Sleeping through the night re-energizes you to work throughout the day more productively and creatively. Some people rarely lose sleep, while others constantly wake up through the night. You can tell who doesn’t always sleep well by a lack of short-term memory or sour mood. Loved ones of people who wake up feeling like they didn’t sleep enough may report loud snoring. In this case, losing sleep could signal obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Luckily, Dr. James Stewart, your Livonia dentist, can help you get a betternight’s sleep with OSA combination therapy.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
OSA sufferers wake hundreds of time a night due to a lack of oxygen. Soft tissues in the mouth and throat block the airway, causing sleepers to stop breathing for short periods of time. The body wakes to restart the flow of oxygen. Moments of breathlessness occur so frequently, that the body never reaches the state of deep sleep where we restore our energy. OSA sufferers may never realize they wake up so often, since they usually immediately fall asleep after beginning to breathe again. A classic sign of OSA is loud snoring, or the sound of soft oral tissue vibrating while you breathe. If you can’t stop snoring and feel tired after sleeping all night, you may suffer from OSA.
OSA Combination Therapy
Obstructive sleep apnea puts more than 12 million Americans at risk of depression and high blood pressure, among other health problems. To help patients sleep through the night and live healthier lives, Dr. Stewart offers OSA combination therapy. This form of OSA treatment combines a continuous positive airway pressure machine (CPAP) and an oral appliance to help patients breathe without interruption during sleep. The CPAP machine pumps air through a mask, keeping oral soft tissues from obstructing the airway. To ensure consistent breathing, patients also wear an oral appliance that positions the lower jaw outward, which allows normal breathing to occur without tissue in the throat blocking air flow.
Schedule an Appointment with Your Livonia Dentist
If you feel tired after what seems like a full night’s sleep, or can’t stop snoring, talk to Dr. Stewart about OSA combination therapy. Schedule an appointment at our 48154 dentist office by calling (734) 425-4400. We welcome patients from Livonia, Farmington, Farmington Hills, Plymouth, Northville, Novi, Dearborn Heights, Dearborn, Garden City, Westland, Redford, and surrounding areas.