If you are unable to achieve truly restful sleep at night, you could have sleep apnea. Associated with breathing interruptions throughout the night that often leave patients feeling unrested in the morning, sleep apnea can, fortunately, be managed with the help of the dentists here at our sleep clinic, The Greater Attleboro Center for Dental Sleep Medicine in Attleboro Falls.
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a type of sleep disorder associated with brief pauses in breathing throughout the night primarily due to a blocked or collapsed airway. In addition to interrupted breathing, sleep apnea is also associated with several other symptoms, including:
- Snoring
- Gasping for breath
- Interrupted breathing
- Headaches in the morning
- Feeling unrested upon waking
- Feeling sleepy throughout the day
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
Men tend to have a higher risk of developing sleep apnea than women. Additionally, individuals who are middle-aged, have high blood pressure, are overweight, or have a family history of sleep apnea are also at an increased risk for developing it.
Treatments for Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea can prevent you from achieving a truly restful sleep at night. Fortunately, methods are available for treating sleep apnea so that you can finally receive the sound sleep you need. Two primary methods for treating sleep apnea include CPAP therapy and oral appliance therapy.
CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure. CPAP therapy utilizes a machine to deliver consistent pressure to your airway throughout the night so that it does not collapse while you are sleeping. Keeping the airway open reduces or eliminates snoring, as well as interruptions in breathing.
For patients who find CPAP therapy too cumbersome, oral appliance therapy from our Attleboro Falls sleep clinic is an effective alternative. For this treatment, patients wear an oral appliance when sleeping that keeps the airway open. This oral appliance looks similar to an orthodontic retainer and is custom made for a perfect fit. Similar to CPAP therapy, the oral appliance helps keep the airway open at night so there are no pauses in breathing.
Concerned? Give Us a Call
To learn more about sleep apnea and how we can help, call our Attleboro Falls sleep clinic at (508) 699-9550.