Sleep is one of the best gifts you can give your body. It not only keeps you healthy, but it also helps you stay energized throughout the day. Yet getting enough sleep can be challenging and even more so if you are someone who experiences sleep apnea at night.
Sleep apnea disturbs your sleep quality and can leave you groggy while also impacting your physical and mental wellbeing in negative ways. Fortunately, though, today, you have access to treatments that will help you sleep better and feel more rejuvenated, so you can get the most out of life.
What is Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition where a person periodically stops breathing throughout the night. The common cause behind this halted breathing is some type of blockage of the airway, which may be the result of collapsing soft tissues in the back of the throat or your tongue slipping backward.
When this blockage occurs, your body experiences a sudden lack of oxygen. This lack immediately alerts your brain that something is wrong and causes you to temporarily awaken so your breathing can resume normally.
You may not even be aware you have sleep apnea and can experience any of the following as resulting symptoms or signs.
- Loud snoring
- Making choking or snorting sounds at night when you restart your breathing
- Feeling a shortness of breath when you wake
- Dry mouth
- Headaches upon awakening each morning
- Feeling sluggish or drowsy during the non-sleeping hours
- Insomnia
How Can You Treat Sleep Apnea?
If you experience any of the signs listed above, or your spouse or partner says you are doing these things, know that help is available.
Treating sleep apnea all starts with determining how severe it is for each patient. Your doctor or a sleep specialist can make the diagnosis, and then your dentist can often provide the treatment. The way this treatment is accomplished involves the use of oral appliance therapy.
Oral appliance therapy begins with a thorough exam of your oral health as well as the anatomy of your throat. If you are found to be a candidate for this type of therapy, you will be custom fitted for an oral device. The device options include:
- Tongue-retaining mouthpiece, which fits over and around the tongue to hold it in place, so it can’t slip back into the airway as you sleep.
- Mandibular Advancement Device, a mouthguard-type device that slips over both upper and lower teeth with an attaching hinge at the center to keep them connected. Placement of the device positions the tongue and lower jaw slightly forward so the soft tissues at the back of your mouth do not move and block the airway while sleeping.
Once you adjust to wearing the oral device, you can get a more restful sleep, and this can rejuvenate you throughout the days ahead. You’ll soon notice you no longer feel drowsy or sluggish as you go about your work or home life. Morning headaches fade away and eventually cease from occurring altogether.
How Sleep Apnea Treatment Can Rejuvenate You
When left untreated, sleep apnea interferes with your ability to experience deep sleep, the stage that leads to wellbeing of your body. It is during this deep sleep stage that your body can focus on generating new cells, increasing blood flow to your muscles, and restoring your energy levels.
Also, as sleep apnea continues, the interruption of oxygen loss switches your body into survival mode, putting your brain on alert and using up stored energy. It’s no wonder then that you wake up feeling sluggish and not ready for the day ahead!
Sleep apnea treatment works because it provides you with a higher chance of entering that needed deep stage in the sleep cycle. As a result, your physical and mental wellbeing improves, and you soon feel rejuvenated. In addition, your memory, focus, and productivity improve with better, more restful sleep. As you reach that deep sleep level, the brain also relaxes and begins to repair itself.
In other words, sleep apnea treatment can rejuvenate you all over, from head to toe. While the oral device may take a little time to get used to wearing, it will eventually become easier. Soon you’ll notice that you are sleeping better, waking up rejuvenated, and feeling more energized throughout the day.
Find Out How Sleep Apnea Treatment Can Rejuvenate You by Contacting Linworth Family Dental Today!
Ready to get a good night’s sleep and feel more energized during the day? Let Linworth Family Dental help you find a way to treat your sleep apnea and get you back on track. We offer our patients custom-fitted oral devices that are comfortable and effective. Call 614-635-7721 today to schedule a consultation, or send us a message through our online contact form.
It stood out to me when you mentioned that you need to figure out how severe your sleep apnea is before treating it. I would imagine that a sleep study would be required in order to determine just how bad you have this disorder. In addition to getting a sleep study, it would probably be a good idea to consult with an ENT specialist.