Most people don’t consider their teeth as part of their sleep and energy woes unless their teeth are actually hurting. However, your mouth doesn’t need to be causing you physical discomfort or pain to interfere with your sleep and energy levels. In fact, you may want to consider an orthodontist appointment to explore your oral health if you’re waking up unrested and lethargic.
According to research, there are a number of teeth issues that can be very sneaky in interfering with your sleep. So, it’s a huge mistake to assume your presumed good orthodontic health state has nothing to do with sleep issues.
Sleep Issues Plague Millions: Could The Culprit Be Your Orthodontic Health?
Sleep is essential. It’s the recharge button that allows the body and mind to get a reprieve and reset from each day’s stressors. Without it, the mind is left foggy and not as sharp as it would otherwise be, the body is left feeling drained of energy and sluggish in reflexes, and the mood is dampened. Left unattended, sleep issues can lead to anxiety, depression, and mental health crisis issues.
It’s not enough just to specify a bedtime that allots for eight hours of sleep. You need REM sleep, which is that deep, dreamy sleep that doesn’t arrive if you frequently wake up during the night or have difficulty falling asleep that results in limited sleep hours.
Millions of Americans suffer from sleep-depriving orthodontic ailments, including sleep apnea, grinding of the teeth, and jaw clenching. Most have no clue they have an issue until they visit their orthodontist.
Your San Antonio & Helotes area Orthodontist Can Identify And Help Treat Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a common condition that’s characterized by recurring, short pauses in normal respiration. It’s most often caused by a disturbance in the brain’s respiratory center or nighttime airway obstruction.
Of course, you’re asleep and have no idea that you’re experiencing sleep apnea. You just realize that you’ve had a restless night and feel the effects of tiredness, memory issues, difficulty concentrating, moodiness, and so forth impacting your daily life. You may experience jerky awakenings throughout the night and be left wondering why.
If this sounds familiar, you’re orthodontist can help. Once you’re diagnosed, sleep apnea is treatable. There are sleep apnea machines for more severe cases, but milder cases can often be treated with cheap over the counter medication recommendations.
Your Orthodontist Can Identify And Treat Bruxism
Bruxism is grinding of the teeth at night, and it typically features jaw-clenching actions, too. The abrasive action results in nerve biofeedback that prevents a sound sleep state. It greatly disrupts REM sleep because it inevitably keeps you in a more alert state and susceptible to fully awake at the slightest stimuli from outside noise, appliances, pets, and so forth.
The cumulative result of Bruxism is a variety of symptoms ranging from ear aches, migraines, and neck and mouth aches to anxiety, stress, and depression. You’re likely feeling unrested often, but can’t figure out why.
A visit to your orthodontist can identify Bruxism and its cause(s.) It’s often the case that Bruxism sufferers have teeth misalignment issues that can be easily corrected with orthodontic appliances like braces. Once your teeth issues are corrected, it’s very likely Bruxism will disappear.
Schedule Your Orthodontic Appointment Today
If your nights are being disrupted by sleeplessness or you’re waking up feeling unrested, you can help yourself by scheduling an orthodontic appointment to diagnose and treat common culprits like sleep apnea, Bruxism, and many more.
Modern orthodontic treatment options, such as dental braces, are no longer the complicated, one-price-fits-all, aesthetic eyesore of yesteryear. Dr. Blalock at Blalock Orthodontics will discuss all your treatment options at your consultation, and, together, you can decide on a treatment plan that best suits your orthodontic, lifestyle, and financial needs.
