How is your sleep? If you live in the U.S., chances are it could be better: roughly 50 to 70 million adults suffer from a wakefulness or sleep disorder. Inadequate sleep is bad news, not only for your mood but your health as well. Remedies to improve sleep can vary from special nighttime rituals, sleep-inducing teas, and colder thermostats. If you have sleep apnea though, you will need something more, perhaps such as a mouthpiece for sleep. While your doctor may have recommendations for your specific sleep woes, read below for a few tips in what to look for in a sleep apnea mouthpiece.
About 18 million adults deal with sleep apnea every night. They may even have up to 60 apneas in an hour of sleep. An apnea is suspended external breathing, which alerts the body to wake up slightly. The sleeper may not even be aware that this happens. Typically, their bedmate will notice the problem and be concerned.
You might be wondering how a mouthpiece for sleep can help with breathing. After all, the problem is with the lungs, not the mouth, right? Not quite, actually. Sleep apnea in mild to moderate cases is caused by an obstruction to the airway; it is referred to as Obstructive Sleep Apnea, or OSA. The mouthpiece for sleep readjusts the person’s mandible, or lower jaw, into a position that opens the airway when they are sleeping on their back. Doing this can help the person breath more easily.
A mouthpiece for sleep apnea should be recommended after a sleep test that confirms a OSA diagnosis. The mouthpiece needs to be professionally fitted by a dentist, and cleared with the Food and Drug Administration to treat sleep apnea. A mouthpiece for sleep apnea that is not fitted by a dentist, and is not cleared by the FDA to treat OSA may cause discomfort in the wearer. It may not help treat sleep apnea at all.
Good sleep is a necessity for good health. Many adults suffer from insomnia, night sweats, and other sleep problems. But people do not need to suffer with these problems indefinitely. It is worth a little time and money to find an answer for your sleep woes.
