Trouble Sleeping? Try These Tips

Getting enough deep, restful sleep every night is essential to your overall wellbeing. For some patients, this is why certain oral health treatments (such as bruxism or TMJ appliances) are designed to help alleviate nighttime discomforts. However, some things can impact your sleep quality in different ways, from having your circadian rhythm thrown off-balance to the presence of a chronic sleep disorder, like sleep apnea. Today, we take a look at common sleeping troubles and a few steps you can take to improve the quality of your sleep.

Develop a consistent schedule

Your body operates on a rhythm, and that rhythm tells it when it’s time to wind down and go to sleep. In today’s more hectic pace of society, it can be difficult to stick to a consistent bed time and wake up at the same time every morning. However, it’s even more essential to do so for the sake of your systemic health and wellbeing. If you have trouble falling or staying asleep, then start by developing a consistent sleep schedule and sticking to it as much as possible. Go to bed at the same time and set the alarm for the same time. You can also try a few relaxation techniques to help you fall asleep faster until your body gets used to the schedule.

Stay away from electronics before bed

Relaxing before bed can mean taking a hot bath or shower to relax your muscles, reading a book or magazine in ample, but low, light, or listening to relaxing music as you drift off. However, it should not include scrolling through social media on your phone, answering emails on your laptop, or watching TV in hopes that it’ll bore you to sleep. Plenty of research shows the effects electronic blue light can have on your circadian rhythm, such as exciting parts of your brain that force you to stay awake longer.

Ask your dentist about sleep apnea treatment

If you stick to a consistent bed time and stay away from blue light before going to sleep, yet still have trouble enjoying quality sleep, then you may have a more serious underlying condition. Sleep apnea, a common sleep breathing disorder, can often disguise itself as a chronic snoring habit, but actually involves the consistent obstruction of your airway. If you have sleep apnea, this repeated obstruction can force you to stop breathing at night, and your body to wake up to clear your airway consistently. Fortunately, you may be able to treat it comfortably with the help of a custom-designed sleep apnea appliance from your dentist.

Find out if you have sleep apnea

If you have trouble sleeping, then try these tips for improving your sleep quality, or find out if you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. To learn more, or to schedule your appointment, call Healthy Smiles in Gary, IN, today at 219-938-2637.