Failing to get a good night’s sleep can impede all areas of life, including how alert you feel and how well you function during the waking hours. You may not realize that snoring can actually prevent you, and your sleeping partner, from getting a good night’s sleep. If you snore, and wake up feeling unrested and struggle to complete your day, the Silverstrom Group may be able to help you return to healthy, restful sleep. Take the quiz below to test your knowledge of quality sleep and snoring.
True or False – Snoring and sleep apnea are the same thing. – False. Snoring can be a symptom of sleep apnea, but sleep apnea is not a symptom of snoring. Confused? Sleep apnea is a more serious condition often characterized by chronic snoring. Sleep apnea is literally pauses in breathing throughout the night. These pauses could happen as often as hundreds of times per night, and they last 10-20 seconds or longer.Gasping, and even choking, often accompany the pauses, causing you to struggle to regain breath. Because you never fall into a long, deep REM sleep, your body does not acquire adequate rest. Like sleep apnea, snoring is caused by an obstruction of the airways between the nose and the voicebox, but breathing is not completely blocked. Vibrations of soft tissue from the partial obstruction causes the “snoring sound.”
True or False – Only a primary care physician can treat snoring. – False. Surprised to learn that your dentist can treat snoring? We can treat the majority of our patients with an oral appliance. These appliances fit into the mouth and keep the airways open by holding the lower jaw slightly, yet comfortably forward. The result is restful night of sleep. In the event that an oral appliance won’t work for you, we can refer you to a sleep specialist for further tests and treatment options.
True or False – Snoring affects those around you. – True. Obviously, snoring affects those directly in earshot of you, but it can also affect those who aren’t nearby at night. Your relationships with employers, co-workers, children and other loved ones may suffer due to inability to concentrate, irritability, and depression, common side effects of sleep apnea. It is important to seek ways to treat snoring to improve your social health as well.
Tired of Snoring? Contact your Livingston general dentists today
Let Drs. David and Gary Silverstrom help you sleep peacefully. Contact The Silverstrom Group in Livingston, New Jersey at (973) 797-9345. The Silverstrom Group is located at 580 South Livingston Avenue, Livingston, New Jersey.
973-957-3185
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