If you're one of the 18 million American adults with sleep apnea -- a disorder in which an individual's breathing stops and starts while they sleep -- you're probably looking for solutions.

The condition, typically marked by snoring, can cause low blood oxygen levels and poor quality of sleep. Sleep apnea patients need help keeping their airway open while sleeping.

Other sleep apnea warning signs include waking up with frequent headaches, restless sleep, drowsy driving, irritability, waking up with dry mouth and having nighttime heartburn.

"Patients who suffer from sleep apnea are constantly being jerked out of reparative sleep," says Alesandra Woolley, certified sleep science coach and executive editor of Mattress Advisor. "It not only disrupts your quality of sleep but also your body's oxygen flow."

She says a person's oxygen flow can sometimes be interrupted 10-plus times an hour.

You should get diagnosed by a doctor and may be prescribed a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) breathing machine, but you may find relief with some at-home options, too:

*Change Your Lifestyle

"Great sleep is the foundation of great health," says Dr. Lynelle Schneeberg, Psy.D., fellow at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine.

Doctors recommend lifestyle changes to help reduce symptoms of sleep apnea. Losing weight might help, as overweight people seem to be more at risk for the condition. Not smoking may also help, as smoking causes your upper airway to swell, worsening apnea. Not drinking may help, too; drinking makes the upper airway breathing muscles relax, and drinking can cause you wake up throughout the night.

*Adjust Your Sleep Position

"Sleeping on your back is not recommended if you suffer from sleep apnea, as this can cause your tongue and soft palate to collapse to the back wall of your throat, which obstructs the airway and promotes snoring," says Woolley.

Instead, sleep on your side. Some patients with mild sleep apnea or heavy snoring have fewer breathing problems when they sleep on their side instead of their back.

Schneeberg also advises sleeping on a 12-inch-tall wedge pillow, "which elevates a person 30 degrees and thus keeps the airway more open."

*Get Dental Appliances

The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine suggests having oral appliances custom-made. The devices, similar to retainers or sports mouthguards, support the jaw in a forward manner, helping the upper airway stay open.

Woolley says the oral appliances "can help reduce snoring." They're only worn at night and are more comfortable and portable than a CPAP.

*Use a Humidifier

A humidifier can offer relief from sleep apnea symptoms like runny nose, congestion and dry mouth. A Swedish study of 16,425 patients who were prescribed a CPAP found that patients whose machines had built-in humidifiers were 43% less likely to stop using the machine.

While humidifiers add moisture to the air, they need regular cleaning to prevent mold and other bacteria that you definitely don't want to breathe.

*Get Tested

Experts advise people with chronic snoring to get checked by a doctor. If untreated, sleep apnea can lead to more concerns, including sleep deprivation, irritability, high blood pressure, depression and heart attack.

You no longer have to go to a sleep clinic to get diagnosed for sleep apnea. You can now do the test at home.

"The patient picks up a case at the sleep center, gets some quick instructions on how to put the equipment on, wears the equipment overnight and brings the case back in the morning," says Schneeberg.

Diagnosing the condition is easier than ever, which means more patients have the opportunity for better breathing during slumber. Snuggle up to the idea of a restful, snore-free sleep!