Why am I always exhausted?
Do you wake up tired after sleeping through the night? Do others complain about your constant snoring? Are you falling asleep in places you shouldn’t?
These are all warning signs that you might be suffering from sleep apnea. City of Oaks Dental has begun offering at-home sleep tests so you can learn more about your sleep and find out why your sleep isn’t restful.
What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder which causes a person to stop breathing during the night thus triggering the brain to wake up. This disruption of sleep, especially the much needed deep sleep, can produce the side effects of exhaustion, snoring, headaches, irritability, and depression.
There are three types of sleep apnea
1) Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) - upper airway collapse causing obstruction. This is the most common form of sleep apnea
2) Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) - neurological condition where the brain fails to transmit signals to the breathing muscles
3) Complex or Mixed Sleep Apnea - a combination of both OSA and CSA
How do I know if I have it?
Sleep apnea is diagnosed by medical doctors who evaluate your sleep by using either an in-person or at-home sleep test.
I want to be tested? What do I do?
City of Oaks Dental has partnered with local sleep physicians to allow our patients to have virtual consults to determine if an at-home sleep test is right for you. If the sleep physician prescribes the test, an at-home sleep test is sent to your house for you to wear for two consecutive nights and then returned to the company. The results are then read by the sleep physician.
How do I treat my Sleep Apnea?
Our office can help treat snoring and obstructive sleep apnea by fabricating a custom oral appliance that helps open your airway while you sleep. Oral appliances are often used in those who don’t want or can’t tolerate a CPAP machine. Oral appliances have many key benefits such as convenience, lower cost and higher compliance rate compared to the traditionally prescribed CPAP.
How do I pay for this treatment?
The consult with the sleep doctor or nurse practitioner is $75-$95 and the at-home sleep test is $250. The sleep test may be covered by your medical insurance.
If you observe any of the key warning signs of sleep apnea, call our office to learn more about an at-home sleep study in order to help determine what is disturbing your sleep.