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I've been suffering from obstructive sleep apnea for the past several years and never knew about it until the day my wife mentioned to the doctor that I make certain sounds and "do peculiar things" in my sleep. On hearing her detailed description my doctor made a cursory examination of my throat and said I might be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea.

To confirm his opinion, he referred me to a surgeon specialist who after due examination of my throat, diagnosed me as suffering from obstructive apnea. I was suitably impressed until the doctor told me of the seriousness of the disease and said that the conventional treatment for my disease contracted of using a device known as the "continuous positive airway pressure".

This is a device that pumps air into the throat via a mask placed over my nose. Frankly, obstructive sleep apnea or no obstructive sleep apnea, I did not like the idea of ​​sleeping with a mask on my face for the rest of my life. When I told the doctor I was not too fond of that solution, he mentioned an even less appealing solution – surgery.

I did some research of my own on obstructive sleep apnea and found that people suffering from snoring apnea have tried a variety of treatments including changes to lifestyle such as avoiding alcohol, using sedatives and muscle relaxants, losing weight, give up smoking etc.

The natural way to treat sleep apnea

I am overweight, drink moderate quantity of alcohol but thankfully, do not smoke. I therefore decided to reduce my weight and reduce my alcohol consumption to a bare minimum. Of course this is easier said than done but I can tell you it's a darn sight easier than having to sleep strapped to devices or having devices inserted into my mouth.

A friend of mine, swore that the technique of yoga would help me get sound sleep. I decided to give it a try and joined a Yoga school in downtown Manhattan. Initially the going was pretty tough on all fronts. Altering my diet as required by the weight loss program mean eating ridiculously small quantities of food (and of the type I am not used to), drinking massive quantities of water, and exercising irrespective of whether I had the time or not. Thankfully, I had better success with the Yoga classes. Initially although I had some problem understanding the concept but once I did, the going was smooth.

The results

At the end of one month, I lost about a half a pound in weight, reduced my alcohol consumption to just three small glasses a day and could flawlessly execute most of the breathing exercises taught to me by the Yoga instructor. I was thrilled when my wife reported that I now make less sounds than before and that as a result, she herself, sleeps more soundly.

Obviously I still have some ways to go before I am completely cured of my apnea but I am pleased that my research and efforts are paying off. I look forward to the day (and hopefully it will not be long in coming), when my wife reports that I have stopped making "funny sounds" and my doctor examines and confirmations that I am completely cured of Obstructive sleep apnea.

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Source by Sarah Aniston