Am I a Good Candidate for Snoring Therapy?

Some people only snore when they have allergies or a cold. Others snore when they sleep on their back or drink alcohol too close to bedtime. If you know that you snore pretty consistently, though, it could be a nuisance to your bed partner or a sign of a serious underlying health condition. 

That’s why Thomas D. Sokoly, DDS, and our team offer snoring therapy. With our expertise, we can help you find out if you have sleep apnea and, if so, if snoring therapy can improve your life. 

Let’s look at some of the signs you’d benefit from this kind of care here at Sokoly Dental in Washington, DC.

The connection between snoring and sleep apnea

Maybe you know you snore because someone’s told you, or because you’ve woken yourself up from snoring. Some people figure out that they snore because they experience other symptoms of a condition called sleep apnea.

You get diagnosed with sleep apnea when your breathing stops and starts overnight. The most common type of this condition is called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The breathing issues happen as the muscles in your throat relax, blocking airflow. 

Snoring is a common symptom of OSA. The muscles in your throat vibrate, resulting in the noise as your body tries to get air past them. 

Other symptoms of sleep apnea include:

• Waking up with a headache
• Trouble sleeping
• Daytime drowsiness
• Memory or mood changes (e.g., forgetfulness, irritability)
• Trouble staying asleep 

If these signs sound familiar, you might be a good candidate for snoring therapy. If you let OSA go unchecked, the regular interruptions to the oxygen your body needs can lead to more serious health consequences, including diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and more. 

You may benefit from exploring snoring therapy even if some of the sleep apnea symptoms don’t sound familiar. If you’re keeping your bed partner awake, we can help. 

How snoring therapy works

Dr. Sokoly and our team offer snoring therapy to ease your nighttime sounds and, if you have OSA, to help you get consistent oxygen throughout the night.

Fortunately, the fix is relatively simple. We fit you with a customized oral appliance (mouthguard) that you wear when you sleep. 

The appliance gently moves your lower jaw forward that helps keep your airways open. It also prevents the soft tissues in your throat from being slack enough to vibrate, causing your snoring. 

Whether you think you might be living with obstructive sleep apnea or you’re keeping someone else up with your snoring, our team can help. To schedule a snoring therapy consultation, contact our Washington, DC, office today by phone or online.