We spend a lot of time discussing the long-term health consequences of sleep apnea. These consequences are serious, and we need to pay attention to them. But we also understand that for many people, things like heart attack, stroke, and cancer seem very far-off (though, with sleep apnea, they may not be as far off as you think). It can seem hard to spend time and money dealing with something whose consequences are in the future.
However, it’s also important to understand that many of sleep apnea’s consequences are present here and now, and knowing what are the benefits of sleep apnea treatment in the short term. For many people, it is these benefits that make it worth it to visit a Detroit sleep dentist for treatment.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Many people experience daytime sleepiness as the primary symptom of their sleep apnea (though many people are sleepy and don’t know it ). If you can’t ever feel truly rested, no matter how many hours you spend in bed, sleep apnea might be the problem.
Sleep apnea treatment can turn it around right away. In sleep apnea, you may wake up hundreds of times a night and not know it. This doesn’t just reduce the amount of sleep you get; it can prevent you from getting to the deeper, restorative levels of sleep. That keeps you from getting the rest you need.
Sleep apnea treatment breaks this cycle: you’ll experience almost immediate benefits of more sleep and more restorative sleep. Many of our sleep apnea patients in Detroit report noticing a “night and day” difference even the first morning after they start treatment. If it seems like it’s been months or years since you got a good night’s sleep, imagine how much your life could change if you started sleeping well.
Increase Your Energy
As we noted above, people sometimes don’t feel sleepy when they’re not getting enough sleep. Instead, they may experience low energy in the afternoon, even to the point of almost dozing off. One of the signs of sleep apnea is caffeine use in the afternoon, so if you find you need another cup of coffee or pop just to make it through your workday and to keep from dozing off during your commute, you can look forward to a change if you treat your sleep apnea.
When a Detroit sleep dentist helps you sleep at night, you’ll have the benefit of more energy through the course of the day. That doesn’t just mean leaning less on coffee at work; it can also mean not needing a nap to try to “catch up” on the weekends. Instead, you can stay up and enjoy time with your kids.
Reduce or Eliminate Snoring
Most people with obstructive sleep apnea are also bad snorers. Snoring and sleep apnea are closely linked. Snoring is caused by a narrow airway that then collapses to cut off your air, causing apnea. The treatment prescribed by your Detroit sleep dentist keeps your airway open. It not only treats your apnea, but it also offers the side benefit of reducing or eliminating your snoring. Think about how many midnight elbows and morning fights could be avoided if you didn’t snore anymore.
Improve Your Attitude
The effects of sleep apnea aren’t just physical. It also impacts your brain. When you can’t sleep, you can experience mood disorders, such as depression or moodiness. Other Detroit sleep apnea patients can be irritable, lack empathy, and can be impatient. This hurts not just them but also the ones that they love.
Some people lose interest in the things (and even people) that used to give them joy. It can seem like all the good’s gone out of life.
But sleep apnea treatment offers the benefit of turning your mood around, too. You may find that your mood improves dramatically, to the point where you have a renewed sense of purpose and engagement with life.
Increased Vigor
With sleep apnea, people experience a reduction in their personal energy. Part of this is related to metabolic changes. When your sleep is disturbed, your body is more likely to put calories into storage instead of making them available for immediate use. In addition, sleep apnea reduces your body’s ability to take in and use oxygen. Treating sleep apnea can improve your energy and make it easier for you to exercise and lose weight.
In addition, sleep apnea treatment can improve sex drive, sexual performance, and sexual pleasure for men and women.
A Whole New Life in Detroit
For many people, it’s no exaggeration to say that treating sleep apnea is like getting a whole new life. You will get better sleep and enjoy benefits like feeling younger, more energetic, more rested, and more vigorous. You’ll even have a better attitude.
And we haven’t even mentioned the long-term health benefits you’ll enjoy.
To learn how you can turn your life around with sleep apnea treatment in the Detroit area, please call (248) 480-0085 today for an appointment with sleep dentist Dr. Jeffrey S. Haddad at the Michigan Center for TMJ & Sleep Wellness in Rochester Hills.
