St. Augustine, FL
Daytime fatigue affects as many as one out of every four Americans, according to statistics cited by the Sleep Foundation. Do you find that you’re always tired in the morning, no matter what time you went to bed or how many hours of sleep you got? There are many potential culprits behind daytime sleepiness, one of which is obstructive sleep apnea. Today on the blog, your sleep apnea dentist in St. Augustine explains how sleep apnea keeps you fatigued during the day.
Get the Facts on Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA for short, is a serious and widespread sleep breathing disorder. If you have sleep apnea, you experience repeated airway blockages when you lay down to sleep. Each of these blockages, which is known as an apneic event, either impedes or totally cuts off airflow. When this occurs, oxygen levels in the body drop until your brain sends signals to your body to resume normal airflow.
You may never consciously wake up during one of these apneic events, but each time one of these blockages happens, it disrupts your normal sleep cycle. This means you spend less time than you should in the deepest stages of sleep, which are key to restoring the mind and the body. For someone with a severe, untreated case of sleep apnea, these apneic events may occur hundreds of times per night!
Living With Sleep Loss
If you have sleep apnea, you do not spend enough time in those deepest stages of the sleep cycle. This greatly affects the quality of your sleep, meaning you will never be well-rested no matter how many hours of sleep you get per night or how early you go to bed.
Other consequences of living with sleep loss may include:
- Problems concentrating
- Poor performance at work and/or school
- Memory loss
- Unexplained mood swings and irritability
- Impotence or loss of sex drive
- Sudden weight gain
- An overall decline in your physical health
It’s been estimated that about one-fifth of the population of the United States suffers from some degree of sleep apnea, but this only can be estimated because, unfortunately, many people who suffer from this sleep breathing disorder never receive diagnosis much less treatment. Living with untreated sleep apnea means your breathing disorder only will become worse as time passes. Meanwhile, your risk elevates for a host of health issues that are serious, chronic and potentially fatal: heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, depression and cognitive decline, among others.
Getting Treatment for Sleep Apnea from … Your Dentist?
Many people are surprised to learn that their dentist can help provide relief for sleep apnea. Although an official sleep apnea diagnosis only can come from a qualified sleep specialist, a sleep apnea dentist uses their specialized training in airway management and can treat your sleep apnea in St. Augustine. In most cases, we can provide treatment through oral appliance therapy, which involves wearing a customized night guard that brings your lower jaw forward and helps maintain an open airway throughout the night, thus avoiding the airway blockages from occurring.
Sleep Apnea Dentistry in St. Augustine and Palm Coast in Florida
If you’re frequently waking up tired, you owe it to yourself to schedule a screening for sleep apnea symptoms. Palencia Dental can perform an airway evaluation or provide you with the WatchPAT™ home sleeping testing device. To find out more about how we can help identify or treat sleep apnea, schedule your consultation at Palencia Dental. Just call our office today at 904-664-5254 or visit us online.
