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To many people, trouble sleeping means an inability to fall asleep, or a tendency to wake up in the middle of night and be unable to fall back to sleep. Such issues can be highly problematic, but in many cases, people are aware that the issue exists. With obstructive sleep apnea, that isn’t always the case, and you may experience poor quality sleep for years before realizing you aren’t resting as peacefully as you believed. At our Mansfield, TX, dental office, we may be able to help you address your sleep apnea in a comfortable and convenient manner, with a custom-designed sleep apnea appliance.

Why sleep apnea is a problem

Sleep apnea is technically a sleep breathing disorder that involves the obstruction of your airway while you sleep. Marked by increasingly louder snoring, this obstruction begins as a partial blockage when mouth and/or throat tissues collapse into your airway. The greater the obstruction grows, the louder you snore, until your airway becomes completely blocked and you stop breathing altogether. This blockage will cause your body to wake up and clear your airway, but it rarely or never wakes you from consciousness. The repeated interruptions will prevent you from reaching deep levels of sleep, but you may remain unaware of it until other symptoms begin to manifest themselves.

Others signs that can warn you of it

The longer sleep apnea is left untreated, the more the lack of deep sleep can begin to affect other areas of your wellbeing. For example, without reaching Rapid Eye Movement (R.E.M.) sleep, your body and brain can’t rest and recuperate properly from the stress of the day. Over time, lack of R.E.M. sleep can lead to symptoms of sleep deprivation, including daytime fatigue, mood swings, difficulty with concentration and memory, and much more.

How to solve your sleep breathing problem

Whether it’s the chronically loud snoring or the symptoms that sleep apnea leads to in your daily life, it’s important to seek help as soon as you suspect that you might have a sleep problem. If you do, we may be able to help you treat it comfortably and in a minimally invasive manner. For many patients, we can custom-design an oral appliance, or sleep apnea appliance, that you can wear while you sleep to prevent airway obstruction. By supporting your lower jaw in a precise, slightly forward position, the appliance can help keep your airway open, clear, and free of obstruction throughout the entire night.

Learn if you need apnea treatment

If you have obstructive sleep apnea, you may be suffering from poor quality sleep without even realizing it. To learn more, schedule a consultation by calling our dentist’s office in Mansfield, TX, today at 817-473-6227.