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I Wake Up Tired…

You may find it perplexing that you never wake up feeling fully rested even after you’ve gotten at least eight hours of sleep. If you find yourself dragging morning after morning, it may be a sign that you have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is tremendously disruptive to sleep, in addition to causing other symptoms. This fatigue, along with some of the other effects of untreated sleep apnea, has serious consequences for your health and well-being. Therefore, it’s essential to get treatment for sleep apnea.
How does sleep apnea interfere with my rest?

Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition in which the soft tissue at the back of the throat repeatedly blocks the airway while the patient is asleep. When this happens, the patient stops breathing briefly. This is called an apneic episode. Your brain is aware of these apneic episodes and briefly rouses you to restore a normal breathing pattern. As you might imagine, this phenomenon negatively affects the quality of rest you get while asleep. As a result, you are likely to wake up feeling pretty groggy.

Morning Sleepiness | Sleep Apnea | Farmington, CT
Wake Up Tired | Sleep Apnea Treatment | No CPAP | Farmington, CT
What are the consequences of poor sleep?

Poor sleep has several consequences for patients, including:

  • Increased inattentiveness
  • Mood changes
  • Impaired problem solving, judgment and memory functions
  • Safety concerns, such as distracted or drowsy driving

Additionally, it appears that sleep deprivation is associated with certain health risks, such as:

  • High blood pressure
  • Heart disease
  • Diabetes
  • Obesity

As you can see, there are numerous ramifications if you fail to pursue diagnosis and treatment when you show signs of sleep apnea like snoring and frequent headaches or sore throats upon waking, in addition to excessive drowsiness.

How can I eliminate sleep apnea to get a full night’s sleep?

Fortunately, you don’t have to slog through life feeling sleepy all of the time and suffering health risks at the same time. Effective sleep apnea treatment is available, and we can help you find the treatment option that best meets your needs.

Before pursuing treatment, you must first get a confirmed diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea. This will ensure that your treatment is effective. Sleep apnea can be verified through a sleep study, which often can be completed in the patient’s own home.

After the diagnosis has been confirmed, we can move forward with recommending treatment options. Many patients will respond well to wearing an oral appliance while they sleep that keeps the jaw or tongue forward to eliminate the cause of airway obstruction.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) masks are another option, but many patients prefer to start with oral appliance therapy, which is:

  • More convenient
  • More comfortable
  • Easier to comply with

To learn about your sleep apnea treatment options, schedule an evaluation at Dental Associates Sleep Solutions.