Does a snoring spouse keep you awake at night? Losing sleep because of a bed-partner that snores actually has been given a name by sleep researchers – SAS or Spousal Arousal Syndrome. Researchers say that spouses of snorers lose an average of two hours of sleep each night. No wonder you feel cranky!
Lack of sleep causes weight gain, irritability, increased blood pressure, memory problems and daytime sleepiness. Poor job performance and an increased risk of accident due to tiredness are also common. Most couples, about 80%, resort to sleeping in separate bedrooms. In fact some home builders are now designing homes with a “snoring room” next to the master bedroom.
The problem with this solution is that it doesn’t address the real problem. The snoring spouse most likely has a sleep breathing disorder called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Does your partner seem to stop breathing or gasp for air during sleep? These are signs of OSA which can have serious consequences if left untreated.
Sleep apnea occurs when the soft tissues of the mouth and throat relax during sleep and fall back into the airway. When the airway is partially blocked you have snoring. When the airway is completely blocked breathing stops. The brain becomes starved for oxygen and briefly wakens the sleeper to gasp for breath. This can happen many times each hour and the sleeper never remembers anything. The long suffering spouse remembers it all.
Untreated obstructive sleep apnea increases risk of heart attack and stroke, causes weight gain and poor blood sugar control. Fortunately, diagnosing and treating sleep apnea can allow you both a full night of sleep. A highly effective treatment for OSA is a specially made oral appliance from a dentist trained in dental sleep medicine. In Beverly Hills, CA your dental sleep medicine dentist is Dr. David Frey.
Get your spouse diagnosed and treated. You both wake up feeling energized and refreshed! How long has it been since that happened?
To schedule your consultation please contact Beverly Hills sleep medicine dentist Dr. David Frey at 310-276-4537 today.
