Dental problems like temporomandibular joint disorder and chronic illnesses can cause pain leading to a lack of quality sleep. Waking up several times at night can make it hard to fall asleep again and make you sleepy during the day. Chase Dental Sleepcare provides advanced therapies for unhealthy sleep and TMJ pain and symptoms.

The facility offers sleep disorder solutions and treatments for TMJ pain to improve your sleep hygiene.

Common sleep disorders

The following are common sleep disorders:

Snoring

Snoring occurs when your airway is restricted by soft tissues in your nasal cavity and throat. When you are sleeping, and the air is flowing in your throat, it can cause the tissues to vibrate, producing loud sounds. Your doctor can recommend losing weight or sleeping on your side to ease the condition. Symptoms accompanying snoring include chest pain at night or sore throat upon waking.

Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is when your breathing stops and restarts several times during sleep. It can occur as a result of aging or obesity. There are two significant types of the condition, which are central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain stops sending nerve signals to the muscles responsible for breathing. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs due to airway blockages.

Effects of unhealthy sleep

Bad sleep hygiene can affect your health in the following ways: 

Risk of chronic diseases

Unhealthy sleep can increase your risk of hypertension, heart attacks, and depression. Without good sleep, your body can experience an imbalance of your hormones, leading to irritability and low moods. If you are undergoing a stressful event like losing a job or loved one, you can find it difficult to sleep, triggering insomnia.

Unnecessary weight gain

If you don’t get quality sleep, you increase the risk of glucose intolerance and insulin resistance. When you are awake for long periods, your desire to eat might increase even if you are not hungry. Lack of sleep can increase ghrelin, a hormone that increases appetite, and decreases the hormone leptin, making you feel unsatiated even after consuming enough food.

Treatment options

Your treatment strategy will depend on your condition and symptoms. The first line of treatment can include losing weight and positional therapy. Your doctor can also recommend oral appliance therapy to assist your breathing at night. The devices can include a fitted mouthpiece or a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to help clear your pathway.  

If your condition and symptoms are severe, your doctor might recommend surgery on your nose, mouth, or jaws. Your surgical procedures can include widening nasal passages, removing growths, tonsils, or adenoids, and resizing the back of your tongue. In extreme cases, you can undergo surgery to move your upper and lower jaws to open your airway.

If you are not getting quality sleep due to sleep disorders, visit Chase Dental Sleepcare for treatment. The available specialists will evaluate your symptoms and offer the right treatment approaches, including dental devices. Call or book your appointment online to improve your sleep quality.