Sleeping disorders like sleep apnea have been on the rise in recent years. What is sleep apnea exactly? It occurs when you repeatedly stop breathing while sleeping. It’s often because of a blocked airway. Sleep apnea can also happen when the signals between your brain and breathing muscles don’t communicate properly. How do you know when you have this sleep disorder? Are you suffering from common sleep apnea symptoms?
Most Common Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Since sleep apnea occurs when you’re sleeping, you won’t be able to notice when it’s happening. Many symptoms appear when you wake up and go about your day, such as:
- Dry mouth
- Sore throat
- Waking up gasping for air or feeling like you’re choking
- Waking up with shortness of breath
- Headaches, especially in the morning
- Feeling sleepier than usual
- Insomnia
- Irritability and other mood changes
- Feeling more forgetful than usual
- Trouble focusing
If you sleep next to somebody, they might notice other symptoms such as restlessness and loud snoring. Frequent, loud snoring is one of the most common signs of sleep apnea. Each time you stop breathing and then restart again, you’ll experience a loud snore.
Suffering From These Common Sleep Apnea Symptoms?
It’s important to get checked out if you’re experiencing symptoms. If you have sleep apnea, it can affect how much oxygen your brain gets. This can lead to issues like weakened mental capabilities, diabetes, and heart failure.
Sleep Apnea Treatment at Milltown Family Dentistry
Here at Milltown Family Dentistry, Drs. Ben and Megumi Lambeth offer personalized sleep apnea treatments. Intraoral appliance therapy is an example. These custom-fit appliances look like mouthguards. They help keep your airway open, so you’re able to breathe normally while sleeping. Many find these more comfortable and convenient than a CPAP machine. Contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment at our Carrboro office!
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