SCOTTS VALLEY, SANTA CRUZ CA
Navigating life with low energy levels could feel like an uphill battle, even when it comes to simple tasks. Unfortunately, an inability to focus can compound your frustration and make things more difficult. For some people, consuming a dietary supplement, energy drink, or coffee is a regular occurrence when they feel tired or unable to focus. However, some products that promise to boost your energy and focus can be harmful to your overall health. Fortunately, our Scotts Valley sleep apnea dentists at Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry share on the blog today how to get better quality sleep to boost your energy and focus without taking medications or energy stimulating substances.
Why am I so sleepy all the time?
There are multiple reasons why you can feel sleepy even though you feel like you slept all night. Dietary choices, stress, and other mental or visual stimulation can reduce your body’s ability to relax or stay asleep. Fortunately, you can improve those situations by choosing a healthy diet, practicing stress-reducing techniques before bed, and avoiding watching TV or scrolling on your phone 30 minutes before sleep.
If you try the above tips and still struggle with feeling sleepy, having low energy, and minimal focus, you may have a medical condition called obstructive sleep apnea or OSA. Our Los Gatos sleep apnea dentists explain that obstructive sleep apnea is a condition where your airway is obstructed by relaxed airway tissues. Additionally, you may experience loud snoring followed by brief silent periods when you stop breathing. Eventually, the breathing pause will signal your body to wake up and breathe. Unfortunately, the condition can occur repetitively throughout the night and disrupts sleep, leaving you sleepy and unfocused the next day.
How can I find out if I have OSA?
Whether your partner tells you you snore loudly or you struggle to have the energy and focus you need to get through the day, it can be beneficial to find out if you have OSA. Our Santa Cruz sleep apnea dentists provide an at-home sleep study with a small, easy-to-use device that can identify if you have sleep apnea. Once Dr. Max and Dr. Ariana retrieve the data to screen for sleep apnea. If data reports that you are at risk of labored breathing or low oxygen while sleeping, you may be referred to a sleep specialist for an official diagnosis. Then, we will create a customized treatment plan to help you get the sleep your body needs and deserves.
What treatments are available for OSA?
After receiving a sleep apnea diagnosis, the next natural step is to discuss possible treatment options. Our airway dentists in Scotts Valley offer OSA treatments below, although recommended treatments may vary, depending on the cause of your airway restriction and the severity of it.
- CPAP – Continuous Positive Airway Pressure – CPAP is a machine with calibrated airflow to maintain an open airway while sleeping. Although proven effective when worn properly and consistently, some patients find the units cumbersome to clean and noisy, leading to non-compliance.
- Oral Appliance Therapy – Mild to moderate OSA patients may qualify for an oral appliance as a viable alternative to the CPAP machine. Oral appliances hold your tongue and lower jaw forward to prevent a collapsed airway and are only available through a dentist with specialized training in treating OSA.
- Tongue Tie Treatment – Your airway shape and the way your tongue rests in your mouth may benefit from the combined treatments of a tongue tie with Myofunctional Therapy. By releasing the tongue-tie, it is free to move more efficiently and can help improve breathing efficiency.
- Myofunctional Therapy & Buteyko Breathing – As the only dental office on the California central coast that has a certified myofunctional therapist and Buteyko breathing educator, we are proud to offer these services. Through painless, non-surgical methods, we retrain your face and mouth muscles, including the tongue. Additionally, we address breathing problems that can contribute to sleep loss.
Sleep Apnea Dentists in Los Gatos, Santa Cruz, and Scotts Valley, California
Getting through your day with sleep loss can seem impossible with low energy levels and an inability to focus. Fortunately, if you’re sick of being groggy, moody, and having no energy to get through your day, our Scotts Valley sleep apnea dentists at Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry can help. Call our office at (831) 438-4411 or contact us online today so that you can get better quality sleep to boost your energy and focus.