Sleep Apnea & Sleep Disordered Breathing

Dr. Norman Blumenstock presented another well received, 2 hour lecture on Sleep Apnea & Sleep Disordered Breathing Tuesday evening to General & Specialty Dentists at the Livingston Dental Study Club, in the New Brunswick / Somerset area. Become a fan of our FB page , or visit my website at www.SleepApneaDentistNJ.com to learn more about what Dental Sleep Medicine treatments can do for Sleep Apnea or Snoring.

Helping a loved one with sleep apnea

When a relative or a loved one is diagnosed with sleep apnea, they can feel somewhat isolated. Often, friends and family want to provide support and help to their friends, families and loved ones, but sometimes they are unaware of how to do so. Here are a few things to do to support a loved one with sleep apnea:

1. Educate yourself about sleep apnea. Many friends and families of people with sleep apnea aren't sure what the condition is or what can be done about it. Make sure to have a working knowledge of sleep apnea so that you will be ready to help further.

2. Attend doctor appointments with the friend/family member. This allows you to help your loved one remember questions he or she has for the doctor, as well as helping him or her remember what the doctor says later on. You can ask your own questions as well.

3. Help the loved one follow through with the doctor's orders. This may mean encouraging a good diet or paying attention to sleep patterns.

4. Make yourself available to talk. Being there emotionally for your friend or family member can give them the support they need to feel good about their health and to continue with treatment. You can help your loved one know they aren't handling this alone.

Dr. Blumenstock and his staff can provide additional guidance for anyone dealing with sleep apnea, why not give us a call today?

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Real Solutions for Sleep Apnea

Our goal at the Central Jersey Dental Sleep Medicine is to help sleep disorder sufferers find REAL solutions to their sleep problems. No one wants to live with never getting a full night's rest, and we would like to help you sleep better. There are many solutions to sleep apnea, but the first step is to get diagnosed. If you visit us then you will receive an objective medical assessment by a team of physicians, neurologists, pulmonologists, and ear, nose, and throat specialists.

Following their referral, Dr Blumenstock will examine you and discuss all options to solve your sleep apnea. One common solution is an oral appliance, but often changes in behavior will also affect your sleep apnea. Get diagnosed and treated with a real solution for your sleep apnea.

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The Result of Sleep Deprivation

A recent blog article by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASDM) highlighted a few of the facts about sleep deprivation. The author writes, "Chronic sleep deprivation can affect attention levels, reaction time and mood, leading to decreased productivity at work, increased family stress, and potential health problems, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM)."

Many of us have experienced a few nights of disturbed sleep, but eventually catch up on sleep and fall back into the usual sleep cycle. However, continual sleep deprivation caused by a sleeping disorder, or any other cause for that matter, results in daytime productivity, mood, and quality of life changes. Sleeping disorders not only disrupt your night, but also impact your level of activity during the day. 


The article also recommends the optimum amount of sleep needed for good health. For preschoolers, the best amount of sleep ranges from 11 to 13 hours a night. Older children in school should be allowed 10 to 11 hours of sleep, teens must have at least nine hours, and adults should have seven to eight hours of sleep a night.

It is important to recognize your body's need for sleep, and how it impacts your quality of life. Even if you do not suffer for a sleeping disorder, choose to not suffer from the results of chronic sleep deprivation by getting enough sleep at night. 


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Different Types of Oral Appliances for Sleep Apnea

Once you have met with Dr. Blumenstock, an oral appliance will be chosen to best fit your situation. There are many types of oral appliances to meet many different needs.

One option is called the SomnoMed MAS. It is a custom-made device, consisting of upper and lower dental plates with a unique feature that allows normal mouth opening and closing. The jaw is only moved as far as needed to alleviate snoring and sleep apnea. Elastic Mandibular Advancement appliance or EMA, was created for noninvasive treatment of snoring and sleep apnea. Interchangeable elastic pieces on the appliance offer varying degrees of adjustment and overall TMJ comfort. Another device, the TAP, or the Thornton Adjustable Positioner, is an appliance that holds the lower jaw forward. This prevents the tongue and soft tissue of the throat from collapsing into the airway. It is easily adjusted and the adjustment handle acts as snoring volume control. As snoring is reduced, the airway is opened.

There are many other oral appliances offered by Dr. Blumenstock. The most important thing to understand is that many years of experience grant him an exceptional ability to successfully match you to the correct oral appliance.

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Notes from an Interview with Dr. Blumenstock

An interview with Dr. Blumenstock on sleep apnea revealed some interesting facts. Dr. Blumenstock related that snoring which sounds like gasping is actually choking. The weight of your tongue can block your throat, or you muscles relax to cause gasping and choking of snoring. Jaw structure and tongue size also affect one's breathing at night, and creates the potential to suffer from sleep apnea.

He also mentioned that sleep apnea is also related to quality of life issues such as being diabetic, overweight, and having high blood pressure. Sixty percent of people that develop sleep apnea fall into one of the above categories. It is very important to make health a priority when it starts to affect your quality of sleep.

Sleep apnea is 1 of 3 sleep breathing disorders. With sleep apnea, the airway in the back of the throat closes eighty to one hundred percent. This leads to gasping/snoring and a decrease in oxygen in your blood flow. Snoring is often a good indicator of this sleeping disorder. However, just because you don't snore, does not mean you do not have a sleeping disorder. Sometimes one's throat may only close about fifty percent, which is not enough to cause snoring. This issue causes people to wake up tired, irritated, and feel like they have stayed awake all night.

Sleep apnea is a serious disorder, and should be treated as such.

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