Autumn is a stunning display of nature’s beauty, a time of year that captures our senses and calls us out to enjoy the scenery, the crisp, cool air, football games, and bonfires.
If you’re feeling exhausted, distracted, and irritable, though, it’s hard to muster up the energy to even make it through the day, let alone get out and enjoy the season with your family.
Our team at Biggers Family Dentistry in Midlothian, VA may have the answer.
Sleep apnea could be what’s zapping your energy, and worse, affecting your health. It’s a sleep disorder that interrupts your nightly rest with repeated episodes of breathing obstruction, and it needs to be addressed.
Call 804-977-0092 to schedule a free sleep apnea consultation so Dr. Biggers can help you get to the bottom of your low energy, help you breathe easily, and sleep soundly.
Sleep Apnea In The Light Of Day
We’ll talk about what a person with untreated sleep apnea goes through while they’re asleep later, but first, let’s look at this disorder in the light of day.
You’re likely to suffer in more obvious and debilitating ways during the day after ongoing sleep deprivation. Outside of loud, chronic snoring your spouse complains about, putting the pieces together when looking at your daytime symptoms may be the only way you’ll even realize something is wrong.
So if you have sleep apnea, here are some signs you might notice in your daily life:
*You often wake up feeling like you didn’t sleep much at all.
*You wake up with a sore throat most mornings, even though you’re not sick.
*You have frequent headaches.
*You struggle with daytime fatigue.
*You find it hard to concentrate at home and at work.
*You have memory problems.
*You gain weight without any deliberate changes to your diet or activity level.
*You have a hard time staying alert behind the wheel.
*You feel more irritable or depressed.
Losing sleep here and there isn’t going to have a lasting impact on your productivity or quality of life. But sustained sleep deprivation is a serious problem that can affect your life profoundly, from daily function and performance to systemic health risks like heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and even death.
Sleep Apnea In The Dark Of Night
The source of daytime fatigue, frequent headaches, and irritability all trace back to what happens in the dark of night for the sleep apnea sufferer.
With central sleep apnea, your brain fails to send the right messages to the those muscles that control your breathing. If it’s obstructive sleep apnea you’re struggling with, then it’s due to the pressure your relaxed throat muscles are putting on your airways.
Either way, the vicious cycle you experience all through the night is the same. It looks something like this:
*You fall asleep.
*Your airways become blocked and you stop breathing.
*Several breathless moments go by, and your body jerks awake.
*You gasp for air until your breathing returns to normal.
*You fall back asleep until the pattern repeats.
Because of this cycle, you never get enough of the deep sleep your body needs to recharge for the next day. What makes sleep apnea even more challenging is that, oftentimes, those who have it don’t recall these repeated episodes of breathlessness.
That’s why you should seek help from a trained professional, like Dr. Biggers in Midlothian, VA, for proper evaluation, diagnosis, and viable treatment solutions.
Sleep Soundly With Our Help!
At Biggers Family Dentistry, you can get a customized oral appliance designed to alleviate pressure on your airways, allow you to sleep soundly at night, and help you feel more energized during the day.
To schedule your free sleep apnea consultation in Midlothian, VA, call us today at 804-977-0092 or fill out our online form to request an appointment.