Stop Snoring

What is Sleep Bruxism and How it Affects Sleep Apnea and Snoring

Bruxism is characterized by the rhythmic clenching of the jaws as well as grinding of the teeth, and much like snoring, Bruxism also happens reflexively during sleep. However, Bruxism may occur consciously as well and that can have adverse effects on the snoring condition of a person.

Symptoms of Bruxism

Bruxism may trigger wearing teeth, and may even lead to fracture as well as loss of teeth if the condition is left untreated. According to the Bruxism Association of America, the typical symptom of Bruxism is a headache, and those who grind teeth are three times more likely to have headaches. Other symptoms of Bruxism are Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) pain, muscle pain, ear pain, stiff shoulder and neck pain, breathing cessations, and sleep deprivations.

Causes of Bruxism

Also known as teeth grinding, Bruxism rarely occurs alone and is often found in those having snoring, breathing cessations in sleep, or obstructive sleep apnea. The Bruxism Association also says that bad lifestyle habits such as excessive smoking, alcoholism, and caffeine intake, as well as depression and anxiety may also induce Bruxism. The condition may affect children, overweight people, or adults just like the standard cases of snoring.

Cures of Bruxism

An anti snoring mouth guard fitted over the top teeth as well as bottom teeth will bring the mandible forward after continuous usage. These mandibular adjustment devices are generally recommended by dentists especially when a sleep disorder has triggered Bruxism. In addition to the usage of anti snoring mouthpieces, hypnosis is also a tried and tested method to treat Bruxism, together with breathing and jaw exercises.

While mandibular adjustment devices lead to a large reduction in sleep Bruxism and snoring issues, use of occlusal splints may mildly cure Bruxism as well. However, if lifestyle habits have triggered your tooth grinding, an evasive action can be adopted like curbing the habit that triggered the condition.

Snoring and teeth grinding will lead to sleep deprivation, so curing them is essential for a good night’s sleep. An anti snoring mouth guard not only helps to stop snoring and offer a peaceful sleep, but also treats sleep apnea and Bruxism. Sometimes, a combination of stop snoring mouthpiece and occlusal splints may also come in handy to reduce the level of Bruxism.

Snoring and its Association with Sleeping Stages and Sleep Apnea

Snoring tends to vary based on the sleep patterns and knowing precisely when you snore is the first step in adopting an evasive action. In general, if a person sleeps 8 hours per day, then they will get 4 hours of light sleep, 2 hours of deep sleep, and 2 hours of Rapid Eye Movement sleep on an average basis.

The first four stages of sleep are known as Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) stage, and the sleeper seldom dreams then. During the NREM stage, the breathing, as well as heart rate drops, the blood pressure also drops, and the sleeper remains idle in bed. In the fifth stage of sleep, also known as the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage, the sleeper starts to dream due to increased brain activities.

Standard snoring often occurs during the third and fourth stage of sleep. In the REM stage, snoring associated with sleep apnea tends to be louder than usual. Standard snoring seldom occurs in the REM stage, say sleep specialists, while reinstating that there are relatively fewer chances of snoring in the first and the second stage of sleep.

Loud snoring can be one sign of sleep apnea, however, it is even seen that many obstructive sleep apnea patients do not snore at all. Snoring has recurrent breathing cessations due to vibration in the mouth palate, and the vibration often stems from obstructed airflow during the cyclical sleep.

According to the American Sleep Apnea Association, approximately 90 million US citizens snore during sleep. While half of them are standard snorers, other half may have Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Undergoing continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is ideal for snorers suffering from sleep apnea. However, taking evasive actions like changing the sleep position or wearing anti snoring mouthpiece have also cured the standard cases of snoring among adults and overweight people.

You need to consult with a sleep specialist to find out the sleep stage where you snore. Taking prevention and care with the help of an otolaryngologist would prove to be a pragmatic snoring remedy for standard snoring. If you have a loved one to have diagnosed snoring in the REM sleep, then that may indicate he or she is perhaps suffering from sleep apnea as well. In such case, you need to get the perfect remedy to stop snoring and breathe a sigh of relief.

How to Stop Snoring if you are Obese

In simple words, snoring can be defined as a sleeping disorder, which manifests in a person in the form of harsh and loud sounds when he/she is asleep. This usually happens due to the partial blockage of the airways, which in turn, forces some of the air moving into our lungs to the mouth. The air that is pushed back into the mouth causes negative pressure, which vibrates the soft tissues in the throat and back of the mouth to produce the loud, harsh snoring sound.

Snoring should be taken seriously because it interferes with the process of breathing and deprives you of a good night’s sleep. If you are troubled with snoring issues, it is wiser to invest in an anti snoring mouthpiece because it will help you to reduce or stop snoring. Most of the anti snoring mouthpieces available in the market are inexpensive and manufacturers usually provide a full money-back guarantee to customers, which mean that you will not have to worry about wasting money.

You should also note the fact the risk of snoring is much higher in overweight or obese individuals. However, snoring problems can be easily solved with the help of an anti snoring mouthpiece and by making a few lifestyle changes. Below are a few simple tips that will help obese or overweight individuals to stop snoring.

Change your Sleeping Positions

Sleeping on your side is a proven technique that will help you to stop snoring. This is because this sleeping pattern will prevent the chances of your soft palate and tongue drifting into the back of your throat. This will make sure that the airway remains clear from obstacles and allow you to breathe easily.

Lose Weight

Studies conducted by several experts in the field of medical science have revealed that body weight and snoring are closely related. This means that losing some weight will help you to reduce snoring to a certain extent. In addition to that, you should also try to get enough sleep because fatigue can lead to snoring too.

Avoid Alcohol

Try to refrain yourself from excessive alcohol consumption or at least make sure to avoid alcohol before you go to bed. This is because alcohol relaxes your muscles, which may urge the back of your throat to collapse and cause snoring. Additionally, you should try to stop or reduce smoking too for better results.

Causes of Snoring and the Precautions to Take

As a common condition, snoring may affect not necessarily a sleep apnea patient alone but anyone. Loud snoring may not be a symptom of sleeping disorders always, but certainly bothers the snorer’s bedfellow and disrupts the sleeping patterns of both. For habitual snorers, to get a good night sleep in bed means to undergo CPAP and use anti snoring devices as per the sleep specialists advice.

Causes of Snoring

Sleep specialists in America say that snoring tends to exist among people who are overweight or beyond their forties. It is also found that loud snoring in men may be an early symptom of sleep apnea. People snore when the airflow through the throat or nose gets hindered, due to the below-listed factors or the combinations of it:

  • A sinus infection or due to nasal allergy
  • Nasal septum deviation
  • Nasal polyps
  • Excess usage of sleeping pills, or alcoholism

In children, occasional snoring may come as an aftereffect of tonsillitis or adenoiditis. In adults, being overweight may cause bulky throat tissue that blocks free airflow and leads to loud snoring.

Health Risks of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Habitual snorers and alcoholics tend to border on the verge of serious health hazards including Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Patients who suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea tend to sleepwalk, experience hallucinations, and are seen to become mentally and physically weary. This sleep disorder can even cause blood pressure to rise up, lead to heart enlargements, and increase the risks of stroke.

Both snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea may cause drowsiness during the daytime. What’s more, if you have Obstructive Sleep Apnea, you may also face cessation in breathing during sleep for ten seconds due to partial or total hindering of the airflow into the lungs. In such cases, you would wake up from the bed and gasp for air.

Snoredoc sleep apnea chin strap helps to stop snoring and is both an anti snoring device as well as an apnea cure. Using apnea chin strap anti snoring device would definitely improve the quality of your life, but make sure you consult with a sleep specialist before you go for any anti snoring remedies.

What is Sleep Apnea and How to Prevent it

Obstructive Sleep Apnea or OSA is a condition of sleep disorder that is characterized by loud snoring and frequent cessation in breathing. The cessations are called apneas, they occur while people sleep at night, and obstruct normal breathing, hence the amalgam ‘Obstructive Sleep Apnea’.

There are obvious health hazards to having sleep apnea. When there is a cessation of breathing, carbon dioxide builds up in our bloodstream, and when that happens, the brain signals the sleeper the need to breathe and in effect awakens them. Once the awaken person starts to control breath and get things back in shape, they will fall asleep subsequently, even as the cessation repeats. Needless to say, OSA would make peaceful sleeping hard and that may cause fatigue in people felt immediately when they wake up in morning.

Sleep Apnea and its Primary Symptoms

Snoring itself is not a giveaway symptom of sleep apnea. Since your bedfellow won’t tell you to stop snoring at night, and daytime fatigue alone cannot be a clear symptom, the best way to diagnosis sleep apnea is always to consult with a sleep specialist.

If your bedmate happens to notice that you wake up several times at nights and gasp for breath, then there is a chance that you have Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Sleep specialists say that severe headaches that last well into the next morning and throughout the following day may also be a symptom of OSA among overweight people and in those who are above forty years of age.

Sleep Apnea in Children

Shockingly, sleep apnea pervades among children just as the condition does with more than eighteen million adults in the US. Symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea among children include nighttime sweating, suffering from frequent nightmares, or wetting the bed. These symptoms may also be symptoms of other conditions, hence OSA is tough to diagnose in children than in adults – which is why consulting with sleep specialists becomes even more important.

Snoredoc specializes in a mouthpiece that helps to stop snoring and even clear sleep apnea. If you or your bed partner snores heavily and too often, then it can gradually turn worse and might even lead to Obstructive Sleep Apnea. As prevention is always the best cure, take the necessary steps to stop snoring and reclaim your peaceful night’s sleep.