When Is It Time For A Sleep Apnea Appliance?
Millions of people snore. Some snore all night and in all positions, and some only snore when they sleep on their backs. The condition that causes snoring is a partially obstructed airway, which means the throat muscles relax to the point that they get in the way and vibrate as you breathe. But despite how that sounds, you can snore like a truck downshifting on the highway and have absolutely no trouble breathing at night. Sleep apnea is a step above even that.
Sleep apnea, or to be precise obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), is a condition where your throat relaxes to the point where you start to have trouble breathing at night. Snoring is a symptom, but it’s not the only one. When you have OSA, there are times while you’re asleep when you stop breathing altogether or start taking shallow breaths as your body reflexively tries to clear the obstruction in your throat.
To hear it happen to someone else, it sounds like the person stops mid-snore and doesn’t start up again for several seconds to a minute. On the other hand, even a normal snorer will stop now and then to change positions, so identifying this pattern still isn’t a guarantee. It also means you have to either record yourself sleeping or have someone in the room with you as you sleep.
However, one symptom you can identify on your own is a constant tiredness that never seems to go away. This happens because OSA interrupts the usual sleep cycle and will leave you feeling tired in the morning.
There are several treatments that can take care of OSA. Nasal devices and blowers can add air pressure to your throat and keep it open that way, but one simple and relatively cheap solution is to get a sleep apnea oral appliance. The device fits over your teeth like a mouth guard or a retainer, and a connection between the upper and lower parts pushes your jaw forward so the muscles and tissue in your jaw don’t press down on your throat.
Sleep apnea can trouble a person over a lifetime thanks to large tonsils or a large jaw, but it can also show up over time since other causes include obesity and aging. Either way, if you find yourself having trouble getting a good night’s sleep, consider sleep apnea as a possible cause. And if that’s the case, an oral appliance can be a surprisingly comfortable solution that helps both you and anyone else who sleeps in the same room get plenty of rest each night.