What is Sleep Apnea?
What is it? Every year, 7 million Americans are diagnosed with sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a sleep disordered breathing condition where your airway closes and your body cannot breathe. “Apnea” is clinically defined as a 10 second period without airflow. There are two types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. In simple terms, obstructive sleep apnea is when your body cannot breathe normally due to a blocked airway and central sleep apnea is when your brain does not send proper signals for your body to breathe. Current estimates show 20% of people suffer...
Read MoreStages of Sleep
The earth revolves around the sun creating a period of sun light and darkness. This cyclic pattern separates our days into daytime and nighttime. Our bodies developed a daily rhythm that functions within the earthy cycle, known as the circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm relies on the sunlight and lack of sunlight in order to regulate our sleep and wake periods. When the sun sets, our brain begins to release chemicals that prepare your body for sleep. Once asleep, your bodies will undergo various stages and cycles. REM Sleep Sleep is divided into two distinct periods referred...
Read MoreSnoring and Sleep Apnea
Snoring… just hearing the word alone is enough to make you cringe with annoyance. But what is snoring? To put it simply, snoring is noisy breathing during sleep. It’s prevalent among people of all ages and it affects both genders. The National Sleep Foundation states that snoring affects approximately 37 million American adults on a regular basis. Therefore, it’s very likely that either you snore or sleep close to someone who does. At any rate, snoring could be a warning signal that something is wrong with your breathing at night. Let’s take a look at what causes snoring. What...
Read MoreSleep Apnea in Children
Does your child make whistling or breathing sounds during sleep? Does your child experience long pauses in breathing, tossing and turning in bed, mouth breathing during sleep, night sweats, or even bed-wetting? All these and more are possible signs of sleep apnea, which is more common in children than is generally recognized. It’s estimated that sleep apnea affects up to 10% of children int the US, many of them between the ages 2 and 8 years old(1). Sleep Apnea Symptoms in Children vs. Adults Children with sleep apnea don’t necessarily vibrate the walls of the house when they...
Read MoreCPAP Intolerance & Oral Appliance Alternative
Do you struggle using CPAP to treat your obstructive sleep apnea? If so, you’re not alone. Research shows that 50% of patients will abandon treatment because they can’t tolerate using it. While Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) still remains the most popular option for sleep apnea, using the machine can be a daunting task. The following are some of the most common objections that we hear from patients seeking other alternatives. Anything but CPAP While CPAP therapy is considered the “gold standard,” it may not be the right solution for you. The use of a mask or...
Read MoreCustom Fitted Oral Appliances versus Over the Counter Non Custom Appliances for Snoring and Sleep Apnea
Many of our patients frequently ask if an over the counter device will work the same as the custom fitted appliances we make. There are quite a few similarities between the two, but they also differ in several ways. This article will summarize some of the key differences between a Custom Oral Appliance and an Over the Counter Non Custom Oral Appliance. Fit Many over the counter appliances use boil and bite technology. These are typically “DIY” appliances where you boil the appliances and mold the material over your teeth to create some type of retention. After a few seconds, the...
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