You regularly get accused of snoring during the night. Your bed partner finds it hard to get a good night’s rest next to you. Did you know that loud snoring is often a telltale sign of sleep apnea? But how do you know if that’s what you suffer from? Your sleep center in Las Vegas discusses the difference between snoring and sleep apnea.
What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a dangerous sleep disorder that causes you to stop breathing multiple times during the night. The most common form of sleep apnea occurs when an obstructed airway cuts off your oxygen supply, which signals your brain to wake you up, this can actually happen hundreds of times during the night without you even realizing it.
Sleep Apnea and Snoring
Snoring is one of the main symptoms of sleep apnea, however not every snorer suffers from sleep apnea. In rare cases, it’s also possible that you don’t snore and still suffer from sleep apnea, although most patients with sleep apnea do snore. Some of the signs that your snoring is related to sleep apnea are:
- You may wake up with a cough or gasp for air
- Your partner may hear you stop breathing
- Snoring is typically much louder with sleep apnea
- Your snoring may also have a choking sound associated with it
- You typically sleep with your mouth open
How is Sleep Apnea Treated?
The gold standard for sleep apnea treatment is CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure therapy. CPAP therapy requires patients to wear a mask during sleep that delivers air at the right pressure to keep your airway open and you breathing freely throughout the night. While CPAP is successful for some patients, others find it uncomfortable or claustrophobic to wear, and the machine loud and hard to sleep with at night.
iSleepSolutions, your sleep center in Summerlin, offers alternative methods for managing sleep apnea with a customized oral appliance. It’s comfortable to wear at night while you sleep, and its unique design positions your jaw slightly forward, which opens your airway for clear breathing at night.
Patients suffering from severe sleep apnea may benefit from a combination of oral appliance and CPAP therapies. Dr. Pamela West can help determine the right sleep apnea management system for your needs.
Contact our Office
Suffering from sleep apnea can greatly affect the quality of your life, including your performance at work. If you or a loved one may be suffering from sleep apnea, we encourage you to contact iSleepSolutions to learn more about how we can help.