Getting Back to Sleep with SomnoMed: Understanding Sleep Apnea and Snoring

SomnoMed.com | (888) 447-6673

According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 100 million individuals across the globe suffer from sleep apnea. In fact, an American Sleep Apnea Association report claims that sleep apnea affects 1 in 4 men and 1 in 9 women across the United States. Therefore, it is estimated that as few as 50 million to as many as 70 million Americans are afflicted by sleep apnea. In addition, it is speculated that close to 80 percent of all sleep apnea patients remain undiagnosed, causing people to potentially battle a host of life-threatening health risks such as high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack and heart failure.

Do you wake up most days feeling tired, sleep deprived, and/or irritable?

While asleep, individuals who are plagued with sleep apnea stop breathing for short periods of time. As per the America Lung Association, pauses in breathing can be just a few seconds to minutes, and occur as little as 5 to as many as 30 times per hour. There are two types of sleep apnea with the only difference being the primary cause: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA).With OSA, there is an obstruction of the airway, which impacts your breathing during sleep. With CSA, the brain does not send the correct message to your muscles so that you can prop-erly breathe. Regardless of the type of sleep apnea, airflow and breathing are hampered. With no or little air freely flowing to your lungs, there is a decrease in oxygen levels in the blood. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that sleep apnea is a debilitating and life-shortening condi-tion that can impact not only your life but livelihood.

What is sleep apnea?

SomnoMed.com | (888) 447-6673

During sleep, your body undergoes many physiological changes. With OSA, your soft palate sags and the tongue relaxes as it slides back, which can partially or totally obstruct your air-way.OSA can occur in varying degrees from mild to moderate to severe. Whether your airway is narrowed, partially collapsed, or completely blocked, it becomes increasingly difficult for air to reach the lungs when you inhale. If air manages to squeeze past the narrowing or blockage, snoring ensues and/or obstructed breathing can end with a gasp. If your airway is blocked by 80 percent or more, there is an increase in the level of carbon dioxide. As a result-ing defense mechanism in the brain, your body is triggered to resume normal breathing once again by gasping or awakening.

What is sleep apnea?

Normal Airway Constricted Airway Obstructed Airway

One of the fundamental problems facing individuals who might suffer from sleep apnea is their lack of awareness. Hence, it is vitally important that any person experiencing sleep apnea symp-toms receives an accurate sleep disorder diagnosis from their healthcare provider.

How is sleep apnea diagnosed?

Symptoms• Excessive sleepiness• Morning headache• Unrefreshing sleep• Sore/dry throat

• Lack of Concentration• Memory Problems• Gasping during sleep• Loud Snoring

• Decreased sex drive• Irritability• Sleep deprivation

Take a Sleep Screening:Use our helpful screening tools below if you think you may suffer from ob-structive sleep apnea (OSA). After completing either sleep questionnaire, you will receive the results via email so you may print or view on your mobile device in order to discuss treatment options with your healthcare provider.

Click to access our sleep screening questionnaire.

Although men may be at a slightly higher risk, both genders can develop OSA. Despite the fact that OSA seems to be more common as we age. Excess weight and obesity are strongly associated with OSA.

Who is at risk of developing sleep apnea?

Certainly, if your sleep apnea is left untreated, you will continue to experience disrupted sleep, and fatigue will wreak havoc on your life day in and day out. With lack of restful sleep, it is likely you may have difficulty with your concentration, reasoning and reaction timing. What you may not realize is that you are at serious and higher risk to develop other health issues, such as high blood pressure, heart attack and failure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and even experience accidents at work or behind the wheel of your car.

Is it dangerous to leave sleep apnea untreated?

SomnoMed.com | (888) 447-6673

What is SomnoMed’s treatment option?

A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine forces sufferers to wear a mask throughout the night. CPAP users often report that the machine prevents intimacy; it limits the ability to converse when in use; is uncomfortable; and it can interrupt sleep even more than the snoring. As a result, many people prescribed a CPAP machine don’t use them. This noncompliance leaves a sufferer’s sleep apnea untreated and further adds to the side effects of the condition.

Luckily, there is a way to treat sleep apnea without a bulky CPAP or painful invasive throat surgeries. Over 250,000 patients world-wide have found successful treatment with SomnoDent, a custom-made oral device for the treatment of mild to moderate obstruc-tive sleep apnea (OSA). SomnoDent is custom-fit by a dentist and worn during sleep to provide COAT™ (Continuous Open Airway Therapy) by moving the lower jaw slightly forward. This movement tightens the soft tissue and muscles of the upper airway, which prevents obstructive apneas while you sleep.

SomnoMed.com | (888) 447-6673

“My wife and I are very thankful for my [SomnoDent] device. It has given both of us restful sleep!” -Mike, SomnoDent Patient

More SomnoDent™ patient experiences

- Derek, SomnoDent™ Patient

“Before I found my sleep dentist I was sleeping with my CPAP device. This posed several problems for me. Most

are the obvious: wearing the CPAP mask, trying to sleep with a hose attached to your face, having to travel with

it, and then my allergy issues became more severe. Maintenance is a pain as well. [My SomnoDent] device

has allowed me to enjoy life a bit more without the hassle of a CPAP. And, there is the added benefit of not having to make sure I have a source of power available. Which means, I can go camping again! I would recom-

mend the SomnoDent device to anyone with obstructive sleep apnea. It is life changing.”

More SomnoDent™ patient experiences

• Comfort — Sleeping with a CPAP machine can prove difficult. According to the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM), up to 50 percent of sleep apnea patients do not comply with or tolerate CPAP. In fact, 90% of SomnoDent patients report regular use of their device. Oral appliance therapy can help sleep apnea patients ditch the mask. Pa-tients like SomnoDent oral devices because they are comfortable and easy to wear. Plus, they are a more discreet treatment for those who want to change positions during sleep or snuggle their bed partner.

• Quiet – On average, the bed partner of a snorer loses at least an hour of sleep per night, according to a study published by Mayo Clinic Proceedings. A CPAP machine may silence the snoring, but its constantly running motor might not help the bed partner sleep more soundly. Continuous Open Airway Therapy (COAT™) is a quieter option that can minimize the symptoms of sleep apnea, such as loud snoring, without making a peep of its own.

• Low-maintenance — A SomnoDent oral device is easy to care for and easy to travel with. SomnoDent oral devices only need to be cleaned with a SomTab, and all can fit discrete-ly into a custom SomnoMed container and stowed away in your luggage. No hassles through security or with electric outlets.

• Quality and Insurance Coverage — SomnoDent oral devices are made with high quality materials, manufactured under ISO 13645 standards, and FDA 510(k) cleared. And, for those with a sleep apnea diagnosis, appliances are often covered by medical insurance plans – including Medicare.

• Evidence-based — There are more than 15 clinical publications reporting efficacy, com-pliance and outcomes data for oral appliances (OA) compared to CPAP and most trials compared CPAP and OA for their ability to reduce AHI.

If you’ve been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea by a board-certified sleep physician and CPAP is not working for you, a custom-fitted oral appliance can be your key to better sleep and better health. If you are interested in finding a SomnoMed preferred dentist in your area, con-tact us. Ask your physician or dentist for more information on treating your snoring or mild to moderate sleep apnea with SomnoDent devices.

SomnoMed.com | (888) 447-6673

What does SomnoDent™ offer?

Ready to get back to sleep?

Thousands of Patients are Sharing their Success!#SomnoDent

SomnoMed.com | (888) 447-6673

903264 RevA