Sleep Apnea is a disorder that causes people to have difficulties sleeping. Symptoms include holding your breath in the middle of the night (sometimes for minute-long intervals) and snoring. This is a very serious condition, as it prevents oxygen from getting to the brain and the blood stream, which in turn, affects the heart. Severity of this condition ranges from light snoring problems to holding your breath for long periods of time for several intervals a night. Some minor effects of sleep apnea are having trouble concentrating and not having enough energy during the day. In some of the more serious cases, people have actually died from apnea complications.

Currently, doctors prescribe treatments for apnea; however, these treatments do not address the source of the problem. Doctors treat the symptoms, which in some cases can be beneficial, but there are natural ways that one can treat apnea. These are treatments that most doctors, for whatever reason, will not prescribe for sleep apnea. Doctors will tell people to do anything from losing weight, stop smoking, and stop drinking alcohol to getting surgery or to buying a CPAP machine. Out of these options, surgery has proven to be somewhat helpful in treating apnea. Changing one's lifestyle does not help to treat apnea, although in some cases, it can make someone the least bit healthier in other aspects of their life. Nobody really wants to sleep while they are attached to a machine that pushes air up their nose.

There are many herbs that help a person to relax and, in turn, sleep better. A few of these known herbs are the well-known Chamomile and lesser-known Cramp Bark. These allow a person to fall asleep much easier than using a CPAP machine. Two more herbs that help to treat apnea are Lobelia and Thyme. Together, these herbs help a person breath deeper and at a steady rate. As with all things, there is a downside to taking herbal remedies as well. Sometimes, mixing them with prescriptions or with other herbal remedies can result in adverse effects. Also, doctors do not generally recommend herbs in place of prescription medicines, so people are required to do their own research on herbal treatments to find reliable sources. Overall, however, there are fewer (or zero, in many cases) side effects with herbal treatments.

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