Why See A Dentist When You Can't Sleep?

Uninterrupted sleep is very important to a person's overall health. Sleep is when the body renews and restores its cells and builds up the energy needed for the next day. As important as it is, getting a good night's sleep is also a challenge for many people. If you find that you can't sleep, consider how a dentist can help you with certain health conditions that can be getting in the way of your rest.

1. Snoring

Snoring can interrupt your sleep even if you don't realize it, as you can actually wake yourself up from the noise but only long enough to get back to sleep. It can also interfere with the sleep of your bedmates, if any.

Snoring can be caused by excess fatty tissue in the soft palate, which is the roof of the mouth in the back. It can also be the fault of enlarged or infected tonsils, or of your jaw falling out of alignment during sleep so that your mouth falls open. A dentist can remove that excess tissue in your mouth or lance your tonsils, or fit you with a mouth guard that keeps you jaw aligned during sleep.

2. Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea refers to a cessation of breathing during sleep, and like snoring, a person may wake up just long enough to start breathing again and then fall asleep before they even realize they've been awakened. This can occur several times through the night so a person is tired the next day without realizing why, thinking they've been asleep the entire night.

Sleep apnea can also be caused by fatty tissue in the roof of the mouth, as this can block the airway when a person lies down. A dentist can remove this, or the same mouth guard that can be used to stop snoring can keep a person breathing freely throughout the night.

3. Muscle pain around the jaw

If you wake up each morning with muscle pain around the jaw, or with a headache, neck aches, and pain in the upper shoulders, this may be caused by your teeth being misaligned. The teeth rest on each other for support and when they are misaligned, your jaw will be out of alignment as well. In turn, the muscles get overworked and you can feel pain and stiffness at night, interfering with your sleep.

A dentist like Dr. Henry A Cathey can align your teeth with traditional braces, plastic covers that push your teeth into place, and even caps and veneers. This will alleviate that pain and allow you to rest comfortably.