Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder that is distinguished by irregular pauses in breathing or times of very shallow breathing during sleep. Known as apnea, these pauses between breaths can be just a few seconds, or they can last several minutes. A time of very slow and shallow breathing is referred to as hypopnea. Hypopnea and sleep apnea periods can occur as often as several hundred times a night, severely disrupting sleep. When you stop breathing, you are jolted from a normal sleep rhythm and are prevented from relaxing enough to achieve deep sleep. Deep sleep is needed in order to maintain mental clarity, as well as healthy productivity and energy levels.

There are three forms of sleep apnea. These include central sleep apnea or CSA, obstructive sleep apnea or OSA, and complex or mixed sleep apnea which combines the two types. The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive. This means that there is soft tissue located in the back of the throat that relaxes when you sleep, blocking the airway and causing loud snoring as well as sleep apnea.

Other symptoms of sleep apnea include:

  • anxiety
  • daytime fatigue and sleepiness
  • headaches
  • insomnia
  • irritability
  • memory issues
  • lack of concentration or attention deficit
  • memory problems
  • work-related issues
  • causing bed partners to wake, creating insomnia in the partner

Undiagnosed or untreated cases of obstructive sleep apnea may cause long-term complications that include:

  • heart attack
  • heart failure
  • hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • irregular heart rate
  • ischemic heart disease (poor blood flow to the heart)
  • irregular heart rate
  • pulmonary hypertension (elevation of blood pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs)

Untreated obstructive sleep apnea can even cause or contribute to death.

Natural Remedies for Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is often caused by excess body weight. This means that your weight could be causing sleep apnea and that weight loss and exercise is a great natural remedy for this health symptom. Losing weight allows your airways to open up, meaning that your body can literally breathe easier. Even small weight losses may help reduce incidences of sleep apnea.

Homeopathic Remedies

There are two homeopathic remedies that work in treating sleep apnea and their use is dependent on personality type. Lachesis is typically recommended for extroverted, charismatic, or angry individuals, while homeopathic opium is generally prescribed for more quiet individuals, or those with a history of emotional or physical pain.

Serotonin

It is believed that lower serotonin levels can lead to sleep apnea. This may be related to the need for serotonin by the body’s nervous system, especially the nerves that control breathing. Serotonin receptors also control cortisol levels and this hormone helps control the muscles we use to breathe.