How much sleep are you getting? Is your sleep being disrupted frequently by snoring, or a lack of oxygen caused by a blocked airway? Do your kids snore or wake up multipule times a night?
Brain Health
A study at Harvard University shows that getting only five hours of sleep a night can negatively impact the ability of your brain to remember important information. Children and teenagers need more hours of sleep because their bodies and brains are still growing. Their lack of sleep may put them at the highest risk for memory deficits. Do you forget dates, where you left the keys, the specific item you drove to the store to pick up? Sleeplessness can cause encoding failures in the brain that contribute to these memory lapses. It can even impact your attention span, ability to focus, and reaction time.
Sleep Deficit Dangers
Sleeplessness is a major cause of concern for workplace accidents, car accidents, and even weight gain! Your productivity and safety at work can be compromised by a lack of sleep. Drowsy driving actually is proven to be just as bad as driving drunk. According to The National Institute of Health (NIH), almost 20 percent of all serious car crash injuries in the general population are connected with drowsy driving with no alcohol involved.
If you haven’t been sleeping enough, you may notice the numbers on your scale slowly climbing. NIH studies also show that people getting 5 hours or less of sleep a night consume about 500 more calories a day than those who sleep 7+ hours. The study revealed that people who sleep less tend to eat at night. Your sleep deprived body craves more carbohydrates, and extra calories in an attempt to boost energy levels. Being overtired all the time may also lower your motivation to exercise as often as needed.
Snoring
If you, or your sleep partner snore, oral appliance therapy might be an option for you. The dental device we create for you in our office can reposition your jaw while you sleep and unblock your airway. The symptoms of obstructed sleep apnea, or OSA, that you are experiencing, along with the overall quality of your life, can improve dramatically by getting better quality sleep each night. Once you are sleeping better, you may be more energetic and feel sharper throughout the day. By eliminating snoring your bed partner should sleep better, too!
Your TDA OSA/Sleep Consultation
At Tewksbury Dental Associates we believe everyone deserves healthy sleep and to live a well-rested life. We offer the opportunity to learn more in our sleep apnea consultations for new patients:
- If you’re a good candidate for a particular treatment
- What your long-term expectations are
- How we can help you meet those needs
If you know you are not sleeping well, and your goal is to have a healthier heart, body, and mind we are here to help. Call the office today and let’s get your appointment scheduled!
