With 10 to 30% of Americans suffering from sleep apnea, you may know someone with this sleep disorder, or you may even experience symptoms and not recognize them, leaving the issue untreated. Sleep apnea is a condition that stops your breathing while you sleep, causing disruptive sleep cycles that could leave you fatigued and unable to focus. If you experience these symptoms or wake up frequently during the night, our experienced team at Rockland Dental Specialists is here to help.
With over 24 years of collective experience providing unmatched care to New City, NY patients, we understand what sleep apnea looks like and how it can affect every aspect of your life. While you may not think a dentist can help you find a solution to this issue, we can work with you to develop a personalized plan that corrects your jaw and tongue placement and keeps your airway open during sleep. With our transparent communication, updated technology, and innovative techniques, you can better understand your condition in a comfortable, stress-free environment.
8 Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Because most sleep apnea symptoms occur when you are asleep, they can be challenging to spot. Therefore, it’s essential to look for small changes in your mood, behavior, and sleep patterns, which may include the following:
- Tired upon awakening: If you feel tired after a full night’s sleep, sleep apnea may be preventing you from getting into a deep sleep.
- Snoring: Snoring may be a symptom of sleep apnea as the airway is partially blocked during sleep.
- Daytime sleepiness: Because sleep apnea can cause interrupted sleep, you may feel sleepy throughout the day.
- Mood shifts: Sleep apnea can affect your mood and cause anxiety or depression.
- Brain fog: Disruption in brain function may occur, including memory loss, trouble concentrating, and other brain-related concerns.
- Waking up: Waking up repeatedly in the middle of the night is another symptom of sleep apnea. You may not realize you do this, but your partner or someone you live with may notice.
- Shortness of breath: Sleep apnea may cause you to wake up feeling breathless or like you’re choking due to partial airway blockage.
- Unusual breathing: Cheyne-Stokes breathing (CSB) could indicate central sleep apnea. This pattern causes fast breathing that gets deeper and then shallower until it stops and restarts again.
Whether you experience some or all of these symptoms, they can take a physical and emotional toll on your life. Our team can help you identify these issues and develop a solution that works best for you.
How Rockland Dental Specialists Can Help With Your Sleep Apnea
While many sleep apnea patients use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to help with their condition, this may not be the solution for everyone. Fortunately, our knowledgeable team at Rockland Dental Specialists can help you find alternatives to correct your breathing, including the following:
Oral Appliances
Sleep apnea occurs when the soft tissue in your mouth or jaw presses on your windpipe, inhibiting your breathing during sleep. Oral appliances can help hold this soft tissue in place and take pressure off your airway. Our highly-skilled staff can help create this appliance for you.
Myofunctional Therapy
Myofunctional therapy is a group of exercises that help strengthen muscles around your airway. These exercises help sleep apnea patients properly place and engage their tongues to correct breathing issues during sleep.
Learn More About Sleep Apnea Treatment from Our Knowledgeable Team at Rockland Dental Specialists in New City, NY
Sleep apnea symptoms can disrupt your life, causing you to get poor sleep and feel constantly exhausted. Fortunately, you do not have to find a solution alone. Our supportive team at Rockland Dental Specialists understands the symptoms of this condition and ways to help you get better sleep. In addition to this expertise, we take a compassionate approach to every patient so you never feel alone.
Our patients have relied on our top-notch services for over two decades. Therefore, you can trust us to provide the dedication and care you deserve to get you back to the activities you love. We support you before, during, and after your treatment, starting with an initial consultation to better understand your symptoms. To schedule yours, call us at (845) 400-9205 or fill out our contact form.
