…but, you don’t want to spend a night taking a sleep test?

That’s a common reaction. Most people do not want to take the time or be inconvenienced by spending a night at a sleep center.  We recently treated a 41 year old marathon runner that thought he was a “light” snorer.  His wife insisted he woke her up several times each night.  She had enough! She was waking up with headaches, irritable all day and basically at her wit’s end!  Her husband went in for a sleep test, received his results and found he had moderate to severe apnea.

Top 3 Reasons to Schedule a Sleep Test

1. Determine the severity of your snoring and/or apnea.
2. Develop a treatment plan to help you and your bed partner sleep.
3. Stop the detrimental effects that untreated apnea causes, including strokes, high blood pressure, erectile dysfunction, weight gain and heart attacks.

Your first step in scheduling a sleep test is to visit your primary care physician to discuss your concerns.  Next, follow-up with a sleep test at a certified sleep center.  Finally, request a copy of your sleep test to discuss and review with a knowledgeable medical professional trained in sleep disorders.  Contact our office, we would be happy to refer you to a MD in the area that will help you determine the best treatment option for both your sleep condition and lifestyle. The options that should be presented to you?  Positional therapy, CPAP-therapy and Oral Appliance Therapy.  All of these treatment options may not work for you, however, know they are available.  Be an advocate for yourself, know your options!!

Please call us if you have any further questions. 630/369-5508

Many people experience moderate to severe morning headaches. If you wake up with a morning headache, sleep apnea and snoring could be to blame. What is the connection between morning headaches, sleep apnea and snoring?

Sleep apnea occurs while you are asleep. People who suffer from sleep apnea stop breathing, often hundreds of times during the night. How does sleep apnea have a connection to morning headaches? The brain is literally starved of oxygen during these hundreds of nightly episodes. If sleep apnea is left untreated the continued “starvation of oxygen to your brain” can actually cause slight brain damage, so it’s no wonder that a person would get morning headaches from this!

One of the main reasons a person that is snoring has morning headaches is due to the snorer having untreated sleep apnea. A symptom of sleep apnea is chronic snoring. While you snore, the constant vibration of your throat tissue can cause damage to the back of your head and neck, causing your morning headache.

If you experience morning headaches, be sure to consult with your doctor. Morning Headaches could be an indication of a more serious health concern.