How often do you think about sleep? When you’re not getting enough of it, you probably think about sleeping a lot. While sleeping does present an opportunity for your body to rest and recuperate, it’s far from a simple process. The amount of sleep you get, the consistency of your sleep schedule, and your breathing pattern while you sleep all affect how good you feel when you wake up in the morning. A condition like sleep apnea can disrupt your rest and cause you to feel tired and fatigued. By understanding the mechanics behind sleep apnea, you can learn how to address the condition.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Is Caused by a Blockage in Your Airway
Even though you’re unconscious while you sleep, you still need to breathe. If you can’t breathe, your body starts to suffocate, and you will wake up to find a solution. This is the basic mechanic behind sleep apnea. Something causes a disruption in your breathing, so your body wakes itself up to try to get some air. Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by a blockage in your airway, most often due to some oral tissue, like your tongue. When you fall asleep, your tongue relaxes and blocks your throat. Suddenly, air cannot travel freely through this area, and you start to suffocate.
Preventing Sleep Apnea Is About Preventing the Blockage
It logically follows that if you can prevent your airways from becoming blocked, you can prevent the harmful effects of sleep apnea. In some cases, this may involve a CPAP machine. This type of device can regulate your breathing and allow you to sleep through the night. CPAP machines are also bulky and noisy, so they don’t do much to mitigate the annoying effects of snoring for your partner. Nightguards, fabricated by your dentist, can often prevent blockages in your airway. By simply shifting your bite slightly, the nightguard (which looks like a mouthguard) can allow you to breathe easily and sleep better.
When You Can Breathe, You Can Sleep
Sleep apnea can affect individuals hundreds of times throughout the night. You likely won’t even realize that you’re waking up when you’re affected by sleep apnea. Those hundreds of disruptions don’t allow you to reach a state of deep sleep, so you won’t feel rested and ready to go when you wake up in the morning. Nightguards can create an opening in your airway that allows you to breathe easily, which allows you to sleep soundly. Be sure to ask your dentist about diagnosing sleep apnea during your next visit.
Rodem Tree Dental Treats Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea can be a crippling condition for many people, because we all need good sleep to function. If you are a chronic snorer, and you constantly feel fatigued even after getting plenty of sleep, talk to our team at Rodem Tree Dental. We can help to diagnose and treat sleep apnea. Schedule an appointment for sleep apnea consultation by contacting Rodem Tree Dental in Rowlett, TX at 972-475-2321.
