Okemos, Lansing, East Lansing MI
You can eat well, exercise, and avoid bad habits, but to reach your optimal mental and physical well-being, you need to ensure that you are getting a good amount of quality sleep. We have all experienced the occasional nights of poor sleep, and when that happens, you may try making up for it by going to bed earlier the next day or sleeping in on weekends.
In this article, Okemos sleep apnea dentist Dr. Christine Tenaglia examines the concept of making up for lost sleep and if it really pays off. Your lost sleep may also be caused by sleep apnea, a serious sleep respiratory disorder that occurs when the airway becomes obstructed or blocked entirely while you are asleep. So, does making up for lost sleep work?
Many people go through their workweek feeling tired and fatigued, only to sleep in on the weekends or their days off in hopes of catching up on lost sleep. We hate to break it to you, but that doesn’t work! You can’t actually “catch up” on sleep.
A single night of poor-quality sleep could make you feel fatigued for days afterward. Several nights of little sleep could impact your mood, memory, and cognitive abilities. Over the long term, a lack of sleep becomes sleep deprivation, which may result in chronic fatigue or even decreased cognitive performance.
When it comes to sleep, it is important to remember that quality matters more than quantity. Getting six hours or so of deep, restful sleep is preferable to eight-plus hours of more inconsistent or disturbed sleep.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, you are not getting the deep sleep that is necessary for rejuvenating the body and mind. That is because each time you experience a blocking of the airway, otherwise known as an apneic episode, it interrupts the sleep cycle because your brain signals the body to restart its normal breathing. The effects of that bad sleep pile up, so sleep-deprived individuals are constantly tired, and they often report uncontrollable mood changes and difficulty concentrating.
How Can You Improve Your Sleep?
You can start by trying to adjust your schedule or reduce stress in your daily routine. If sleep apnea is the reason for your loss of sleep, however, neither home remedies nor lifestyle changes will be enough long-term. Sleep apnea is a serious condition, and it requires the care of a trained healthcare provider. Tenaglia Smiles offers treatment for sleep apnea, which is a specialty in the field of dentistry focusing on managing the airway. In many cases, we can treat sleep apnea through a course of oral appliance therapy, providing you with a custom oral appliance made specifically for your mouth to maximize efficacy and comfort. When worn, this appliance guides the lower jaw forward, helping maintain an open airway throughout the night.
Sleep Apnea Screenings and Treatment in Okemos, Lansing, and East Lansing
While only a sleep professional can diagnose sleep apnea, a sleep apnea dentist can determine signs of the condition, as well as offer treatments. If you are living with sleep apnea or experiencing symptoms of the disorder, please call Tenaglia Smiles today at (517) 347-6733 to schedule a consultation. Tenaglia Smiles provides sleep apnea dentistry for our patients throughout Okemos, Lansing, and East Lansing.