f you experience daytime sleepiness, snoring, reduced concentration, or depression, you may be suffering from sleep apnea.

Sleep disorders can contribute to many serious health conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, stroke, dementia, and depression. If left untreated, obstructive sleep apnea can shorten a person’s life by 12-15 years!

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This is due to the lack of oxygen the body receives during sleep. Normally, your body undergoes regenerative cycles during rest, but this doesn't happen with sleep-disordered breathing.

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During an apnea event, your tongue falls back against the back of your throat, and your throat muscles relax so much that they block your airway. This causes you to stop breathing for 10 seconds or more. As carbon dioxide builds up, your brain signals you to wake up briefly and start breathing again. These interruptions can occur many times an hour, severely impacting your health.

 

This fragmented sleep prevents you from reaching deeper, more restorative stages of rest. Although you may not remember waking up during the night, the lack of quality sleep will likely leave you feeling exhausted the next day. The disruption of sleep and oxygen flow can also put strain on your heart, lungs, and other organs.

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Many patients diagnosed with sleep-disordered breathing are prescribed a CPAP machine. However, over 50% of people do not consistently wear it, due to discomfort, claustrophobia, noise, or other issues. CPAP intolerance is a common problem.

Fortunately, dental appliance therapy provides an effective and comfortable alternative for patients with mild or moderate sleep-disordered breathing.

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Dr. Nichols offers complimentary airway evaluations to help patients improve and maintain their health.

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Learn more by watching these videos.