Are You Sleeping Well At Night?

May is Better Sleep Month and the goal is to raise awareness about the importance of sleep and its direct effect on your physical, emotional and mental health. Sleep disorders affect around 70-90 million or roughly one-fourth of the population. Studies show that 40% of middle-aged men and 30% of middle-aged women snore, and if you snore and frequently wake up during the night, you may have sleep apnea.

With sleep apnea, when you stop snoring, you stop breathing. When the brain detects the lack of oxygen, it prompts you to wake up and breath. This can happen hundreds of times each night and have a significant impact on your sleep patterns and your health and well-being. Memory, immune functions, energy conservation, rest and recovery are highly dependent upon sleep. Lack of sleep can cause irritability, confusion, memory problems, blurred vision, diabetes, nausea, psychosis, hypertension, and the list goes on.

There are many types of sleep disturbances, including sleep apnea. Symptoms of sleep apnea may include snoring and headaches to diabetes, stroke and heart attack. You may develop daytime tiredness, esophageal reflux, hypertension and weight gain.

Once your doctor diagnosis you with sleep apnea, there are several treatments that may be offered depending on the type of sleep apnea you have and the severity: from a CPAP machine, to surgery, to an oral appliance supplied by your dentist.

Call your doctor or dentist today for a consultation if you think you might have a sleep disorder. Better sleep patterns can add years to your life and prevent serious health problems from arising.