• Do you feel tired, even after a full night’s rest?

• Do you have morning headaches?

• Have you been told that you snore loudly?

• Do you have difficulty concentrating?

• Do you wake up during the night choking or gasping for air?

Every night, millions of people go to sleep hoping to wake in the morning feeling rested and relaxed. However, for people with sleep-disordered breathing problems, this is just not possible.
If you suffer from non-restful sleep, you’re not alone! More than 40 million Americans suffer from some variety of sleep disorder – many of which go undiagnosed. However, due to ongoing research and advances in dental sleep medicine, there is much that can be done today to provide you with treatment options that will help you find relief!

Why is sleep so important?

Sleep is more than a time out from daily activities. It is an active state, essential for physical and mental restoration.  Seventy million Americans suffer from sleep disorders according to Carl E. Hunt, Director, National Center on Sleep Disorders Research.  The result is a huge sleep debt that if left untreated can put you at increased risk of diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart attack, auto accidents and workplace injuries.  In addition, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conservatively estimates that 100,000 police-reported crashes are the direct result of driver fatigue each year. This results in an estimated 1,500 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary losses. The good news is that much can be done, through technology and advances in dental sleep medicine, to enable patients who suffer from sleep disorders find relief.

Who is at risk of developing a sleep disorder?

Men suffer most often from non-restful sleep. In addition, according to both the National Institutes of Health and the American Academy of Family Practice, the rates of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and other airway-related sleep disorders are 2-4x higher after the age of 50.

Since the health of women and children may also be affected by sleep-disordered breathing problems, we urge anyone who does not wake in the morning feeling rested and relaxed after a full night’s sleep to discuss their sleep concerns with their family physician, a dentist with expertise in dental sleep medicine or another trusted health provider.

Getting a good night’s sleep is essential to good health! If you or your partner’s sleep is being disrupted by a sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) problem, such as snoring or sleep apnea, you could be at risk of developing a host of health problems – some quite serious!

The primary reason behind many SDB problems is the way the tongue, jaw and other tissues in the mouth and throat are positioned. For this reason, dentists with the right training are uniquely qualified to provide safe, non-surgical, and highly effective treatment options.

If you or someone you love suffers from non-restful sleep, consult your primary healthcare provider or make an appointment with us for a dental sleep exam. Proper diagnosis and treatment, if warranted, can improve your quality of life and increase your life expectancy!