When you have trouble resting at night, this could impact how alert you feel during the day, and even cause problems for your quality of life and overall health in the long-term. But what causes us to have trouble sleeping? Can we improve our nighttime experiences, and when do we need to seek treatment from our Greenville, TX, dentist?
Poor Evening Habits
Often, our activities in the two to four hours window before laying down could make falling asleep, and staying asleep, a difficult process. For example, excessive alcohol consumption may make you feel tired initially, but could lead to issues staying asleep. Consuming caffeinated products, or eating large meal, right before bed could be a problem too. Try to avoid vigorous exercise, and limit screen use. Avoid looking at your smartphone in bed or right before it, since the device emits a blue light that the brain may interpret as sunlight.
Other Factors
What about your bedroom? Humans need certain environments to be able to rest well. Your bedroom should be dark and cool. We suggest keeping the room screen-free, and if you work from home try to have your “office” in a space outside of the bedroom. Reserve this room for rest only, so you have an easier time doing so. Try to maintain a good schedule too, which means going to bed and waking up at the same times every day, even on weekend and holidays.
Snoring
If you snore, this means that airways are partially obstructed, as the sound is created by air vibrating soft tissues as you breathe. To help, try to rest on your side instead of back, as this helps avoid partial collapse of air passages. However, if your snoring persists, then you may have obstructive sleep apnea and require treatment!
Sleep Apnea
With sleep apnea, as you rest soft tissues collapse in your throat and mouth that cut off airflow completely. You stop breathing and the brain interrupts your REM sleep so you resume breathing again. Even if you have no memory of this occurring, it happens hundreds of times a night and over time, could leave your exhausted and strain your immune systems and heart health. If you often feel tired during the day and snore frequently, please let us know so we can offer treatment with a custom-made and comfortable oral appliance! If you have any questions, then please give our team a call today to discuss your options.
Smith Family Dentistry in Greenville Wants to Help You Rest Easier
At Smith Family Dentistry, our team wants to help make sure you take steps to help you rest with ease. To learn more about how we address poor sleep, then talk to Dental Sleep Solutions of Greenville by contacting our office at 903-455-0516.