Snoring Solutions & Sleep Apnoea Treatments
Does Snoring Affect Your Sleep?
Ever slept a whole night but felt exhausted upon waking up? It might not be from your late-night Netflix binges or screen time, it could be because of snoring.
Snoring can occur when the tissues in your throat (even your tongue) relax and fall back upon each other while you lie on your back asleep. Sometimes the throat can even get fully blocked for a few seconds before your unconscious brain wakes you up momentarily due to the sudden drop in oxygen levels. This condition, along with other symptoms like breathing pauses and sleepiness during the day, can characterise sleep apnoea.
Naturally, if this has been happening regularly throughout the night, your body will be disrupted of rest when you are sleeping, as your breathing was disturbed the entire night leading to an overall lack of oxygen supplied to your tired body’s tissues to heal. Sometimes, your snoring can get so loud that even your own ears hear your snores, waking you up from your much-needed REM sleep! However, there could be scenarios where you aren’t aware of this happening, only for your partner to comment on it. If this happens multiple times through the night, it is time for a visit to our clinic.
At Wyndham Dental, we provide sleep apnoea treatment, so you can enjoy a good night’s sleep and wake up ready to tackle the day!
Treat your sleep apnoea & get a good night of sleep!
Side Effects of Sleep Apnea
If you are undergoing chronic sleep deprivation because of your sleep apnea, it can lead to many negative effects on your mind, body and health while affecting your daily life. These can include:
- Day-time fatigue and sleepiness
- Reduced concentration
- Lack of agility
- Poor memory
- Irritability
- Negative moods
- Depression and anxiety
- Poor cardiovascular health
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Headaches upon waking
As sleep apnoea affects your quality of life, work and interpersonal relationships, it’s important for you to seek treatment as soon as possible. Give us a call today to find out how we can help improve your quality of life!
Types of Sleep Apnoea
There are three major types of sleep apnoea, which are:
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
The most common type of sleep apnea is where the tongue rolls back or the throat gets narrowed and blocked, obstructing air passage while breathing. This can result in snoring and your breathing being interrupted for periods of 10 seconds or longer on multiple instances. If this continues to happen repeatedly throughout the night, leading to disrupted sleep, exhaustion and other health issues.
Central Sleep Apnoea
This type of sleep apnoea is rare and involves the brain. Central Sleep apnoea occurs when the brain fails to detect the lack of function in the breathing muscles signalling the body to breathe, resulting in temporary lapses of breathing. Snoring is not a symptom of this type of sleep apnoea.
Complex Sleep Apnoea
Complex Sleep Apnea is a combination of Obstructive and Central Sleep Apnea. This type of sleep apnoea presents itself in the presence of narrowed airways with the interruption of signals from the brain telling the lungs to breathe. If you suspect you have sleep apnoea, it’s vital to consult one of our experienced dentists for proper diagnosis and treatment.
How to Treat Sleep Apnoea?
When it comes to professional help, that’s where we step in! There are several treatment options for sleep apnoea, including devices that your dentist can provide, such as the CPAP machine (Continuous Positive Airflow Pressure machine) and lifestyle changes.
In addition, there are other options for treating sleep apnoea and avoiding snoring, such as oral devices or surgery when necessary.
CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) Device
CPAP therapy is one of the most effective sleep apnoea treatments available, especially for moderate to severe cases. Treatment involves wearing a mask that transmits increased air pressure to your airway to keep your throat from collapsing as you sleep at night.
Oral Devices
At Wyndham Dental, we create customised oral devices such as the Mandibular advancement device, which involves wearing an appliance much like a mouthguard. It holds the position of the lower jaw slightly forward while you lay back and sleep, preventing it from falling back and obstructing the air passage.
Lifestyle Changes
There are multiple remedies you can try to prevent sleep apnea from getting worse and to avoid snoring. However, visiting a specialist is always advised to ensure a proper diagnosis and effective treatment.
Things you can try at home include:
- Weight management
- Cutting down smoking
- Avoiding late-night eating
- Avoiding caffeine
- Sleeping on your side instead of sleeping on your back
- Avoiding sleep medications
- Sleeping early and regularly
- Physical exercises
- Breathing and throat exercises
- Using a nasal decongestant before bed
- Using a pillow to support your head
The most suitable treatment can be determined by our dentists based on your unique condition and needs. Schedule a consultation with us today!
Using oral devices
Sleep apnea induced by snoring is a serious health concern that should be addressed the moment you or your partner realise that you have been suffering from any of its symptoms, even if it is as simple as daytime fatigue. Poor sleep can compromise your health, and our team is here to help by providing you with an array of effective treatment options.