Life is already hard enough with sleep apnea, so you definitely don’t want to do anything that could potentially make it worse. Yet, countless people do just that without realizing it. While having consistent sleep hygiene and avoiding caffeine in the afternoon can help, it’s also important that your diet isn’t getting in the way of your rest. Certain foods consistently make sleep apnea more severe, but by mostly avoiding them, you can give yourself the best possible chance of waking up energized.
Refined Carbs
Rather than being a single food item, this is a broad category that applies to everyday snacks like cookies, chips, and sweets. The leading preventable cause of sleep apnea is excess weight or obesity, and consuming a diet rich in refined carbs (and therefore added sugar) is proven to quickly pack on the pounds.
This doesn’t mean you need to avoid any and all sugar, or that you can’t have a cookie occasionally. Ideally, moderating your intake can go a long way when it comes to both your sleep and waistline!
Spicy Foods
Whenever you order Thai, Chinese, or Indian food, do you always ask them to make it as spicy as possible? While this might be great for your tongue, extremely hot items can drastically increase the risk of reflux during the night, which can exacerbate sleep apnea symptoms.
If you need to feel the heat, doing so at lunch will help remove another factor that could interfere with your rest.
Bananas
Not bananas! They’re supposed to be a healthy snack, right? While this is true, it’s important to know that bananas cause your mucus to become thicker in your throat and mouth. This can make it easier for your airway to become obstructed throughout the night, increasing the number of apnea episodes and interruptions.
Adjusting your diet to accommodate your sleep apnea doesn’t mean that certain foods become forbidden—it’s more about limiting how much you consume and avoiding troublesome bites close to bedtime. These relatively small adjustments (in addition to professional treatment) can make your sleep apnea simpler to manage so that when you wake up, you feel rested and ready to go.
About the Author
As a sleep apnea patient himself, Dr. Mitch Conditt is well aware of how this condition can affect a person’s physical and mental well-being. That is why he is so passionate about helping people get better sleep through oral appliance treatment. Whether you’re struggling with your CPAP or still need to be diagnosed officially for sleep apnea, our team is ready to guide you toward the rest you deserve. To get started, click here or call our Fort Worth office at 817-527-8500.