According to a National Institutes of Health study, most people believe that sleep apnea is caused by a sagging soft palate or by some other obstructive tissue in the throat. Actually, it’s the result of a diminishing signal from the brain to the diaphragm to breathe that can occur during the transition from initial semi-wakefulness into the next stage of lighter sleep prior to deep sleep. In some people, the unintended reduction in the signal is significant enough that breathing goes beyond being shallow and completely stops.

After a short period of time, the brain, realizing the need to breathe, forces a rapid inhalation to restart respiration that literally drags the sagging localized soft tissues into the airway, as reported in Sleep Apnea: A New Approach to an Emergent Problem, by Master Herbalist Steven Frank, of Nature’s Rite. For some, there’s no indication of potential problems when awake, as the tissues remain in their normal state and the throat doesn’t close off during the day or when relaxing or resting, but then they can experience an obstruction problem when trying to go to sleep.

Instead of resorting to surgery to remove neck tissue or using a machine to force air into lungs, natural herbal solutions can work to increase the pertinent brain signal that maintains continuous breathing without the breakdowns that necessitate rapid inhalation. According to the Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, ingesting herbs like lobelia, thyme and cramp bark can intensify the signal from the brain to the diaphragm, increase the gas-transfer efficiency of the lungs and relax some of the skeletal muscles that can obstruct the propagation of the signal.

For more information, call 888-465-4404 or visit NaturesRiteRemedies.com. See ad, page 31.