Sleep apnea is a common condition that affects millions worldwide. Left untreated or undiagnosed, it can result in various health issues, including stroke or high blood pressure.
It can be challenging for wives with husbands suffering from sleep apnea to watch their husbands struggle as it impacts their relationship. Watching him struggle to battle disrupted sleep patterns that result in daytime fatigue can be incredibly frustrating.
This article will walk you through tips for helping your husband overcome sleep apnea.
8 Tips On How To Help Your Husband Overcome Sleep Apnea
1. Encourage Him To Seek Treatment
Encouraging your husband to get treatment is essential in helping him overcome sleep apnea and improve his sleep quality and overall well-being.
When you encourage your husband to seek treatment, you will understand the condition better and be advised on the best measures to manage his condition.
Fortunately, there are various treatments available for sleep apnea your husband can explore, including using a CPAP machine.
CPAP machines are the most common sleep apnea treatment, and they work by allowing pressurized air to flow into your mouth and nose while you’re sleeping, thus helping you breathe normally. Click here to learn more about CPAP machines and how they can be used to treat sleep apnea.
When your husband gets sleep apnea treatment, his sleep quality will improve substantially. Consequently, he’ll have more energy during the day, and your relationship will improve as you get enough sleep.
2. Assist Him In Making Lifestyle Adjustments
Making lifestyle adjustments is an efficient way to help your husband overcome sleep apnea. Encouraging healthy habits like reducing alcohol intake, weight loss, and exercise can help reduce symptom severity and enhance your husband’s general well-being.
Being obese is a common sleep apnea risk factor. If your husband is overweight, encourage him to exercise and diet to minimize the symptoms.
Encourage your husband to quit smoking, which causes airway inflammation and breathing issues. Alcohol also worsens sleep apnea symptoms, like snoring, as it relaxes throat muscles.
You can also help your husband establish a sleep routine to improve his sleep quality and find healthy ways to manage stress, which can worsen sleep apnea symptoms.
3. Make Sleep A Priority In Your Household
Your husband’s overall well-being will improve when he regularly gets the recommended 8 hours of sleep. Establishing a sleeping routine is the easiest way to get enough sleep. A sleep routine will help regulate your husband’s sleep-wake cycle, making falling asleep at night easier.
Encouraging your husband to get enough rest will help reduce stress which accelerates sleep apnea symptoms.
When your husband is well-rested, he’ll have a better mood and increased energy, meaning he’ll be alert and productive throughout the day, minimizing the condition’s impact on his daily life.
4. Be Supportive And Patient
As a wife, being patient and supportive is vital in assisting your husband to overcome sleep apnea. You can be supportive by offering encouragement and helping your husband make the needed changes to manage his condition.
Let your husband know you’re there to assist him during the process. You can also help him schedule his doctor’s appointments and remind him to follow the treatment his physician recommends.
It’ll take time for your husband to adjust to the changes needed to manage his condition. Therefore, you should be patient, supportive, and encourage him.
Since sleep apnea causes fatigue that makes one irritable, be empathetic and don’t take his symptoms personally.
You should also help your husband remain committed to the new lifestyle adjustments by adapting to them.
5. Change The Sleeping Environment
Elevating your bed’s head by 30 can minimize symptom severity as it helps keep your husband’s airways open as he sleeps. Irritants such as allergens and dust can enhance sleep apnea symptoms.
Therefore, you should wash your bedding frequently, use air purifiers, and regularly vaccinate to reduce irritants and improve air quality in your bedroom.
Adjusting your room temperature can also help minimize sleep symptoms that improve your husband’s sleep quality.
Ideally, the room temperature should be between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit when sleeping.
Investing in a quality mattress and pillow is also essential when dealing with sleep apnea. Memory foam mattresses assist in reducing pressure on airways and enhance breathing when you sleep
7. Educate Yourself On Sleep Apnea
Educating yourself on your husband’s condition better makes you well-equipped to help him manage his symptoms. When you know the causes and treatment options, you’ll offer your husband more knowledgeable assistance and support.
For instance, understanding sleep apnea risk factors, like alcohol use and obesity, will help you encourage your partner to make necessary life changes. You can also help your husband decide which treatment is proper for him when you’re well-informed on available treatment options.
Further, educating yourself on sleep apnea will help you recognize when he needs help. Encourage him to seek medical attention if he experiences signs like daytime fatigue or gasping for air as he sleeps.
8. Join A Support Group
A support group offers a sense of community and emotional support to the person suffering from the condition and their loved ones. Your husband can connect with other people managing sleep apnea which can offer him validation and comfort as they can share their successes and struggles.
Further, you’ll get practical on managing sleep apnea options, new treatments, and lifestyle adjustments that have worked for others. You can also ask questions and get pointers from those who’ve undergone the same experience.
Joining a support group will also help you and your husband feel less alone, as it’s comforting to know other people are going through similar challenges and you have a support network to rely on.
Since managing sleep apnea can be overwhelming, joining a support group will help reduce your and your husband’s anxiety, thus improving your overall health.
Final Thoughts
Sleep apnea is a severe condition that can negatively impact your health. Nevertheless, with the support and help of their wives, people with sleep apnea can take the necessary steps to manage the condition and improve their life quality.
Managing sleep apnea is a gradual process, and you may not see results immediately, but with persistence, support, and patience, you’ll help your husband improve his overall well-being.