Okemos, Lansing, East Lansing MI
Along with the festive holiday season comes an endless To Do List that can zap your energy quickly. And at the end of the day, when your head finally hits the pillow and your brain settles down “for a long winter’s nap,” your body recharges to prepare for the next day. However, people with sleep apnea may struggle to regain enough energy to last throughout the day. When you couple low-quality sleep with an exhausting schedule, you can quickly feel overwhelmed, become unfocused, and suffer other physical conditions. Fortunately, our Okemos dentist who treats sleep apnea, Dr. Christine Tenaglia, shares on the blog today how to naturally boost your energy this holiday season so that you can get the rest you need to tackle your list and rule the day.
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a life-threatening sleep condition in which the sufferer repeatedly stops breathing for 10 seconds or more while asleep. It’s quite frequent, although many people are oblivious to it since it happens while they sleep. Dr. Tenaglia explains that an apnea episode is a pause in breathing that may last up to a minute and can occur dozens of times in a single night. One’s health deteriorates because of frequent awakenings and the incapacity to enter or remain in deeper sleep phases.
What are sleep apnea symptoms?
Although sleep apnea can arise in patients in different ways, there are some common symptoms that most cases experience. For example, most sleep apnea patients report daytime drowsiness, lower energy levels, fatigue, and morning headaches. Our dentist in East Lansing who treats sleep apnea explains that patients who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea may also experience loud snoring, dry mouth, depression, irritability, reduced focus and concentration, night sweats, decreased sex drive, and nighttime indigestion.
What treatments are available for sleep apnea?
Those who suffer from sleep apnea have several treatment options at their disposal, each of which is tailored to the specific patient’s needs and sleep apnea’s kind and severity. Obstructive sleep apnea is often treated by reducing the patient’s weight since doing so decreases the amount of fat in and around the airway. After a sleep study to confirm sleep apnea, Dr. Tenaglia may recommend oral appliance therapy to help curb your snoring and facilitate an open airway while sleeping. While continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment has helped many people, newer technologies, like oral appliances, allow for a more long-term and effective option.
What could happen if I avoid sleep apnea treatment?
Untreated obstructive sleep apnea has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Additionally, a lack of quality sleep can impact your ability to focus and perform well at work or school and may result in losing your job or failing a class. Furthermore, our Lansing sleep apnea dentist warns that driving when sleepy is just as risky as driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol. Sleepy motorists cause the deaths of thousands of people every year.
Sleep Apnea Treatment in Okemos, Lansing, and East Lansing, MI
Having enough energy through the holidays to meet work, home, seasonal, and other demands can’t seem like it’s out of your grasp and prompt you to reach for extra caffeine for the energy boost. However, you can naturally increase your energy levels when your body receives the quality sleep it needs each night to prepare for the next day. Unfortunately, those who suffer from sleep apnea fail to get quality rest and may suffer other physical symptoms that can impede your daily To Do List this holiday season. Therefore, if you think you or your sleep partner may have sleep apnea, now is the best time to schedule a consultation with our sleep apnea dentist in Okemos, Dr. Christine Tenaglia, to find out what treatments are available that can help you get a better night’s rest and boost your energy this holiday season. Please call Tenaglia Smiles at (517) 347-6733 or contact us online to request an appointment today.