Restless nights, loud snoring, waking up feeling groggy, trouble concentrating on important tasks, daytime fatigue… these are all signs of disordered sleep and could even indicate a serious health condition called obstructive sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea Care in Monroe, WI
What is Sleep Apnea?
For millions of people, a good night’s sleep is only a dream because they live with undiagnosed, untreated sleep apnea. People with this condition stop breathing multiple times during the night because their airway becomes obstructed while they sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea is dangerous to health and increases the risk of other serious diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. While sleep apnea is most prevalent in adults, children with poorly developed airways are also susceptible.
What to do About Sleep Apnea
If you suspect that you or your partner or child might have obstructive sleep apnea, it is absolutely imperative that you get yourself or them tested. We provide take-home sleep tests for our patients who may have undiagnosed sleep apnea as well as assessments for patients who require a more thorough sleep study at a hospital. Once the diagnosis is clear, we can provide guidance and custom make an oral appliance that will help to create consistent airflow during sleep. Oral appliances are a non-surgical, non-CPAP treatment option preferred by many patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea.
What to Look For
Adults and children with sleep apnea often snore loudly and wake several times during the night without realizing it. They may also sound like they are choking or gasping for air while they sleep, because their airway is obstructed and airflow is being restricted. After a full night’s sleep, someone with sleep apnea may wake with a headache, feel groggy and unrested in the morning, and have trouble staying awake during the day.
Children with Breathing Issues
A telltale sign of breathing problems in children is mouth breathing. Humans naturally breathe through their nose, which is the healthiest and most efficient way to oxygenate the blood. However, if the airway is not properly developed and obstructed, breathing through the nose becomes difficult. Mouth breathing is unhealthy and can lead to additional health problems, including recurring dental decay.
For children with disordered breathing, the cause is often poor airway development. At Eckdhal Family Dentistry, we proudly provide airway-focused orthodontic treatment for children to help them overcome breathing problems and grow into happy, healthy adults.
MediByte — The Tiny Take-Home Sleep Monitor
Has snoring become a problem for you or your partner? Do you suspect Sleep Apnea? We have a test for that! MediByte is a tiny device that monitors your sleep. It’s easy to use, non-invasive, and best of all, you can use it in the comfort of your own home.
MediByte helps us learn about your sleep patterns by recording the sounds you make, your body position, your blood oxygen level, and more throughout the night. After you sleep with the device and bring it back to us, the information on it will tell us all about the quality of your sleep. Depending on what we find, we may recommend a treatment solution or refer you to a sleep specialist for further testing.
The MediByte device is very small to make falling asleep with it as comfortable as possible. It is also compatible with CPAP, for our patients with diagnosed sleep apnea who are looking for alternative treatment.
If you are concerned about your snoring or suspect you might have sleep apnea, we can start you on the road to better sleep. Contact us about getting an at-home sleep analysis with MediByte.
