How yoga, meditation can help manage sleep apnoea

Sleep apnoea is a common but serious sleeping disorder that repeatedly causes a person to experience breathing difficulties during sleep. Those with sleep apnoea may face pauses in breathing from between a few seconds to even a few minutes, resulting in disturbed sleep.

Disturbed sleep may lead to one waking up tired the next morning and feel fatigued during the day.

“A person with sleep apnea may experience snoring, sudden gasping or a choking sound while sleeping,” says Dr Mrinal Sircar, HOD, Department of Pulmonology and Critical Care, Fortis Hospital, Noida.

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Sleep apnoea increases the risk of heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, depression, and other illnesses when left untreated.

According to a literature-based analysis done by the US National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), nearly one billion people worldwide have sleep apnoea. China leads this list with the most cases of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), followed by the USA, Brazil and India.

Causes of and risk factors for sleep apnoea

Sleep apnoea is more prevalent among those with obesity, hypothyroidism, and anatomical abnormalities like a small jaw, narrow throat openings and large tongue, opines Dr Sircar.

He adds that enlarged tonsils and adenoids are the common causes of sleep apnoea in children. Smoking and alcohol consumption too feature in the list of risk factors by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Do we need to list more reasons to quit those habits, right?

Different types of sleep apnoea

There are two types of sleep apnoea: Obstructive and central.

The USA’s National Health Institute says that obstructive sleep apnoea is caused when the upper airway gets blocked while sleeping. This can happen due to large tonsils, obesity and changes in your hormones’ levels.

On the other hand, central sleep apnoea can occur when the brain forgets to signal the body to breathe.

Sleep apnoea diagnosis

Many with the condition overlook it as just snoring and believe that it doesn’t harm them. Even after patients reach out the expert for help, it is hard to convince them about its seriousness, says Dr. Sircar.

Nocturnal polysomnography is a diagnostic test performed in a laboratory setting. The vitals such as heart rate, brain activity, breathing patterns, arm and leg movements and blood oxygen levels are monitored while one is sleeping.

Current treatment plans

“The treatment is planned based on the severity of the condition. Lifestyle changes, use of breathing devices such as CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure), oral devices are the treatment options,” says Dr Sircar.

He adds that mild cases can be easily managed by modifying one’s lifestyle, especially if a person is overweight. Lifestyle modifications include regular exercise, losing weight, quitting smoking and alcohol.

The holistic approach to managing sleep apnoea

Anoopama Mukerjee Lohana, founder, ANANTA Sound Breath Energy Sanctuary and Meditation, & Kriya Mentor describes the other causes of sleep apnoea. She says, “Excessive need to control life, situations or people, suppressed resentment or anger, subconscious trauma – especially prenatal trauma, lack of trust and a life rhythm that is totally out of sync with natural cycles.”

Holistic therapies such as yoga, pranayama or yoga breathing practices and meditation are gaining attention as they are beneficial in managing sleep apnoea. Yoga involves practicing physical exercises and various breathing techniques that strengthen both the body and the mind. Especially if symptoms are mild or moderate, alternative therapies are a good option.

According to a research study involving 42 individuals, oropharyngeal exercises reduced symptoms such as snoring and daytime sleepiness. These breathing exercises also improve sleep quality in people with obstructive sleep apnoea.

Here’s what the experts say

Dr M. Chaithra, yoga expert and Senior Research Fellow from Post-Graduate Institute for Yoga and Naturopathy Education and Research, Mandya, Karnataka lists out the exercises that are beneficial for managing sleep apnoea and sustaining energy all day.

The pranayama module for sleep apnoea consists of cleansing techniques such as jala neti (nasal irrigation), sutra-neti (nasal cleansing using rubber catheter) and kapala bhati (sinus cleansing exercise). There are also a series of breathing exercises such as nadi-shuddhi pranayama (alternate nostril breathing exercise) and surya bhedana pranayama (right nostril-initiated breathing).

These help to strengthen and tone the upper airway muscles and clear the respiratory tract for normal breathing. Incorporating Bhramari pranayama (humming breathing exercise) and chanting of OM into your daily routine are recommended by experts.

“Nasal irrigation and nasal cleansing using rubber catheter are the most preferred cleansing techniques we advise for sleep apnoea,” says Dr Chaithra. But when there is an anatomical obstruction in the airway, the nasal irrigation exercise is strictly a no-no as it might cause damage to the surrounding tissue, she warns.

Relaxing yoga postures for sleep apnoea

Dr Chaithra adds that relaxing yoga postures can help you sleep better. She emphasises relaxing and slow-flow yoga postures like bhujangasana (snake’s pose), vajrasana (kneeling pose), Gomukhasana (cow’s face pose) and dhanurasana (bow-pose).

Can meditation help managing sleep apnea?

Lohana gives a big thumbs up to breathwork or kriya, meditation and mudras. She says that these are important practices to help manage sleep apnoea. However, with the practice of any holistic or yogic wellbeing method, you cannot expect results in isolation. Nature-based lifestyle changes and holistic diet management must be adopted as well.

“I would humbly advise everyone, to first learn, with a guide or mentor; only to ensure you are doing it to maximum benefit. Once you arrive at a level of discipline, patience and understanding, it is of course absolutely safe, to practice at home,” Lohana adds.

Lohana explains the effect of meditation as more than just a spiritual practice. It has been proven by cognitive science that meditation affects brain waves, which have electromagnetic energy, to change your brain’s electrical activity.

However, she also says, “We always insist on working in collaboration with modern medical science and treatments, as per the severity of the case. Mild and initial stages can be managed with a complete yogic, holistic lifestyle shift, in which meditation and breathing practices play a very important role.”