘s final meal and bedtime,” he says. Research suggests this habit may have other benefits as well, with study participants showing better blood pressure, heart rate, and blood-sugar control when they stopped eating about three hours before bed.
“Also helpful is to avoid drinking liquids before bedtime as well, at least a few hours before you go to sleep,” says Dr. Bhattacharyya. “Too much liquid, particularly just before bed, can lead to having to urinate during the night, and that disrupts sleep.”
2. Get Morning Sunlight
Waking up at the same time each day is helpful for maintaining sleep quality, and it’s useful to pair that with getting some sunlight as soon as you’re able in the morning, says Chafen Hart, MD, a sleep medicine specialist at National Jewish Health in Denver.
”This can have a meaningful effect on activity level and mood, and it can even improve your sleep later that night,” she says.
That’s because research suggests morning sunlight exposure can influence sleep regulation and sleep quality, due to the way it helps reset the body’s internal clock.
3. Move More Often
Cardiovascular exercise during the day can increase deep, non-REM (rapid eye movement) sleep at night, says Hart. This is the type of sleep typically characterized by stable and regular breathing, which she says is essential for managing sleep apnea.
”In addition, exercise can produce weight loss or weight stabilization, which can help better manage sleep apnea,” she says. That‘s important, since excess weight has been shown to worsen apnea symptoms and make treatment more challenging.
4. Kick Off the Day with Joy
Dealing with sleep apnea can be stressful, which is why it‘s important to find ways throughout the day to cultivate calm — such as deep-breathing exercises, doing a short yoga sequence, or adopting a mindfulness practice.
But you can also have just one small habit in the morning that doesn‘t take much effort, Hart says. A meaningful and joyful habit that you look forward to doing can go a long way to set the tone for the day ahead, and the bedtime at the end of it.
”Schedule in an activity you truly love, especially in the morning,” she says. ”Maybe that‘s sitting in the sun with a really nice coffee, or reading a chapter of a good book, or going on a walk.”
5. Build in Social Time
Another way to alleviate stress and get more relaxation in general — which will help with sleep apnea, says Hart — is to connect with others. Connecting with friends and family can help you feel supported and heard and lighten your mental load.
Having a strong social community may even impact how effectively you use your CPAP machine, research suggests. A small study looking at people with obstructive sleep apnea found those with the most positive social interactions had higher levels of CPAP adherence.
How to Build a Routine That Sticks
While the habits above, and others that are beneficial, can be useful for managing sleep apnea, it‘s important to build a routine that works well for you, rather than one feels like an overwhelming to-do list, says Basist.
”Start with small, achievable goals rather than trying to make multiple changes at one,” she says. That way, you can understand what habits make a difference and build on those.
Consider keeping a journal of factors like whether you feel refreshed when you wake up, if your daytime sleepiness is improving, and how your mood and energy levels are affected from day to day. With that information, you can begin to build more habits into your routine and stick to them, since you’ll be experiencing the benefits.
The Takeaway
- Although sleep apnea treatment focuses on sleep quality and duration, what you do during the day also matters for managing the condition effectively.
- Daily habits can make a big difference for improving sleep overall, which can be a boon for sleep apnea and other factors, like energy levels and mood.
- Some habits to consider include getting morning sunlight, moving dinnertime earlier, and getting more physical activity.
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