It’s Important to Sleep Comfortably

It’s National Sleep Comfort Month. Do you sleep well?

Do you find that you feel well rested in the morning, or do you feel sluggish? If it’s the latter, you may not be sleeping well at all and there may be a reason. November is National Sleep Comfort Month. In honor of the month, let’s take a look at some airway issues that could be making your sleep less than comfy and if a night guard and better help with your breathing.

Airway issues while you sleep progresses in stages. Obstructive breathing in sleep can vary greatly in severity from very mild snoring to severe stoppages in breathing leading to drops in the blood oxygen level and disruption of sleep. Over time as the patient ages or gains weight, however, this snoring or upper airway resistance may increase, leading to brief awakenings during sleep without affecting the blood oxygen levels.

But there is a progression that goes from snoring to sleep apnea – you don’t just wake up with it one day. When the snoring and resistance through the airway is significant enough to disrupt the quality of sleep, we call this disorder “Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome” or UARS. In patients with UARS, the sleep quality is generally disrupted to the point of causing clinical consequences such as difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep (insomnia), non-refreshing sleep, or excessive daytime sleepiness.

Unlike with other sleep issues, UARS patients may not have audible snoring, but instead it could be classified as heavy breathing, or other symptoms such as a dry mouth upon awakening, morning headaches, symptoms of insomnia or daytime sleepiness. I night guard that helps to improve the airflow as you sleep can make a world of difference.

If you have questions or concerns about sleep issues, make an appointment today with Dr. Farless at 336-282-2868 or visit our website at www.gsodentist.com.

Dr. Farless also proudly serves Greensboro, Brown Summit, Jamestown, High Point, McLeansville, Summerfield and all surrounding areas.