Sleep Better
The Greek word "apnea" literally means "without breath." Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is very common. If left untreated, people with sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer. With each event, the brain briefly arouses people with sleep apnea in order for them to resume breathing, but consequently sleep is extremely fragmented and of poor quality.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea occurs when the tongue is stuck against the back of the throat blocking the upper airway causing air flow to stop. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a very common chronic disorder that may create respiratory or cardiovascular complications if left untreated.
Signs that you may have Obstructive Sleep Apnea are:
- Snore loudly
- Gasp for air or pause breathing during sleep
- Feel sleepy during the day and sometimes fall asleep at inappropriate times
- Wake up more than 2 times a night to use the bathroom.
- If you are more than 30 pounds over weight with a large neck size.
Snoring is caused when the muscles and soft tissue in the throat and mouth relax making the breathing airway smaller. A relaxed and/or collapsed airway produces soft tissue vibrations during breathing and snoring is the result.
An oral appliance can greatly reduce or stop snoring for most people.
A snoring appliance is a custom fit mouthpiece that is made from plastic and is easy to clean with a toothbrush. It is designed to keep the upper and lower jaw in place when the throat relaxes during sleep. This allows the air passage to remain open while providing a quiet and relaxing sleep.