The Hidden Link Between Sleep And Health
Are you constantly battling daytime fatigue, even after a full night’s sleep? Do you find yourself nodding off during meetings or struggling to concentrate on simple tasks? While you might dismiss it as just being tired, these seemingly innocent symptoms could be warning signs of a serious, yet often undiagnosed, condition: sleep apnea. This isn’t just about snoring; it’s a disorder that can silently undermine your health, impacting everything from your heart to your mood. Read on to discover if sleep apnea is the hidden culprit behind your chronic tiredness and what you can do about it.
Understanding Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing stops repeatedly during sleep, causing you to wake up throughout the night and preventing you from getting deep, beneficial sleep. People with sleep apnea are usually unaware of their condition, but they will often feel excessively tired during the day. The most common form is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), where the muscles in the back of the throat relax and block the airway, resulting in loud snoring. Less common is central sleep apnea (CSA), which happens when the brain fails to send the proper signals to the muscles that control breathing. Additionally, patients can develop complex sleep apnea syndrome, which combines elements of OSA and CSA. It usually occurs while treating OSA.
Common Signs
Because sleep apnea happens while you’re asleep, it can be easy to miss. There are, however, noticeable signs that often point to the condition:
- Daytime fatigue and difficulty with concentration
- Irritability
- Loud snoring
- Gasping during sleep
- High blood pressure
Sleep Apnea Treatment
CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure, and it is a common treatment for sleep apnea. The CPAP machine keeps your airway open while you sleep by delivering a steady flow of air through a mask that fits over your mouth and nose. The airflow prevents the muscles in your throat from closing up and blocking your airway, which is one of the main causes of sleep apnea. This, in turn, allows you to breathe consistently through the night, which helps you sleep more deeply and decreases the chances of you waking up intermittently.
While highly effective for people with severe sleep apnea, many find CPAP uncomfortable and difficult to adjust to, which is why we offer an alternative treatment: oral appliances. Wearing an oral appliance is a simple and comfortable way to treat sleep apnea. Each one is custom-made, so yours will fit your mouth perfectly, feel natural, and stay securely in place while you sleep. Just slip it in before bed, and you’re all set for a more restful night. The appliance gently shifts your lower jaw forward, preventing your tongue from collapsing back and keeping your airway open. This small adjustment can make a big difference in how you breathe as you sleep.
Our team takes a personalized, gentle approach to helping you breathe easier and sleep better. Many of our patients find oral appliance therapy to be a more comfortable, travel-friendly solution compared to CPAP. We’ll work closely with your physician or sleep specialist to determine if an oral appliance is right for you.
Call our office located in Coral Gables, FL, to schedule your appointment for an examination and assessment to find out if oral appliance therapy can help you or someone you love get better, more restful sleep.
