Sleep Apnea Treatment Without CPAP
If you’re like most Americans, then you’re probably getting less than seven hours of sleep per night—in other words, not nearly enough! Lack of sleep leads to exhaustion and raises your risk for serious health problems, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. But are you aware of the effects it has on mental health?
Having good and bad days is a very normal part of being human. But depression is a disorder of persistent sadness, hopelessness, and anxiety. It can considerably impact daily life and relationships and disrupt our thinking and feelings.
Waking up exhausted every morning makes it hard to get through the day. You count down the minutes until you can finally throw yourself into bed. But sleep apnea wakes you up repeatedly, so you can’t get the rest you desperately need.
It should be no surprise that sleep apnea can cause anxiety too. Waking up from choking or not being able to breathe causes a stress response in the body and the brain. Daytime drowsiness and irritability lead to problems at work, difficulty focusing, and relationship stress.
Sleep Apnea and Mental Health
There is a viscous connection between Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and depression. It is challenging to get a proper diagnosis since they share common symptoms like:
- – fatigue
- – low energy
- – moodiness
- – weight gain
- – difficulty concentrating
- – memory loss
- – sexual dysfunction
- – loss of interest in hobbies
Depression may cause sleep apnea symptoms, and sleep apnea can worsen depressive symptoms. Those with sleep apnea have a far higher risk of anxiety, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, or even schizophrenia. And those with depression certainly have insomnia issues. Depression can contribute to sleeping problems, but sleeping problems can also cause sleeping disorders.
Because everyone is different, some may notice symptoms of depression before they notice that they’re having sleep apnea symptoms like loud snoring or nighttime gasping and choking.
Sleep Apnea Treatment Without CPAP Device
The good news is that if OSA is diagnosed and treated correctly, you can dramatically reduce major depression symptoms, and fewer people will be misdiagnosed with depression.
You must get treated correctly if you suffer from chronic snoring, breathing pauses during sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness, and depressive symptoms.
Custom oral appliance therapy at Snoring and Sleep Apnea, LLC is one treatment for OSA and a great alternative to a CPAP machine. It will keep your airways open and allow you to sleep soundly throughout the night, getting the rest you need.
Dr. Burman also provides a non-invasive procedure called NightLase in combination with oral appliance therapy. NightLase is FDA-approved and uses laser energy to warm and tighten the soft tissues at the back of your throat and soft palate.
Get Your Sleep Apnea Treatment Without CPAP in Jupiter, Florida
If you have sleep apnea, we have treatment options at Snoring and Sleep Apnea Therapy in Jupiter, Florida. We can create an oral appliance to improve your nighttime breathing to help you improve your sleep and mental health.
Dr. Burman is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine (D.ABDSM). He has extensive training in treating sleep-related breathing disorders and fabricating mandibular positioning devices.