 | FAQ about Sleep Disorders |
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- 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. Individuals who do not get sufficient amounts of restful sleep each night put themselves at increased risk for hypertension, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, plus workplace accidents and 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 2x-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.
More than 40 million Americans consult their physicians about sleep complaints each year, making sleep-related problems the THIRD most common complaint heard in the physician's office (behind colds and headaches).
- How many hours of sleep should I get each night?
Sleep is as important as diet and exercise to good health. Despite this, there appears to be an epidemic of daytime sleepiness in this country. In fact, recent National Sleep Foundation (NSF) polls have shown that more than one-third of Americans say that they are so sleepy during the day that it interferes with their daytime activities a few days a month. Don't be one of them!
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Age Group |
Recommended Amount
of Sleep per Night |
Nightly Average |
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Infants (3-11 months old) |
14-15 hours |
12.7 hours |
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Toddlers (12-35 months old) |
12-14 hours |
11.7 hours |
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Preschoolers (3-5 years old) |
11-13 hours |
10.4 hours |
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School-aged Children |
10-11 hours |
9.5 hours |
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Parents/caregivers |
7-9 hours |
6.8 hours |
*Source: National Sleep Foundation, 2004 Sleep in America Poll
- Why should I consult a dentist about my sleep concerns?
Mild to moderate sleep apnea patients are among largest groups of patients that are not screened. However, dentists with advanced training in dental sleep medicine can be patients' first-line of defense against the potentially devastating cardiovascular, neurologic and interpersonal consequences of undiagnosed and untreated sleep-disordered breathing problems.
In our office, we use a state-of-the-art pharyngometer/rhinometer to measure your airway volume, determine whether or not your airway collapses, and evaluate your nasal turbinates (small, bony structures covered by mucous membranes that protrude into the nasal airway and help to warm, humidify and cleanse air as it is inhaled and before it reaches the lungs). Enlarged turbinates and nasal congestion can contribute to headaches and sleep disorders such as snoring and obstructive sleep apnea, as the nasal airway is the normal breathing route during sleep.
In addition to screening for sleep disorders, qualified dentists can provide dental sleep medicine therapies to patients that suffer from snoring, sleep apnea and other sleep-disordered breathing problems. These therapies can often enable sleep patients to find effective alternative or adjunct therapies to traditional treatments for sleep disorders, including CPAP or surgery.
- What can I do to give myself the best chance of getting good, restful sleep?
In addition to making time for sleep, here are some sleep tips from the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) that may help you improve the quality of your sleep:
Maintain a regular bed and wake time schedule including weekends.
Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine such as soaking in a hot bath or hot tub and then reading a book or listening to music.
Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet, cool and comfortable.
Sleep on your side, on a comfortable mattress and pillows.
Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex, and take work materials, computers and televisions out of your sleeping environment.
Finish eating at least 2-3 hours before your regular bedtime.
Exercise regularly and complete your workout routine at least a few hours before bedtime.
Avoid nicotine (e.g., cigarettes, tobacco products). Used close to bedtime, nicotine can lead to poor sleep.
Avoid caffeine (e.g., coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate) close to bedtime. It can keep you awake.
Avoid alcohol close to bedtime. It can lead to disrupted sleep later in the night.
- If I snore, does that mean I have obstructive sleep apnea?
Snoring is no laughing matter. Although often depicted comically, snoring should be taken seriously. It can disrupt your sleep as well as your partner's sleep. Snoring can also lead to sleep apnea by changing the structure of tissues. However, not everyone who snores has sleep apnea.
If you've been told that you snore, or you suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness or shortness of breath upon awakening, consult your doctor. Today, patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea are among the largest groups of patients not screened. That said, the only way to determine with certainty if you have sleep apnea is by referral to an overnight sleep lab for a diagnostic polysomnographic (sleep) study. We are happy to you with names of sleep physicians and sleep labs that we work with upon request.
- Can a dental appliance stop snoring?
For simple snoring and mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), oral appliance therapy is an excellent alternative to CPAP and/or surgery. Both the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine endorse it.
When they are well made and used as directed by a qualified health professional, dental sleep appliances can put an end to snoring in the majority of patients. However, the success of these splint-like devices for any given patient cannot be determined without a complete dental sleep examination.
In our practice, we use six (6) different FDA-approved oral appliances to successfully treat snoring as well as other types of sleep-disordered breathing problems. To achieve maximum results, each of these splint-like devices must be customized and precision-fit to each patient. One size does not fit all, which is why you should be evaluated and treated for snoring by a dentist with advanced training and expertise in dental sleep medicine.
- Can a dental sleep appliance replace my CPAP machine?
At their annual meeting in 1995, the American Sleep Disorders Association adopted a resolution, which formally accepted dental appliance therapy for treatment of snoring and mild sleep apnea. They also extended the recommendation to include dental appliance therapy for treatment of moderate and severe cases of sleep apnea. This is especially encouraging news, since nationally only 45% of patients using CPAP machines continue to use them.
We cannot determine with certainty whether or not you are a candidate for dental sleep appliance without a comprehensive sleep evaluation by our office. However, we can tell you that increasing numbers of patients are successfully using oral sleep appliances as both alternatives and adjuncts to standard therapies, including CPAP and surgery.
- Is there a connection between my TMJ-related pain and my sleep-disordered breathing problem?
We cannot answer this question without your being fully evaluated by one of our doctors. However, we do know that development of your airway can be diminished by improper development of your jaws and/or an inability to breath through your nose. This explains, in brief, why we carefully examine the airway of every patient we see as a routine part of every new patient examination.
- Will wearing a nighttime sleep appliance cause a TMJ problem?
No! Nighttime repositioning devices that are properly customized to help maintain your airway during sleep rarely ever cause TMD problems. The same is true of appliances that are worn to prevent "bruxism" (that is, grinding of your teeth during sleep).
If you are experiencing jaw-joint pain or dysfunction and you are using a nighttime sleep appliance, we recommend that you make an appointment to see a dentist with expertise in TMD, craniofacial pain and dental sleep medicine immediately.
- How can I know for sure if I have a sleep disorder?
The only way to determine with certainty if you have sleep apnea is by getting a referral from your physician to an overnight sleep lab for a diagnostic polysomnographic (sleep) study. We are happy to assist you in that process by providing you with names of sleep physicians and sleep labs that we work with upon request.
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Hours |
Mon. - Thurs.
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday
8 a.m. - noon
(Business Office open only)
Call us at
405.321.8030
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