Daytime Drowsiness? It Could Be Sleep Apnea

Daytime Drowsiness? It Could Be Sleep Apnea

The way you sleep at night can have a real effect on how you feel throughout the day. If you’re constantly feeling tired and having difficulty focusing, you might have sleep apnea without even knowing it. Keep reading if you suffer from daytime drowsiness, and talk to your dentist about sleep apnea.
Possible Causes
Being drowsy during the daytime isn’t necessarily a dead giveaway that you have sleep apnea, but it’s worth acknowledging if it happens regularly. If you talk to your dentist and determine that you do have sleep apnea, you should consider why. People who are overweight or take certain medications are at a higher risk for this sleeping disorder. Think about what makes you susceptible to sleep apnea and do what you can to lower your risk.
Other Symptoms
Most people know what it’s like to drag themselves out of bed in the morning because they didn’t get enough sleep during the night before. If you have sleep apnea, you might get this feeling on a regular basis. In addition to the snoring and the headaches, sleep apnea often causes fatigue during the day. This is because sleep apnea periodically wakes you up throughout the night, which impacts your circadian rhythm. If you experience daytime fatigue, headaches, or snoring, meet with your dentist and find out if you’re in need of sleep apnea treatment.
Treatment Options
If you do have sleep apnea, you should seek treatment as soon as you can. There are quite a few ways you can reduce your symptoms and improve your quality of life. Losing weight will reduce your risk, as will cutting down on drinking before going to sleep. Your dentist can also give you an oral appliance to make it easier to breathe consistently throughout the night.
It’s hard to make the most of the day if you’re too drowsy to focus, so call John Carson, DDS at (520) 514-7203 and set up an appointment. Our Tucson cosmetic dentistry practice can treat your sleep apnea as well as offer root canals and teeth whitening services.