Struggling to Get Quality Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep is important to maintaining your physical and mental health. Without consistent rest, it can become difficult to concentrate during the day and you can also put yourself at risk of a variety of health complications. Sleep deprivation is more common than you think. In fact, over 50 million adults in the US suffer from a sleep disorder like sleep apnea. At Brown & Baran Family Dentistry, our team of dentists offers oral appliance therapy to help restore your sleep and improve the quality of your day-to-day life.
The first step to treating sleep apnea is understanding the disorder and its symptoms. Read below to learn how Drs. Brown and Baran can help patients who reside in Pike Creek, Marshallton, and Stanton areas.
What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
When your throat muscles relax too much while you’re sleeping, this can be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This blockage disrupts your breathing, causing you to wake up during the night, gasping for air. If not immediately treated, sleep apnea can be harmful to your body and mind. However, most patients who struggle with sleep never consider the possibility that they may have OSA. That’s why scheduling an appointment with our knowledgeable dentists is the first step to receiving treatment.
Causes of Sleep Apnea
There are a variety of factors that can impact your chance of developing sleep apnea. It’s important for Drs. Brown and Baran to have you undergo a sleep study to determine the exact cause of your sleep apnea for treatment. Some common causes include:
- Tobacco and alcohol use
- Obesity and excessive weight
- Large neck circumference
- Medical conditions
Sleep Apnea Symptoms
If left untreated, sleep apnea can cause a number of physical and mental issues. Knowing the symptoms of the disorder is the first step to receiving the treatment you need to achieve a night of restful sleep. Common risks associated with sleep apnea include:
- Hypertension
- Lack of motivation
- Daytime drowsiness
- Decreased libido
- Heart disease
- Anxiety
Treatment for Sleep Apnea
Most patients think that the only way to treat sleep apnea is through bulky, noisy, CPAP machines, which blast oxygen into your airway through a mask. Fortunately, at Brown & Baran Family Dentistry, our dentists can treat sleep apnea with oral appliance therapy. These custom mouthguards work by gently shifting your jaw forward to prevent your airway from collapsing. Unlike CPAP, oral appliances are non-intrusive and totally silent.
Additional Sleep Apnea Solutions
Making certain lifestyle changes along with professional treatment can provide the best results for reducing the severity of your sleep apnea symptoms. These can include:
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Participating in regular exercises
- Reducing alcohol and tobacco intake
- Practicing throat and mouth exercises
- Positional therapy or special pillows
Frequently Asked Questions
Sleep apnea likely won’t go away on its own unless treated by experts like Drs. Brown and Baran. If left untreated, sleep apnea can severely impact your overall mental wellness, with the consequences being potentially life-threatening. Some of these complications include anxiety, depression, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and more.
Constant interruptions with your REM cycle can cause a chemical imbalance in your brain, causing irritability and difficulty in processing emotions. If left untreated, this can also contribute to developing depression and anxiety. Fortunately, sleep apnea treatment is designed to boost your mental health by giving your brain the quality rest it needs during the night.
Anxiety and stress-related disorders like PTSD can cause a person to develop sleep apnea patterns. Additionally, repeatedly being jarred out of sleep because you’re trying to gasp for air can also further complicate already-existing issues such as memory performance, headaches, feeling fatigued, and lack of concentration. If you continue to struggle with persistent nightmares, stress, or other issues, it’s important to seek treatment.
Your medical insurance should cover the cost of oral appliance therapy since it’s being used to treat your sleep apnea. Still, we recommend that you contact your company anyway to get a better understanding of your coverage and benefits. That way, your treatment will be more affordable and accessible, allowing you to get a peaceful, worry-free sleep.
Reclaim Your Sleep With Our Oral Appliances
Not getting the sleep you need can cause your body and mind to go haywire. That’s why it’s important to seek treatment so that you can recharge throughout the night. At Brown & Baran Family Dentistry, our expert team will work with you and your unique needs to develop the treatment you need with custom-made, non-intrusive oral appliances.
Achieve the restful sleep you deserve today! Schedule a consultation today by calling our Wilmington office at (302) 999-3100 or our Seaford office at (302) 536-7589. You can also fill out our convenient contact form below. We proudly serve people who reside in Pike Creek, Marshallton, and Stanton areas.
