Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley CA
It seems that the more we want to rest, the harder time we have getting it. But sleep — no different than drinking water and eating a balanced diet — is an important part of our overall health and well-being. Let’s look today with our sleep apnea dentist in Santa Cruz at the top five tips for ensuring you get the sleep you need and deserve.
Establish a consistent sleep schedule
The best way to improve your sleep is to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning — even on weekends. People have a circadian rhythm, or a natural sleep-wake cycle. When you make and keep a consistent schedule, your body learns the routine and recognizes when it’s time to go to bed and when it’s time to wake. This helps you fall asleep easier and wake up feeling more refreshed.
Create a relaxing oasis
Your bedroom should encourage and foster relaxation so that you can fall — and stay — asleep. This begins with a cool, dark, quiet bedroom. Investing in a comfortable mattress and pillows that facilitate proper sleep posture, along with comfortable blankets to keep you warm, will make your bedroom a perfect retreat and make a significant difference in the quality of your sleep. Blackout curtains and a white noise machine can help cancel light and noise from your bedroom. Consider making your bedroom an “unplugged zone” — no electronic devices — to encourage a more peaceful, restful sleep.
Start a relaxing bedtime routine
Just like giving babies a bath can ready them for sleep, we can use a relaxing bedtime routine to signal to our bodies that it’s time to wind down. Be sure to avoid screens — this includes computers, TVs and phones — for an hour before bed because emitted blue light from those screens can interfere with the production of the sleep hormone, melatonin. In place of devices, read a book, soak in a warm bath or meditate. You can also incorporate aromatherapy, with calming scents like lavender and chamomile, into your nightly routine to promote relaxation and improve sleep quality.
Watch your diet
If you’ve eaten too much — or not enough — your stomach is going to keep you awake. And while many people enjoy a nightcap before bed, keep in mind that both alcohol and caffeine can interfere with sleep for hours after you’ve consumed them. Herbal teas like chamomile can be soothing alternatives.
Move your body
Regular physical activity helps people fall asleep faster and enjoy deeper sleep. But vigorous exercise close to bedtime should be avoided. Instead, aim for a moderate exercise routine during the day. If you want to move a little before bed, practice gentle yoga stretches.
What if I still don’t sleep well?
If you employ all these tips and still feel like you’re waking up tired no many how many hours of sleep you get, it may be time to call our Santa Cruz airway dentist. You could be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, which is a sleep-breathing disorder that frequently startles you out of sleep during the night. You may not remember being awake, but the disruptions in your sleep cycle can cause health problems and extreme daytime fatigue. Fortunately, our office treats OSA with comfortable and non-invasive oral appliance therapy. If you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, we can create custom-made clear plastic trays that you wear at night to readjust your tongue and jaw to keep your airway open. This can stop snoring and bruxism (teeth grinding) and facilitate a full night’s sleep for you.
SLEEP APNEA DENTIST IN SCOTTS VALLEY, SANTA CRUZ, AND LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA
If you feel you’re dragging every day even when you’re receiving ample sleep, call our Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry office at (831) 824-5111, or reach out to us online to schedule an appointment today. We can’t necessarily diagnose you with sleep apnea, but we work closely with sleep specialists who can. Our team has successfully addressed countless cases of OSA, helping our patients get the peaceful night’s rest they need and deserve. We can do the same for you.
