Get a good nights rest once again
Snoring & Sleep Apnea
While you sleep the muscles and soft tissues in the throat and mouth relax, shrinking the airway. This increases the velocity of airflow while you breath.
As the velocity of required air is increased, soft tissues like the soft palate and uvula vibrate. The vibrations of these tissues result in "noisy breathing" or what we call snoring.
If you are a snorer you should know you are not alone!
It is estimated that more than 90 million North Americans have some kind of snoring issues throughout the night and we want to help.
A quick recap on snoring:
What most don't understand is that it's not the sound of snoring that keeps you up at night. It's the struggle to breathe that causes extremely high blood pressure, and even possible blockage of the airway.
Once the airway becomes blocked that's what we call asphyxiation, and once the period of asphyxiation lasts longer than 10 seconds, it becomes known as Obstructive Sleep Apnea, a medical condition with serious long-term effects.
All that may sound scary but our sleep specialist are here to help explain everything step by step.
Getting a basic understanding of snoring:
A relaxed and/or collapsed airway produces vibrations of the soft tissue while you breathe, which results in the snoring itself.
What about a CPAP though?
In 2006, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) stated that the first line of defense for a patient with mild or moderate sleep apnea is in fact an oral appliance like the one mentioned above. While a CPAP is prescribed to treat sleep apnea, many patients find it difficult, uncomfortable and some what frightening. If that's you, then you may be a perfect candidate for an oral appliance like the Silent Nite®.
Every case is different and depends on your individual needs but we are always happy to discuss the best option for you to get a well rested night.