Sleep apnea and snoring

Sleep apnea and snoring are common medical conditions affecting more than 12 million Americans. If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea or you have a problem with snoring, the doctors at Danville Dental associates can help.

WHAT IS SLEEP APNEA?

Sleep apnea is a chronic condition where your breathing briefly stops periodically throughout the night. When you stop breathing, the lack of oxygen in your brain wakes you up to restart your breathing. However, the period of being awake is so brief that most people with sleep apnea don’t remember it. The constant cycle of waking up and falling back asleep keeps people with sleep apnea from getting a deep sleep, leaving them feeling drowsy throughout the day.

Signs of sleep apnea can include:

• Insomnia or difficulty sleeping
• Loud snoring at night
• Waking up at night short of breath
• Snorting or choking sounds during the night (indicating a restart of breathing)
• Headaches upon waking in the morning
• Falling asleep unintentionally during the day
• Extreme drowsiness during the day

There are different types of sleep apnea, but the most common is called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This is more common in males, but anyone of any age can suffer from it.