snoringSnoring is the sound of the respiratory structures vibrating and the resulting sound caused by obstructed air movement when breathing while someone is sleeping. The sound might be soft in some cases, but in most cases, it’s loud and unpleasant. It puts so much strain on relationships; it’s disturbing to the snorer’s sleep as well as the people sleeping near them.

It may be a first alarm or a sign of OSA (obstructive sleep apnea). OSA is a type of sleep apnea caused by partial or complete upper airway obstructions. It’s characterised by repetitive shallow or paused breathing episodes during sleep, despite efforts to breathe.

Signs and Symptoms

It’s known to cause a condition called sleep deprivation to snorers plus those nearby, as well as decreased libido, lack of focus, irritability and daytime drowsiness. Also, it can cause social and psychological damage to sufferers. Many studies show a positive association between loud snoring with a risk of heart attack (around +34 percent chance) and stroke (around +67 percent chance).

Though it’s generally considered as a minor affliction, snorers may suffer severe lifestyle impairment. Studies reveal that there is an improvement in marital relations after the correction of the condition.

Your partner should find out why they are a snorer. To help them, you can convince them to make an appointment with a sleep study specialist.

Treatment

If your spouse is a snorer, it can affect your sleep quality; you should consider the following:

Anti-snoring Mouthpiece

They look the same as what athletes wear for their teeth protection during games. It works by comfortably supporting your partner’s lower jaw in a forward position. That opens up the airway sufficiently, allowing the airflow to flow without being obstructed when your partner is sleeping. Westside Dentistry designs anti-snoring mouthpieces that will help your partner with the architecture of their mouth when sleeping.

Anti Snore Pillows

They are designed to keep the head perched comfortably sideways.

The common shapes include the following:

  • Memory foam
  • Cervical support
  • Wedge
  • U-shaped body pillows
  • Straight full-body pillow

Anti-snoring pillows are effective in working with individuals who are mild snorers. You should try different pillows to find out which one works best for your partner.

Adjust Your Partner’s Sleeping Position

Recommend your partner to sleep on their side rather than their back. Shifting your partner’s position to make them lay on one side instead of laying flat on their stomach or back reduces the amount of pressure on their throat: this helps to prevent the problem.

White Noise Machine

If you have tried everything and your partner is still a snorer, try switching the focus to yourself and get a white noise machine. It’s a device designed to produce a sound with a random character. It sounds like wind blowing through trees or rushing waterfall. It helps in drowning out sounds that prevent you from waking up while sleeping or falling asleep. Smartphones also have a white noise setting that can help you in this situation.

Earplugs

They can help you to block out the noise made by your partner while sleeping. As a result, you can enjoy your sleep. Make sure that the earplugs you use are of high-quality plugs, and they fit safely and securely in your ear without falling out while you are sleeping.

Focus on Your Partner’s Healthy Lifestyle Changes

If your partner is overweight, advise them to lose weight as it may reduce their problem by decreasing the fatty deposits around and in their neck. This will increase the size of their airway. You can encourage them by going together for a walk, try making them go on a diet or anything thing that will make them lose weight.

If your partner is a snorer, you can use these methods to help them with the condition, you do not have to sleep in separate beds or rooms with the one you love.

mgThe ADA (American Dental Association) states that a mouthguard, worn during sporting activities will provide sixty times more protection to a child’s teeth, jaw and the soft tissues of their mouth and face.¹  Worryingly only 30% of children taking part in sporting activities, actually wears one of these protective sports mouthguards, though.²

These figures are surprising when parents are so concerned for the safety of their child, but so often, the ‘boil and bite’ self-forming mouthguards available in-store are uncomfortable, and therefore, unpopular.

Diane Tozer, is a Dental Prosthetist whose practice, Westside Denture, is not only a well-known dispenser of dentures Brisbane but also of sports mouthguards that are custom-made for each wearer. She warns that an ‘off the shelf’ mouthguard may be a false economy as firstly, a child is unlikely to comply and wear it 100% of the time, and secondly, these products do not offer the same degree of protection when they are worn! She goes on to point out that, thousands of people receive treatment each year in Hospital EDs and by their own Dentists, after a sporting injury to their mouth or jaw that could potentially, have been avoided.

Custom Mouthguards Give The Best Protection

It is indisputable, that wearing any type of mouthguard will be better than not wearing one at all, but by comparison with the uncomfortable, often poorly fitting, store-bought type, custom Mouthguards win hands-down! Diane goes on to point out that, ‘at our practice, each mouthguard wearer can be confident that it is not going to get dislodged, or fall out, will be comfortable for long periods, (even if they wear dental braces), and will be resistant to wear and tear and low maintenance.’

‘Most importantly,’ she continues, ‘for young wearers, our mouthguards do not restrict breathing or make clear speech difficult – and a big plus it that we can make them in school or team colours which, apparently, makes them “really cool”!’

Parents, even those not covered by a Healthcare plan, are pleasantly surprised, by the affordable price of providing their child with unparalleled dental protection during sport. If you would like further information or wish to book a consultation for your child, call the practice, Westside Dentures Brisbane today on 07 3278 0580.

Do Not Risk Injury

It really is not worth the risk. Accidents such as the one that happened to football goalkeeper for Newcastle Jets, Mark Birighitti are avoidable. He lost several teeth and needed forty stitches because he was not wearing a mouthguard. You can prevent accidents like this for your child!

You might feel that a store-bought mouthguard is saving money but is actually, a bad buy if your child leaves it in his kit bag – for any of the reasons we have highlighted! If it does not provide full protection, your child could still pick up a painful injury and even lose teeth, unnecessarily. Remember that a custom-made sports mouthguard give your child 60 times the protection of a child not wearing one!

¹ http://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Science%20and%20Research/Files/patient_69.ashx

² ADA http://www.mouthguardawareness.info/about-mouthguards.html