You are brushing your teeth and getting ready to lay down for the night when you hear it.
That sound … it’s coming from your bedroom. Is it some kind of animal? Is a train passing through your house?
No, it’s your spouse snoring away. So much for falling asleep anytime soon.
If you can relate the disruptive sounds of your significant other snoring for hours on end, then they may be suffering from sleep apnea … which means you are suffering because of it. Fortunately, our team at Beautiful Dentistry could help your spouse stop snoring so you both can enjoy healthy sleep.
To schedule a consultation, call 480-568-1204 to plan your visit with us.
The Snoring Problem
As much as it may bother you, snoring is not the worst part of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Snoring is a symptom of a sleep disorder that affects your partner’s overall health. People with untreated sleep apnea are more likely to have cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, strokes, and car accidents.
Snoring occurs when someone’s airway is restricted. As air is pushed through the small opening, it vibrates the nearby soft tissues. As the opening gets smaller, the tissues vibrate more, making the snoring louder. When someone has OSA, their airway gradually becomes more restricted as their muscles relax when they fall asleep.
When the airway is closed too much, the person with OSA stops snoring because they stop breathing. The body responds to this by waking the person up, often just enough to take a few breaths. This cycle can repeat hundreds of times throughout the night.
As a result, the person with OSA’s body remains in a state of stress, which can increase blood pressure. They also rarely (if ever) enjoy deep sleep, which can lead to sleep deprivation.
For the people who share a bed or even a hallway with the person with OSA, the endless snoring can cause you to become sleep deprived as well. And when two people aren’t getting enough sleep, both of them can become annoyed rather easily.
Take A Breath & Keep Breathing
The solutions for sleep apnea have the same goal: to keep the person with OSA breathing.
The most common treatment is a CPAP machine. To use this, the patient wears a mask over their face. The machine pushes air through the mask to force their airways to remain open. This can be effective, but many people have trouble using CPAP machines.
This is where our team can help. Another option for your loved one is wearing a special oral appliance. This is custom-made to fit their teeth. It works by adjusting the position of their lower jaw slightly. This keeps their airway open, so they continue breathing throughout the night. The result is they can stay asleep while snoring much less.
Get Some Rest
When you and your loved one both wake up after a full night of restful, healthy sleep, you will appreciate the importance of treating sleep apnea. To schedule a consultation, call Beautiful Dentistry in Tempe, AZ at 480-568-1204 or contact us online.