Living with sleep apnea means a lot of tossing and turning, frequent trips to the bathroom during the night and a lot of snoring. Living with sleep apnea also means very little sleep. But not all hope is lost. If you’re living with obstructive sleep apnea or another type of sleep disorder, there is hope. It’s right here at Legends Dental in Waco, Texas. Here are a few steps to getting good sleep, even with OSA.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a form of sleep disorder that causes frequent interruptions in breathing during sleep. This can happen hundreds of times per night in severe cases. Symptoms of OSA include:
- Loud snoring
- Gasping for breath
- Difficulty staying asleep
- Daytime fatigue
- Frequent trips to the bathroom
- Dry mouth
- Headaches
- Difficulty concentrating
- Memory issues
- Changes in libido
- Teeth grinding
Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
If you are living with sleep apnea, the first thing you want to do is seek treatment. We can help with this by fitting you with an oral appliance that puts your jaw in the correct position and stops your tongue from falling back and obstructing your airway. If your condition is severe enough, you may require a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine.
Things that you can do on your own can also help improve the quality of your sleep. Here are a few things we recommend:
- Reduce stress levels. Stress and anxiety can contribute to tooth grinding and clenching.
- Lose weight. Being overweight or obese can contribute to sleep disorders.
- Work out. Adding in yoga and other exercises can help to boost oxygen flow and improve breathing.
- Breathe through your nose. Nasal breathing increases the amount of oxygen you take in.
- Eliminate or reduce the consumption of alcohol. Alcohol can cause your throat muscles to relax and your sleep apnea to become worse.
- Quit smoking. Smoking causes inflammation and swelling of your throat, which contributes to a blocked airway.
- Reduce caffeine consumption.
- Keep a consistent sleep schedule.
While these tips can help you improve your sleep, you still need to see your dentist to discuss your sleep apnea treatment options.
Sleep apnea is not a harmless condition and can cause serious chronic health problems. Want to learn more about your treatment options? Give Legends Dental a call today at (254) 282-0191 to schedule a consultation.