Understanding Sleep Apnea

sleep apneaIt is crucial to get a good night’s sleep; when you do, your body and mind recharge, decompress, and feel sufficiently rested to successfully navigate your life. On the other hand, when you have an evening of poor, restless sleep, you can often feel affected for days. A common culprit for poor slumber is sleep apnea, which causes you to snore loudly. More serious than the snoring, however, is that it actually causes you to briefly wake up hundreds of times each night. This is a difficult disorder to live with, but there are helpful solutions that can not only improve your sleep but also that of anyone you share a room with. In today’s blog, your Cleveland, TX, dentist talks about sleep apnea and the solutions we can provide. 

What Is It Exactly?

Sleep apnea is typically caused by a blockage of your airways while you sleep. If you suffer from this, the muscles in the back of your throat relax excessively, which causes you to briefly stop breathing. While this is very brief, it triggers panic in your brain and you wake up momentarily. Even though you only wake up briefly, your sleep cycle is interrupted each time it occurs. Because you are already asleep and the waking period is so short, there is a good chance you do not even know it’s happening. Many people learn they have a sleep disorder from loved ones they share a bed with. If you live alone, you likely won’t be able to tell it’s happening until you are already experiencing its detrimental effects. 

Because this cycle of waking up and falling asleep can occur over a hundred times each night, you are never really getting full, restful sleep — even if you are in bed for eight hours. This interruption of your sleep can cause exhaustion, memory loss, elevated blood pressure, and more. If you notice these symptoms despite seemingly getting plenty of sleep, you could very well suffer from sleep apnea.

How We Can Treat It

If you think you might suffer from Sleep Apnea, please reach out to us and schedule an appointment. We will be able to assess your throat and determine — based on your symptoms — if you do, indeed, have this disorder and subsequently treat it. We can create a custom-made night guard that will adjust your jaw, tongue, and palate into positions that prevents blockage of your airways. This is a much simpler, quieter, and less cumbersome alternative to CPAP machines. We design the mouthguard to comfortably fit in your mouth, so once you get used to wearing it, you will hardly even notice it is there. 

Contact Us To Learn More About Sleep Apnea

If you have any questions about improving your sleep and feeling more well rested, or if you would like to schedule a consultation today, please contact Cleveland Family Dentistry in Cleveland, TX, at (281) 592-1234. You can also find our practice at 205 E. Houston St. Cleveland, TX 77327.