Beating Sleep Apnea

Plus: three exercises that solve 90% of problems

Author

The 10almonds Team
February 29, 2024

Today’s almonds have been activated by:

❝Without enough sleep, we all become tall two-year-olds❞

~ JoJo Jensen (you might not know her… but you might know her voice!)
⏰ IN A RUSH?

Today’s 30-Second Summary

If you don’t have time to read the whole email today, here are some key takeaways:

  • Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders (or perhaps the most common, depending on how we categorize them), but there are things we can do to avoid it

    • Today’s main feature outlines what we can do to reduce our risk, and what we can try if we have it and want it to go away—ideally without having to wear a mask or get surgery

  • As we age, our collagen levels tend to get depleted more easily. Collagen is important not just for youthful good looks, but also for the health of bones and joints

    • Today’s sponsor NativePath are offering high-quality collagen without additives or harmful impurities

Read on to learn more about these things, or click here to visit our archive

🤫 A WORD TO THE WISE

If You’re Worried About Inflammation…

Dr. Lauren Ball says we should stop stressing about seed oils and focus on the basics. But what are they?

👀 WATCH AND LEARN

Three Exercises That Solve 90% Of Problems

This, physiotherapist Zac Cupples explains, is because most of them come from a single cause.

To keep our newsletter brief, we’ve put the lengthier text explanation on our site—you can read it (and watch the video, of course) by clicking on the video preview image below:

YOU MAY HAVE MISSED…

🛌 MAIN FEATURE

Healthier, Natural Sleep Without Obstruction!

Obstructive Sleep Apnea, the sleep disorder in which one periodically stops breathing (and thus wakes up) repeatedly through the night, affects about 25% of men and 10% of women:

Why the gender split?

There are clues that suggest it is at least partially hormonal: once women have passed menopause, the gender split becomes equal.

Are there other risk factors?

There are few risk other factors; some we can’t control, and some we can:

  • Being older is riskier than being younger

  • Being overweight is riskier than not being overweight

  • Smoking is (what a shock) riskier than not smoking

  • Chronic respiratory diseases increase risk, for example:

    • Asthma

    • COPD

    • Long COVID*—probably. The science is young for this one so far, so we can’t say for sure until more research has been done.

  • Some hormonal conditions increase risk, for example:

*However, patients already undergoing Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) treatment for obstructive sleep apnea may have an advantage when fighting a COVID infection:

What can we do about it?

Avoiding the above risk factors, where possible, is great!

If you are already suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, then you probably already know about the possibility of a CPAP device; it’s a mask that one wears to sleep, and it does what its name says (i.e. it applies continuous positive airway pressure), which keeps the airway open.

We haven’t tested these, but other people have, so here are some that the Sleep Foundation found to be worthy of note:

What can we do about it that’s not CPAP?

Wearing a mask to sleep is not everyone’s preferred way to do things. There are also a plethora of surgeries available, but we’ll not review those, as those are best discussed with your doctor if necessary.

However, some lifestyle changes can help, including:

  • Lose weight, if overweight. In particular, having a collar size under 16” for women or under 17” for men, is sufficient to significantly reduce the risk of obstructive sleep apnea.

  • Stop smoking, if you smoke. This one, we hope, is self-explanatory.

  • Stop drinking alcohol, or at least reduce intake, if you drink. People who consume alcohol tend to have more frequent, and longer, incidents of obstructive sleep apnea. See also: How To Reduce Or Quit Drinking

  • Avoid sedatives and muscle relaxants, if it is safe for you to do so. Obviously, if you need them to treat some other condition you have, talk this through with your doctor. But basically, they can contribute to the “airway collapses on itself” by reducing the muscular tension that keeps your airway the shape it’s supposed to be.

  • Sleep on your side, not your back. This is just plain physics, and a matter of wear the obstruction falls.

  • Breathe through your nose, not through your mouth. Initially tricky to do while sleeping, but the more you practice it while awake, the more it becomes possible while asleep.

  • Consider a nasal decongestant before sleep, if congestion is a problem for you, as that can help too.

For more of the science of these, see:

There are more medical options available not discussed here, too:

Take care!

YOU MAY HAVE MISSED…

❤️ OUR SPONSORS MAKE THIS PUBLICATION POSSIBLE

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📖 ONE-MINUTE BOOK REVIEW

Science of Pilates: Understand the Anatomy and Physiology to Perfect Your Practice – by Tracy Ward

We’ve reviewed other books in this series, “Science of Yoga” and “Science of HIIT” (they’re great too; check them out!). What does this one add to the mix?

Pilates is a top-tier “combination exercise” insofar as it checks a lot of boxes, e.g:

  • Strength—especially core strength, but also limbs

  • Mobility—range of motion and resultant reduction in injury risk

  • Stability—impossible without the above two things, but Pilates trains this too

  • Fitness—many dynamic Pilates exercises can be performed as cardio and/or HIIT.

The author, a physiotherapist, explains (as the title promises!) the science of Pilates, with:

  • the beautifully clear diagrams we’ve come to expect of this series,

  • equally clear explanations, with a great balance of simplicity of terms and depth where necessary, and

  • plenty of citations for the claims made, linking to lots of the best up-to-date science.

Bottom line: if you are in a position to make a little time for Pilates (if you don’t already), then there is nobody who would not benefit from reading this book.

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Wishing you a happy healthy day followed by a restful night, and then the same each day and night thereafter,

The 10almonds Team