3 Signs You May Have Sleep Apnea

…and how dental solutions may help

You may suffer from sleep apnea in Studio City, but dental solutions like oral appliances can help. About 22 million adults suffer from this disorder, whereby breathing is repeatedly yet briefly interrupted during sleep, says SleepApnea.org. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in the back of the throat won’t keep the airway open sufficiently.

Especially if you sleep alone, it can be tough to know if you have sleep apnea. Symptoms can range from daytime fatigue and insomnia to depression or irritability. Here are three signs you may have sleep apnea.

1.      Difficulty Sleeping

Sleep issues related to sleep apnea can range from insomnia (difficulty falling and staying asleep for the whole night) to hypersomnia (extreme drowsiness during the day). Both of these conditions can cause you to fall asleep while at work, while behind the wheel or while watching TV, according to the Mayo Clinic.

These two sleep disorders seem to be linked. Those with insomnia have symptoms spurred by sleep apnea, including dry-mouth, frequent urination throughout the night, morning headaches, daytime fatigue and snoring. One study found that 90 percent of people who were taking medication for many years to treat insomnia actually had sleep apnea instead.

When you don’t get a good night’s sleep, you can be very irritable the next day, have difficulty concentrating at work or school, and experience learning and memory difficulties.

2.      Chronic Snoring

This is a big symptom of sleep apnea. Do you or a partner:

• Snore very loudly, waking yourself or others?
• Have shortness of breath, choking or gasping for air?
• Pause in breathing during sleep?

If you answered yes, you could have sleep apnea. About 45 percent of adults snore occasionally and 25 percent snore every night. Chronic snoring happens more in men and those who are over-weight. The condition generally worsens with age.

3.      Headaches

Frequent morning headaches that often last throughout the day can be a sign of sleep apnea. This may be because your oxygen levels drop every time you cease breathing during the night, starving the brain of oxygen. You are also left with severe dry mouth, leading to dehydration. Both of these considerations manifest in headaches, with some estimates showing that 50 percent of people who wake up with headaches also have sleep apnea.

Headache sufferers have a higher risk for developing sleep apnea and other sleep disorders, two to eight times greater, in fact, than those who don’t get lots of headaches.

Contact Studio City Dental

Have you been experiencing any of these symptoms? Please make an appointment with Studio City Dental today at 818-762-2977. If you suffer from sleep apnea in Studio City, we can suggest treatments that will help, such as oral appliance therapy (OAT) or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines.