Everything You Need to Know About Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that disrupts breathing during sleep, causing frequent interruptions—often more than 30 times a night. These disruptions can include pauses in breathing, gasping, waking up with headaches, and feeling fatigued and unfocused during the day. It’s also common for sleep apnea to cause loud snoring, which can disturb your partner’s sleep.
There are two main types of sleep apnea:
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea – The most common form, where the tissues at the back of your throat collapse and block your airway during sleep.
- Central Sleep Apnea – This occurs when there’s a breakdown in communication between the brain and the muscles that control breathing, leading to breathing interruptions.
What Advantages Does Treating Sleep Apnea Offer?
Getting quality sleep is essential for both emotional and physical well-being. Sleep apnea, even if unnoticed, can impact your health, relationships, and overall quality of life. Treating it offers a variety of benefits:
Better physical health
Managing sleep apnea can reduce your risk of high blood pressure, heart issues, type 2 diabetes, liver problems, and other metabolic complications. It also lowers the risk of complications during surgery or when taking certain medications.
Rediscover Your Normal Self
Do you often feel foggy or forgetful? Many sleep apnea sufferers experience grogginess upon waking and ongoing brain fog. Treatment can help you feel clearer, more focused, and fully rejuvenated, improving your mental sharpness and daily performance.
Build Stronger Relationships
Treating your sleep apnea is beneficial for both you and your partner. Reducing or eliminating snoring improves sleep quality, leading to better rest for both of you. You’ll wake up in a better mood, making daily tasks like parenting, work, and personal relationships more fulfilling. Your positive energy will have a ripple effect on those around you.
What Methods Are Used to Treat Sleep Apnea?
There are several approaches to treating sleep apnea, tailored to the cause and severity of the condition. We aim to find the treatment that works best for your lifestyle.
Lifestyle adjustments
For mild sleep apnea, lifestyle changes can often provide relief. Recommendations may include weight loss, avoiding alcohol and sleeping aids, adjusting your sleep position, improving sleep hygiene, and quitting smoking. These simple yet effective methods are often recommended even when other treatments are used.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Treatment
CPAP is one of the most common treatments for sleep apnea. This device uses a mask covering the nose, mouth, or both, attached to a machine that delivers a continuous stream of air. This airflow keeps your airways open during sleep, ensuring proper breathing. Various mask styles and machine options are available to suit your comfort and needs.
Oral Therapy Appliances
Oral appliances are worn in the mouth while sleeping and are similar to mouthguards. These devices vary depending on the cause of your sleep apnea and can help reduce snoring, reposition the jaw to keep the airway clear, or stabilize the tongue to prevent blockages.
Medical and Surgical Treatments
In some cases, sleep apnea may require surgery or medications. Surgical options include correcting a deviated septum, widening a narrow throat or airway, or repositioning the jaw to eliminate blockages.
Contact us today
to schedule an initial consultation & exam.
Your consultation will include an examination of everything from your teeth, gums and soft tissues to the shape and condition of your bite. Generally, we want to see how your whole mouth looks and functions. Before we plan your treatment we want to know everything about the health and aesthetic of your smile, and, most importantly, what you want to achieve so we can help you get there.
Winner Of The Three Best Rated Award
Dr. Alwash is the winner of the 3 Best Rated award for Best Dentists in Markham.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common symptoms of sleep apnea include difficulty reaching deep sleep, loud snoring, breathing pauses, choking sensations upon waking, frequent nighttime bathroom visits, and feeling unrefreshed after sleep. During the day, you may experience headaches, trouble concentrating, irritability, memory issues, mental fog, and reduced libido.
There are several potential causes of sleep apnea. In adults, the most common form is obstructive sleep apnea, often linked to excess weight and obesity. A professional evaluation is necessary to accurately diagnose your type of sleep apnea and determine its root cause.
Yes, sleep apnea can disrupt your sleep without you even realizing it. When oxygen levels drop, your brain briefly interrupts your sleep to restore normal breathing. This can happen over 30 times a night, and you may not remember these brief awakenings, only noticing morning grogginess as a sign.
Risk factors for sleep apnea include being overweight, male, having a family history of the condition, poor sleep habits, alcohol or sleeping pill use, smoking, or nasal congestion. Sleep apnea is also more common in older adults.
Research shows that sleeping on your side, known as the lateral position, is the best for reducing sleep apnea and snoring.
Yes, while obstructive sleep apnea is more common in individuals who are overweight, it can affect people of all body types, including those who are thin, as it can have various underlying causes.
What Our Patients Are Saying
- Video testimonials
- Google reviews
Comfortable and COVID-19 Safe Experience
Fillings Aren't So Bad
First Time Appointment Success
