{"id":1088,"date":"2019-11-13T16:49:54","date_gmt":"2019-11-13T16:49:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/?p=1088"},"modified":"2019-12-12T16:50:06","modified_gmt":"2019-12-12T16:50:06","slug":"foods-you-shouldnt-and-shouldnt-eat-if-you-have-obstructive-sleep-apnea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/foods-you-shouldnt-and-shouldnt-eat-if-you-have-obstructive-sleep-apnea\/","title":{"rendered":"Foods You Shouldn\u2019t and Shouldn\u2019t Eat If You Have Obstructive Sleep Apnea"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"lobster<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s November, which means the holiday season is officially\nhere. Before you know it, your calendar will fill up with holiday parties, work\nevents, and get-togethers with family and friends. At all of these events,\nthere will undoubtedly be lots of sweet treats to indulge in. If you have obstructive\nsleep apnea,<\/a> all of this food can actually help alleviate or even\nexacerbate your disorder. That being said, which foods should you avoid? Which\nones should you let yourself enjoy? Below you\u2019ll find a quick guide on foods\nthat affect your sleep apnea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Sleep-Friendly Foods <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are some examples of foods that are perfectly fine to\nindulge in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Melatonin-Rich Foods <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Melatonin is a chemical that naturally enhances sleep, and is\nactually found in many fruits and vegetables. Foods like cherries, cucumbers,\nbroccoli, tomatoes, grapes, and asparagus are all excellent sources of melatonin.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Omega-3 Fatty Acids <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When you consume a lot of omega-3 fatty acids, it helps your\nbody produce more melatonin. The best place to get omega-3 is in a variety of\nseafood items, like tuna, salmon, or even shrimp. Now you can justify that\nshrimp cocktail you\u2019re having at your work holiday party! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Tryptophan-Infused Foods <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Tryptophan is an amino acid that, when you consume it, gets\nturned into the neurotransmitter serotonin. Eventually, this is converted into\nmelatonin. You may have heard about tryptophan from turkey being rich in the\nsubstance, which is why many people famously take naps after eating a\nThanksgiving meal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foods to Avoid <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These are some examples of foods you should stay away from\nif you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Bananas <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While bananas are a healthy source of fiber and potassium, eating\nbananas may increase mucus production in your mouth and throat, which can worsen\nyour breathing problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Fatty Meats <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Meats like burgers, bacon, lamb, and sausage are all high in\nsaturated fats, which can lead to cardiovascular issues. Heart problems can\nmake your obstructive sleep apnea worse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. High-Fat Dairy Products <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Just like bananas, high-fat dairy items like whole milk and\nheavy cheeses can increase your body\u2019s mucus production. Eating too much of\nthem can also cause weight gain, which is another problem that you don\u2019t want\nif you have sleep apnea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final Word<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Essentially, if you limit your fat intake this holiday season,\nyou should be able to get quality shut eye. One thing that isn\u2019t on this list because\nit technically isn\u2019t a food is alcohol. Drinking alcohol a few hours before bed\ncan relax the tissues in the back of the mouth and throat so that they collapse\nduring sleep, increasing your apnea symptoms. Try to keep alcohol consumption\nto a minimum this holiday season! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, don\u2019t forget that while diet is crucial, so is\nseeking treatment for your sleep apnea. Be sure to wear your CPAP or oral\nappliance to bed, even if you travel during the holidays. Keeping all this in\nmind will lead you to be well-rested as we head into 2020! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the Author <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dr. J.\nPeter St. Clair<\/a> is a certified sleep dentist who has been serving Rowley,\nMA since 1996. He is a member of many professional organizations, such as the\nAmerican Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. His practice offers oral appliance\ntherapy to treat obstructive sleep apnea. If you have sleep apnea and need\ntreatment, you can contact Dr. St.\nClear by clicking here.<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s November, which means the holiday season is officially here. Before you know it, your calendar will fill up with holiday parties, work events, and get-togethers with family and friends. At all of these events, there will undoubtedly be lots of sweet treats to indulge in. If you have obstructive sleep apnea, all of this food can actually help alleviate or even exacerbate your disorder. That being said, which foods should you avoid? Which ones […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1088","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1088","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1088"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1088\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1090,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1088\/revisions\/1090"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1088"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1088"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1088"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}