Can Your Mattress Help with Sleep Apnea?

Do you have sleep apnea, or know someone who does? You very well might, as it’s one of the most common sleep disorders in Americans. Roughly 18 million Americans have sleep apnea. This noisy sleep condition can be frustrating at best, and dangerous to your health at worst, so it’s vital to know how to mitigate it. This includes how your mattress can help with sleep apnea.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a condition where your breathing stops and restarts many times while you sleep. If this sounds scary, it can be, as it can prevent your body from getting enough oxygen. It’s something you should talk to your doctor about if your partner tells you that you snore or gasp during your sleep, or if you experience other common symptoms. Most often, your doctor will suggest conducting a sleep study to formally diagnose you.

While there are several types of sleep apnea, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is perhaps the most common. It’s when your upper airway becomes blocked many times while you’re sleeping. This blockage will reduce or completely stop your airflow. 

How Can My Mattress Help?

Many factors can cause sleep apnea, including weight, genetics, whether you’re a smoker, use of alcohol, and more. But your mattress is also a factor, as it greatly affects the quality of your sleep.

Better Sleep Posture

Your sleep posture is a major factor when it comes to your airflow, especially when you have sleep apnea. In fact, back sleepers tend to suffer from it the worst, as the position can cause your tongue to relax and fall back to obstruct your airway.

If you’re a back sleeper, it is important that your mattress not only supports your back, but elevates your head. An easy way to do this is to get a firm mattress and then elevate your head with additional pillows. However, an even better solution is to get an adjustable bed base. This way you can adjust the angle of your bed to improve air flow without waking up with a sore neck.

Fewer Allergens

When sleep apnea is already closing your airways, it’s important to eliminate other factors that could contribute to breathing troubles. Key among these is allergens. Allergens like dust and mold can irritate your airways and inflame them, closing them up even when your sleep apnea isn’t causing problems. Getting an allergen-free mattress is a serious benefit to ensure your body is getting the oxygen it needs.

Deeper Sleep

One of the symptoms of sleep apnea is daytime sleepiness because your actual sleep is not restful enough. A more comfortable mattress will provide a more restful sleep, which is essential to maintaining your health. When your health declines due to not getting enough rest, the damage done to your body from sleep apnea is increased. Therefore, if you’re having a harder time sleeping due to sleep apnea, check to see if your mattress has degraded in quality which is contributing to your exhaustion.

Sleep apnea is a condition that can be extremely serious. While a trip to the doctor’s is the most important step to mitigating the negative effects, a good mattress can also be helpful. Talk to your doctor, get a sleep study done, and come by one of our showrooms to consider your options for a new mattress that can aid in your nighttime breathing.