The Dental Sleep Doc

09/25/2021

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/natural-sleep-aids-home-remedies-to-help-you-sleep?fbclid=IwAR2xvtOEblrSwJvDDCntKOpBZsC1MvLht8d2lbwuRlgpkpwd_lFq-sdTpxU

Are you having trouble drifting into a peaceful, nourishing slumber? A Johns Hopkins expert says there are easy, natural fixes that can improve your sleep.

02/23/2021

We all have different reasons for working out. Some do it for stress relief, some to have a smokin’ hot body, and most to get or stay healthy. No matter the reason for doing the workout, we all want 1 thing...to get the most bang for our buck! Maximum results for our efforts. But if you are getting crappy sleep or not enough hours of sleep, you might be wasting your efforts. There are many possible causes for poor sleep but if you are snoring, it’s a clue that something is seriously wrong and it will definitely prevent you from being your healthiest (or best looking) self.
As always, I’m here to help if you are snoring or have untreated sleep apnea. Let’s get you the health and vitality you deserve!
803-626-1910

Snoring is an issue that could be affecting your workouts, which may affect your weight-loss goals.

01/18/2021

I’m back for yet another edition of sleep in the news today to talk about an article just published by the Academy of Sleep Medicine. It relates to one of the hottest topics around right now…the COVID vaccine.

Now I’m not here to tell you to get the vaccine or not get the vaccine. I understand both sides of the coin and quite frankly, advising you on that is none of my business. What IS my business is to help you stay as healthy as possible.

The article published this week is called “Healthy sleep and immune response to COVID-19 vaccination.” If you’ve ever watched ANY of my videos you know that I preach about how sleep is vital to your immune system every single day. What they are now showing is that vaccines are more effective when you get a full night (7-8 hours) and good quality of sleep the 2 nights prior to and the day of vaccination. These studies were done with multiple vaccines and all showed the same results. Crappy or short sleep leads to a lower immune response and decreased likelihood of protection. Better sleep leads to a boosted immune response.

So, if you are planning to be vaccinated, pay extra attention to your sleep leading up to and on the day of the vaccine.

And guess what? If you are not planning to receive the vaccine or are just waiting for a while (whether that’s by choice or by where you fall on the priority list)…this still applies to you. More than ever, we all need our own immune system in tip top shape right now. One night of bad or short sleep can kill off up to 70% of certain kinds of our own immune cells…the very things we need to help us stay healthy.

So “to vaccinate or not to vaccinate” is NOT the question. The question is…how is YOUR sleep? And is it helping you or hurting you and your immune system?

As always, if you’re struggling with your sleep, have untreated sleep apnea, or are fighting with your current sleep apnea treatments, I’m here to help. Give me a call today, 803-626-1910.

12/24/2020

Merry Christmas!! This one is a little more light-hearted than my usual videos. Enjoy!! 🎅🏻🎄

11/26/2020

Happy Thanksgiving!! 🦃🍽🍁 Don’t forget to wear your oral appliance when you take your post-turkey coma nap! 😴

10/31/2020

Trick or treat
Here’s something sweet
Treating sleep apnea is an easy feat
If you don’t, you’ll get no air
Stopping breathing and snoring like a bear

One of these is meant to scare you, perhaps take your breath away...the stuff nightmares are made of.
The other allows you to breathe, dream peacefully and get your best sleep ever.

Which do you want? Trick🧛🏼‍♀️ or treat🎃?

10/20/2020

A couple of weeks ago I talked about oxygen saturation and covid. I also talked about how people with untreated sleep apnea and snoring are 3 times more likely to DIE of COVID.

Do you want the good news or the bad news first? I’ll start with the bad news. YESTERDAY, the Academy of Sleep Medicine accepted a paper showing that untreated sleep apnea led to more hospitalizations from influenza…the regular flu.

And flu season is here and the second wave of COVID is either here or shortly on its way, depending on where you live. Now I know we are all sick of quarantine and being cooped up in the house, but a trip to the hospital or the morgue is not on anyone’s top ten list of vacation destinations.

So what do we do about it? Well the GOOD NEWS is that when sleep apnea is treated, the increased risks of hospitalization and death are wiped out. You’re back on level playing field with everyone else. And if you start getting amazing sleep, you actually strengthen your immune system where you are BETTER equipped to fight off viruses.

If you’ve got sleep apnea or someone you love is rattling the windows with their snoring, OR if you are struggling with your current treatment, WE CAN HELP! Give me a call TODAY. We have fantastic sleep physicians in the area and can help you get diagnosed. We can give you alternative treatment options or even help you use your current treatment more easily and effectively. And even if you aren’t local to me in South Carolina, I am SURE that I know someone close to where you are and can connect you with them so that you can get help too.

Please don’t become a statistic. Let me help you. Call us today!

803-626-1910
[email protected]

10/05/2020

I think most people on the planet right now are aware that president Trump has been diagnosed with covid. Taking utmost precaution, he’s been hospitalized and his oxygen is being monitored. Numerous news articles said he was having concerning oxygen dips to 94% and needed supplemental oxygen to get it back up to 95. For reference, 95-99 is considered normal for the average person. If you’ve ever been in the hospital or recovery room after sedation, you’ve been hooked up to a pulse oximeter to monitor your oxygen levels. Alarms start going off when you get down to or below 90, so obviously that’s not good.

Here’s something you may not know. Up to 25% of the population has their oxygen levels dropping all night long due to sleep apnea. 5 times an hour, 15 times an hour, 30, 60, 90... And these oxygen drops go down to 80%, 70% or even lower. When the oxygen gets low enough, for long enough, people don’t wake up. Ever.

What’s worse...80-90% of people with sleep apnea don’t even know it. They might snore like bears, sleep terribly, or be tired all the time, and yet they’ve never been tested for sleep apnea. OR, they have been diagnosed but haven’t found a treatment they can use.

Unfortunately, it gets worse still. Recent studies have shown that people with sleep apnea who contract covid are 3 times more likely to DIE than non-apnea sufferers.

But here’s the GOOD news. When sleep apnea is effectively treated, people are at no higher risk of adverse outcomes or dying than someone without sleep apnea.

So if you suspect you have sleep apnea (or you suspect the grizzly bear you’ve been sleeping with has it) OR you are struggling with your current treatment, WE CAN HELP!
Send us a message or give us a call today. We work with the absolute best sleep physicians in the area and can help you get diagnosed, give you alternative treatment options or even help you use your current treatment more easily and effectively.

Please don’t become a statistic. Let me help you. Call us today!
803-626-1910
[email protected]

09/17/2020

If you see the signs...we can help!

Alabama is one of 10 U.S. states with the highest rates of short sleep duration.