By Lori Lovely
March signals the imminent arrival of spring, the season when Nature seems to awaken from months of winter sleep to bloom and grow again. People also feel the rousing effects of the changing season.
To take advantage of this awakening, as the days grow longer with extended hours of daylight, in most parts of the country we move our clocks ahead for Daylight Savings Time. However, altering the cue (light) for our natural 24-hour cycle, or circadian rhythm, amplifies existing sleep deprivation issues because it shifts our internal “clock” out of sync. Losing an hour in the spring is more difficult than gaining an hour in the fall when we turn our clocks back. Perhaps that’s why March has been designated National Sleep Awareness Month.
Sleep for Health
To commemorate it, the Koala Sleep Center in Peoria will host its first open house on March 31 from 4pm–8pm. With a focus on educating the public about sleep issues and treatment options, the Center will offer complete screenings for sleep issues such as sleep apnea, TMJ (also known as Temporomandibular Joint Disorder) signs and symptoms, snoring, and more. In addition to the screening stations, light refreshments will be offered, door prizes awarded and a raffle held for a family Disney vacation.
“Our goal is to make people aware of what sleep apnea can cause and how it’s treated,” says Dr. Rodney
Willey, founder of the Koala Sleep Center national franchise with 15 locations.
Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which a person experiences pauses in breathing or shallow breathing during sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than 49 million Americans suffer from it, with 85 percent going undiagnosed.
The Centers for Disease Control says that more than one-quarter of the population report not getting enough sleep at least occasionally, with 10 percent experiencing chronic insomnia. It has become so prevalent, the CDC has defined sleep apnea as a national epidemic.
“Apnea impacts all aspects of life,” Willey says. “You could lose 7–15 years of life if it’s not treated.”
It’s literally life and death for some—it’s a quality of life issue for others that encompasses physical, financial, and emotional aspects. Getting sufficient sleep is a necessity and is considered a vital sign of good health. In the words of the 16th-century Elizabethan writer Thomas Dekker, “Sleep is the golden chain that binds health and our bodies together.”
The body wants to repair itself, Willey continues, but it needs the right tools: water, exercise, and proper rest. Deep sleep, also referred to as slow-wave sleep, is the critical constructive phase of sleep required for recuperation of the mind-body system, the time during which it rebuilds itself each day.
During deep sleep, growth hormones are secreted to facilitate the healing of muscles and the repair of tissue damage. Fragmented sleep, lack of deep sleep, and sleep apnea prevent this restorative rest.
With one-third of all adults in the U.S. averaging less than seven hours of sleep nightly, it’s no wonder the CDC reports that insufficient sleep is associated with several chronic diseases and conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression. People who don’t get adequate sleep are at five times the average risk for dying from a heart attack, according to the 2014 American Academy of Sleep Medicine study. Willey says that 90 percent of people who die in their sleep due to a heart attack may find that the root cause is usually obstructive sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea puts people at four times the risk of having a stroke and two and a half times the risk of developing cancer. They are seven times more likely to fall asleep while driving or operating heavy machinery. Five percent of people admit to falling asleep while driving, putting everyone at risk.
Thirty percent confess to falling asleep at work and 12 percent were late to work, costing businesses as much as $136 billion a year. “People are five times more likely to be fired or passed over for promotion,” Willey adds. Chronic lack of sleep impacts cognitive functions, leading to decreased performance, concentration, and memory.
Signs of Sleep Issues
Although 35–55 is commonly recognized as the typical age of onset of sleep apnea, people aged 18–33 can also suffer from it, and are often misdiagnosed. Genetics sometimes play a role.
Signs of sleep apnea include:
- Weight gain or inability to lose weight
- Depression
- Memory loss
- Waking at night, especially if your heart is racing
- Daytime fatigue
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Snoring, which indicates a narrowed airway
- Gasping, coughing, or choking
- Morning headaches
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Acid reflux
- Low oxygen levels in the blood, which put people at higher risk of cancer
- Teeth grinding/TMJ
Many patients with apnea have TMJ because the body fights apnea by teeth grinding, Willey explains. He estimates that 60–65 percent suffering from apnea also have TMJ.
The clenching and grinding of teeth and the popping and clicking of the jaw associated with TMJ often leads to headaches. Symptoms can become more severe if the jaw is pushed back toward the ear, Willey says, resulting in dizziness, hearing loss, ringing of the ears, sensitivity to light, a sore neck, and tingling in the fingers.
Treatment
Sleep apnea is a disease; it doesn’t go away. It can, however, be treated. The three treatment options include: use of an appliance to hold the jaw forward to keep the airway open; use of CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), or surgery.
Surgery has only a 30–50 percent success rate. “It’s painful, difficult to recover from, and doesn’t last,” Willey says. It should be considered the last resort.
CPAP, a mandibular repositioning appliance that uses mild air pressure to keep the airways open, isn’t much more effective because “about 40–60 percent of patients fall out of treatment because it’s uncomfortable,” Willey estimates. It fell out of favor because it leaks, is claustrophobic, and has pressure points.
Fortunately, there is a relatively simple, non-invasive and reversible dental solution to this medical condition. An oral appliance was developed in the early 1990s. After 15 years of development, it was introduced in 2006. Willey says it’s now considered a first-line treatment for mild and moderate apnea and a good alternative to CPAP.
Approved by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Oral Appliance Therapy is a non-surgical, non-pharmacological option that has several advantages over other forms of therapy. Oral appliances are comfortable and easy to wear. The appliances are small, making it convenient to take along when traveling. They can be adjusted. Most patients report becoming acclimated to wearing them in a matter of weeks.
After diagnosis, Willey says the next step is to take custom impressions that are used to develop the unique appliance. Once the appliance has been properly adjusted, he says it takes about a month to get good sleep. A sleep test with the appliance is later performed to prove its effectiveness. It’s imperative to get annual checkups, he emphasizes.
Office Visit
Checkups are easy to schedule at Koala Sleep Center. However, Willey clarifies that although he is board-certified in sleep, he is a dentist, not a physician, meaning that he is qualified to treat sleep disorders, but doesn’t diagnose them.
In addition to his board certification, Willey is a Diplomate of the Academy of Clinical Sleep Disorders Disciplines, a Diplomate of the American Sleep and Breathing Academy and a member of the Board of Directors for the American Sleep and Breathing Academy.
The practice is limited to sleep disorders and facial pain. The Peoria office features two doctors, including Willey’s son, Dr. Brockton Willey, and five auxiliary staff. Treatment is typically covered by most insurance and Medicare.
Take time this month to learn about the benefits of sleep and how to be sure you’re getting enough. You can start with free screenings at the Koala Sleep Center’s open house or contact them for more information.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit www.KoalaSleepCenters.com or phone 309-243-8980.