Your Walnut Creek Dentist Can Help You Sleep Better At Night With Sleep Apnea Treatment

Since snoring is so common, many of us don't think of it as something to be overly concerned about

. Yes, it can often be an annoying sound that keeps us awake at night when our partner snores. However, frequent snoring is more than just an annoyance to our partners-it may be a sign of sleep apnea, which is a common and potentially serious disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts as you sleep. If you, or someone you know snores, you may want to visit your dentist in Walnut Creek because your dentist can do a lot more to help your sleep apnea than you think.

What is Sleep Apnea?

While you are sleeping, sleep apnea affects the way that you breathe. If it goes untreated, your breathing is briefly interrupted or becomes very shallow during sleep. As air flow stops during a sleep apnea episode, the oxygen level in your blood drops. Your brain will then respond to this oxygen level drop by briefly disturbing your sleep enough to kick start breathing-this often resumes with a gasp or a choking sound. If you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), you may not remember waking up at all during your sleep. Most of the time, you will stir just enough to tighten your throat muscles and open your windpipe.

The pauses in your breathing typically last between 10 to 20 seconds and can occur up to hundreds of times a night. These pauses in your breathing cause you to jolt out of your natural sleep rhythm, which will prevent you from getting a good night's sleep. As a result, you will spend more time in light sleep than in deep (REM) sleep. By experiencing diminished restorative sleep, you will be less energetic, and it will impair your sharpness and productiveness the next day.

Chronic sleep deprivation will result in daytime sleepiness, slow reflexes, poor concentration, and an increased risk of accidents. Sleep apnea can also lead to serious health problems over time, including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and weight gain. But with proper treatment from your Walnut Creek dentist, you can control the symptoms of sleep apnea, get your sleep back on track, and start enjoying what it's like to be refreshed and alert every day.

Dental Devices for Sleep Apnea Treatment

Most dental devices that are used to help control your sleep apnea are acrylic, and fit inside your mouth-similar to a mouth guard. Other dental devices fit around your head and chin to adjust the position of your lower jaw. Two of the most common oral devices used are the mandibular repositioning device and the tongue-retaining device. These devices are used to open your airway by bringing your lower jaw or your tongue, forward during sleep.

At-home treatment options that you can do yourself include:

*Losing weight

*Quitting smoking

*Avoiding alcohol, sleeping pills, and sedatives

*Avoiding caffeine and heavy meals within two hours of sleep

*Maintaining regular sleep hours

Visit your Walnut Creek dentist for more information on how he can help treat your sleep apnea, and help you to get a better night's sleep-eliminating daytime sleepiness.

by: Gen Wright

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