State-of-the-art biofeedback technology allows you to effectively treat sleep apnea at home, even without CPAP. With biofeedback therapy, we can restore the body’s imbalances and learn to control our body’s functioning with our mind and consciousness. CPAP machines are recommended for sleep apnea in many patients, but they need to be used every night to be successful, and this can be uncomfortable for the individual.
Alternatively, biofeedback therapy may be an alternative to a breathing machine, which can help to treat sleep disorders and other physical complaints, and provide a much better quality of life.
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is essentially a sleep disorder. Sleep apnea is when breathing intermittently stops and then starts again during sleep. The meaning of apnea is: without breathing.
Daytime tiredness, drowsiness, sleeplessness can all be symptoms of sleep apnea. There are 2 types of apnea, distinguished by experts.
- obstructive sleep apnea: triggered by relaxation of the muscles in the throat
- central sleep apnea: in this case the brain does not send the right signals to the muscles that regulate breathing.
Some people have both types of sleep apnea, in which case complex sleep apnea is diagnosed.
Symptoms of sleep apnea
Let’s see what the symptoms of sleep apnea can be!
- poor sleep
- feeling tired during the day, drowsiness
- stopping breathing during sleep
- loud snoring
- sudden awakening with shortness of breath
- waking up with a sore throat or dry mouth
- headache after waking up
Sleep apnea causes:
- overweight, obesity
- Presence of certain underlying medical conditions (hypertension, diabetes, myocardial infarction, nocturnal arrhythmias)
- diseases associated with nasal congestion
- hormonal problems (e.g. apnea is more common during menopause)
- hereditary genetic causes
- taking certain medicines (e.g. tranquilisers, sleeping pills)
- alcohol consumption
- smoking before sleep
Treatment of sleep apnea is extremely important, as untreated apnea can lead to reduced performance, possible accidents at work, concentration problems and an increased risk of developing certain diseases.
Sleep apnea treatment
Sleep apnea can be treated in a number of ways, and is the responsibility of a specialist sleep apnea specialist. Successfully treating sleep apnea almost always requires some lifestyle changes and some form of sleep aid.
Mild sleep apnea is treated with a jaw stimulator, while severe sleep apnea is usually treated with a CPAP machine. This is used to provide airway therapy, with the device providing positive air pressure at all times. In some cases, a somatologist may also recommend medication for sleep apnea.
Some patients may require tonsillectomy or even a rhinoplasty to treat sleep apnea, but other procedures may be considered depending on the cause and severity of the apnea.
Smoking cessation, a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet can all help to manage sleep apnea. Learning to cope with stress is also essential, exercise is essential, but weight loss may also be prescribed if obesity is causing sleep apnea.
Biofeedback for sleep apnea
Biofeedback can be an effective treatment for sleep apnea, and all that is needed is the individual, a modern biofeedback device and a qualified biofeedback therapist.
Biofeedback therapy is in fact a training in conscious body functioning. There are different biofeedback methods depending on the problem or complaint. Biofeedback therapy is based on the premise that changing the unconscious response of the body can be learned by giving feedback on how the body is working. A biofeedback device can measure and analyse bodily processes (e.g. pulse, breathing, sweating, brain waves) and display them clearly to the individual. It makes visible how we function and how we should function to achieve physical and mental health.
It can be an excellent alternative to biofeedback sleep (restful, quality sleep), as it allows the body and mind to be in perfect harmony by participating in the therapies, and later on, the individual suffering from sleep apnea can apply the biofeedback techniques learned.
Biofeedback in the treatment of sleep apnea involves practising relaxed abdominal breathing, teaching the individual to relax certain muscles such as the forehead muscles and occipital muscles. Abdominal breathing and diaphragmatic breathing can be optimised, making it easier to fall asleep.
Biofeedback, neurofeedback, for example, is considered by the American Psychological Association to be one of the most effective treatments for insomnia, i.e. when we cannot fall asleep or fall back to sleep.
In addition to being a successful treatment for sleep disorders, biofeedback has the advantage of helping to maintain health, restore the body’s imbalances, and is a drug-free and painless therapy.