Get A Better Night’s Sleep in 2025: The Sleep Apnea and Lifestyle Connection

A good night's sleep contributes significantly to optimal health and well-being. Unfortunately sleep disorders are very common, affecting millions of adults and children across the world and negatively impacting daily life. Your doctor or healthcare professional can carry out an examination or assessment to help diagnose a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea, with early treatment likely to prevent complications.
As we step into 2025, give your sleep quality the attention it deserves and help improve your physical and mental health, energy and mood, cognitive abilities and even your immune system.

Below we look at the connection between lifestyle choices and the quality of your sleep, particularly for those with sleep apnea, and offer simple tips to help you get a better night's sleep.
Sleep Apnea: A Brief Overview
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder which interrupts your breathing repeatedly while you sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common type of sleep apnea and occurs when the upper airway becomes blocked during sleep. Central sleep apnea (CSA) is less common and is caused when the brain cannot signal the body to breathe during sleep.

Sleep apnea is thought to affect up to a quarter of the adult population to some degree. Certain lifestyle choices can cause sleep apnea or worsen the symptoms, and choosing a healthier lifestyle including healthy eating, regular exercise and less stress can help in the management and treatment of this sleep disorder and others.

The Impact of Diet on Sleep Apnea

Obesity and Sleep Apnea
Obesity is a major risk factor for sleep apnea, especially in patients who have excess weight around the neck and abdomen. This is because fat around the upper airways can cause them to collapse during sleep, resulting in obstructive sleep apnea.

This connection is also bidirectional, where one worsens the other. Disrupted sleep alters the body's circadian rhythm, leading to an increased appetite due to an imbalance of satiety hormones (elevated levels of ghrelin and decreased levels of leptin).
Research indicates that 10% weight loss can reduce the symptoms of OSA by 20%.

The Role of Dietary Choices

Over time, a healthy diet can help you manage sleep apnea symptoms to get a better night’s sleep. High fiber foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes promote better sleep and contribute positively to weight management.

The high tryptophan (a sleep-inducing hormone) content of lean proteins like fish, poultry, and tofu is beneficial to sleep, as are anti-inflammatory foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, including salmon, flaxseeds, and walnuts.

Exercise and Sleep Apnea

Benefits of Regular Physical Activity

Regular exercise is not only key for good health and well-being but an effective method of managing and reducing the symptoms of sleep apnea.

For individuals with obstructive sleep apnea, regular exercise can reduce breathing interruptions in the night, improve sleep quantity, and boost energy levels in the day. Exercise improves cardiovascular health and muscular strength, vital for reduced symptoms and better health. Exercise also decreases the shifting of body fluids, reducing upper airway pressure during sleep.

Exercise and better sleep can enhance attention and cognitive function. It also has an anti-inflammatory effect, and helps regulate metabolism and hunger hormones, preventing weight gain. Together this helps reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea for a better night’s sleep as well as your overall health and well-being.

Foods that are processed or high in saturated fat are responsible for weight gain and inflammation, and can also worsen the symptoms of sleep apnea. Alcohol and caffeine can have a negative impact on sleep and should be avoided near bedtime. Eating a heavy meal before bedtime can also cause restlessness as the body continues to digest food, as well as night time heartburn.

Appropriate Exercises for Sleep Apnea Sufferers

Certain exercises can help alleviate sleep apnea better than others. Aerobic activities such as walking, jogging, cycling, and elliptical training are highly beneficial because they help improve cardiovascular health, reduce body fat, and strengthen breathing muscles. Resistance training, like weight lifting and bodyweight exercises can also improve breathing and subsequently promote a better night’s sleep by reducing airway collapse risk during sleep.

Airway collapse can be further prevented by exercising the upper airway muscles with specific mouth and throat strengthening exercises. These include actions like tongue protrusion and mimicking a tiger's roar to activate the uvula and other hard-to-reach areas.

Neck exercises integrated with breathing, as seen in tai chi and yoga can also reduce airway collapse, enhance respiratory function and overall sleep quality.

Mental Health, Stress, and Sleep Apnea

Acute and chronic stress has a significant impact on the quality of your sleep. The overproduction of stress hormones, like cortisol, can disrupt normal sleep cycles, making it challenging for individuals to achieve deep, restorative sleep. Stress can also cause muscle tension, especially in the throat and airway, resulting in breathing disruptions during sleep and potentially worsening the symptoms of sleep apnea.

Correlations have been found between mental health disorders and sleep apnea, with studies showing that 22% of individuals with depression and 17% of those with anxiety disorders also suffer with this sleep disorder.

Deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and guided imagery can be used to help reduce stress and anxiety and promote a better night’s sleep. Those suffering with mental health issues should seek help from professionals to address their symptoms. Maintaining a consistent bedtime routine may also help improve your sleep patterns.

In conclusion, making positive changes to your lifestyle is an effective method of improving the quality of your sleep and reducing the symptoms of sleep apnea.