What You Should Know About Sleep Apnea

sleep apneaEveryone snores from time to time, but when it is excessively loud and constant, there could be more serious health issues in play. Sleep apnea can affect your mental and physical health — in addition to disturbing a loved one you happen to be sharing a bed with. If you do suffer from this condition, there are solutions to help you sleep better and quieter. In today’s blog, your Celina, TX, dentist talks about sleep apnea and the ways we can help you treat it.

What Is Sleep Apnea

It is often caused by a blockage in your airways while you are asleep. In the case of Obtrusive Sleep Apnea, the muscles in the back of your throat relax excessively, causing you to briefly stop breathing. This causes your brain to quickly wake up in a panic and for you to gasp for air. This interrupts your sleep cycle every time it occurs. It is important to note that you probably won’t even know that you are waking up. This can make this disorder difficult to diagnose if you are not living with someone. The cycle of falling asleep and waking up can happen in excessive of a hundred times every night. It can have extremely detrimental effects on your sleep pattern, causing exhaustion. If you consistently wake up tired and sluggish despite being in bed for eight hours, you may suffer from this condition.

How We Can Treat It

If we think you might have this condition, we will give you the tools to conduct an at-home sleep test. We work in conjunction with sleep experts and will send you a test that you can use at home. We will look at your results and will determine if you do, in fact, have obstructive sleep apnea. If you do, we will create a custom-made sleep appliance to wear at night while you are in bed. It is similar to a mouthguard but instead of protecting your teeth, it supports your jaw. This allows your airways to stay open, ensuring you are getting enough air while you sleep. It ultimately promotes much more restful sleep because your brain won’t be snapping awake dozens of times each night. Soon, you will be waking up feeling much more rested. You will see benefits in your daily life; constantly not getting enough sleep causes your brain to work less effectively and can even weaken your immune system. 

Contact Us To Learn More About Sleep Apnea

You do not have to suffer from sleep apnea any longer. If you think you might have this condition, please do not hesitate to reach out to us today. You can schedule an appointment by calling your Celina, TX, dentist, Dr. Newton, at (214) 851-0130.