How Does The Vitalsleep Mouthguard Work
VitalSleep is the only mouthguard with a patented, ingenious design.
VitalSleep is made to place your reduced jaw onward during sleep, which provides better assistance for the tongue base.
It has a soft external layer made from a material that serves as a bumper that prevents it from obtaining pressed right into the throat or tummy during sleep.
It also has an inner layer with a gel-like material that acts as a retainer to maintain the reduced jaw correctly.
This design advertises snoring alleviation by enabling you to take a breath with your mouth without having any contact with your throat or tongue. Best Sleep Position For Sleep Apnea
Home Sleep Apnea Testing In Childrendr Shannon Sullivan Guest
More sleep physicians are utilizing home sleep apnea testing during the pandemic, but the jury is still out on HSATs in children. In todays episode, pediatric sleep specialist Dr. Shannon Sullivan discusses developments in HSATs for young patients, and the benefits and limitations of home testing devices. While HSATs are increasing in popularity, Dr. Sullivan cautions that more data is needed before home testing for children becomes a regular practice.
Shannon Sullivan, MD, is a clinical professor of pediatrics pulmonary medicine, and by courtesy, psychiatry, at Stanford University. She is chair of the AASMs Public Safety Committee, vice chair of the COVID-19 Task Force, and previously served on the Transportation and Safety Task Force, the Presidential Committee on Occupational Health, and the ICSD-3 Revision Workgroup for Insomnia. She is a member of the National Sleep Foundation Task Force on Sleep Technology and serves as representative on the CTA standards workgroups for consumer device standards for snoring and respiratory rate detection. At Verily Life Sciences, she is team lead in clinical sciences for Project Baseline with a focus on the Baseline Health Study. She has also advised in the sleep health and technology space.
Symptoms Others May Notice Include:
- Episodes of not breathing , which may occur as few as 5 times an hour to 30 or more times an hour . How many episodes you have determines how severe your sleep apnea is.
- Loud snoring. Almost all people who have sleep apnea snore. But not all people who snore have sleep apnea.
- Restless tossing and turning during sleep.
- Nighttime choking or gasping spells.
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Effects Of Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a cause of sleep deprivation. People suffering from sleep apnea frequently wake up during sleep. When this occurs, they do not go through all the required stages of sleep. They may wake up feeling tired in the morning and feeling drowsy throughout the day.
Apart from sleepiness, sleep apnea may result in other health conditions like heart problems, obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
We are dwelling so much on sleep apnea so that you may know the magnitude of its effects. One of the ways to treat it is positional therapy.
The other ways to treat sleep apnea include:
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Avoid alcohol and smoking.
- Best sleeping positions
Everyone has a favorite sleeping position. Trying a different one may feel uncomfortable. You may start sleeping in a preferred position then unconsciously go back to the comfortable one.
We are going to break down a different sleeping position. We are doing this to figure out the best sleep position to combat sleep apnea.
What Else Can Help With My Sleep Apnea
Although not a positional therapy for sleep apnea, per se, using a wedge-shaped pillow can elevate your head slightly to prevent the airway from closing. This may not be a good option for sleep apnea patients who also have pain in their neck, however. If you use an extra fluffy pillow not a wedge, the opposite effect may occur, with the airway closed off before an apnea even occurs.
Some patients with adjustable beds might find that sleeping on an incline helps them to keep their airways open better and more safely than a pillow while reducing snoring . This is especially useful for people who prefer to sleep on their back due to lower back pain.
Another common issue is acid reflux at night for side sleepers. If this is the best sleeping position for your sleep apnea, flip over to your left side to find some relief from heartburn. Having your final meal of the day earlier can also help to prevent GERD when you lay down for bed.
Side sleeping is the best sleeping position for sleep apnea but many people unused to it may have difficulty maintaining this position all night long. An easy and low-tech solution is to place a firm body pillow behind you to prevent turning over. If this does not work, a couple of tennis balls worn in a fanny pack on your back can also give you the nudge you need to stay on your side.
Positional therapy should be just one part of a comprehensive treatment strategy for sleep apnea that also includes other treatment options. These can include:
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F How Else Can I Change My Sleep Position
Dont limit yourself to sleeping upright in bed or on a chair.
Check with your doctor to see if other sleep positioning strategies might work better for you.
Have you given side sleeping a fair try?
A number of sleep aides have been designed to encourage the body to sleep on its side, ranging from simple low setups to high tech devices:
Alter Your Sleep Position
Though a small change, altering your sleep position can reduce sleep apnea symptoms and improve your nights rest. A 2006 study found that more than half of obstructive sleep apnea cases are dependent on position.
have shown sleeping on your back called the supine position can worsen symptoms. For some adults, sleeping on the side can help breathing return to normal.
However, a found that children with sleep apnea sleep better on their backs.
Discuss body positioning and your sleep apnea symptoms with your doctor to evaluate your options for treatment.
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Get A Free Sleep Assessment
If you’re experiencing problems sleeping, this free sleep assessment can help you understand how to improve your sleep. The assessment asks you a series of simple questions designed to help you uncover the cause of your problem, and the results will be conveniently sent to you via email.
If you think you may have sleep apnea, a home sleep test may give you answers.
ResMed
Sleep Positions For Gerd Symptoms
Research indicates a significant association between disturbed sleep and GERD. Sleep disorders may induce gastrointestinal disturbances, and gastrointestinal symptoms may trigger or worsen sleep disturbances. Cessation of swallowing during sleep reduces the clearance of the esophagus and impairs acid neutralization, resulting in prolonged acid contact with mucous membranes.
GERD is linked to a lack of quality sleep and to experiencing less sleep, either from difficulty falling to sleep, waking too early in the morning, or frequently waking during the night. The relationship between sleep disturbances and GERD can decrease the quality of life. Heartburn during sleep and sleep disturbances are common symptoms of nocturnal GERD.
Studies indicate that lying on the left side is the preferred sleeping position in people with heartburn and GERD, although the reason isn’t entirely clear. Hypotheses hold that right-side sleeping may relax the lower esophageal sphincter or left-side sleeping may keep the intersection between the stomach and esophagus above the level of gastric acid.
Other treatment options for GERD include:
- Antacids to neutralize stomach acid
- Medications that reduce acid production
- Medications to block acid production and heal the esophagus
- Surgery and other procedures
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Lying Flat On Your Back: A Double
Back-sleeping can promote better spinal alignment and reduce pressure on injured limbs. However, sleeping on the back is not recommended for everyone.
Studies indicate that sleeping on your back could worsen certain conditions such as snoring and sleep apnea. Back-sleeping is also not optimal for people with heartburn or GERD. Although most women report occasionally sleeping flat on their back during pregnancy, this position is not recommended for pregnant women as it has been possibly associated with late stillbirths in the the third trimester.
Is Sleeping On Your Side The Most Common Position
Most people prefer to sleep on their side. This is supported by a study showing that children sleep on the side, back, and front equally, with a growing preference for the side position when approaching adulthood. Side-sleeping with an arm overhead is the most common sleep position, representing 55 percent of the time asleep in bed. Research suggests that the preferred side position increases with age due to a loss of flexibility of the spine.
Patients with heart failure, however, instinctively avoid the left side position during sleep, possibly to avoid discomfort and shortness of breath. Instead, this population prefers to sleep in the right side position.
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C How To Try Them Out
Ready to try out one of the new CPAP alternatives?
Here are some things that can help move the process along:
Do your homework Educate yourself about the various options so that youre ready to discuss pros and cons with a doctor.
Schedule a doctor appointment A sleep specialist will play an important role in helping you figure out which treatments are worth trying, getting the prescription, and qualifying for insurance.
Work with your sleep specialist As you try out a new treatment, they may be able make adjustments so that it works better for you.
Some of the latest sleep apnea devices may not yet be available. If youre interested in something thats still under development, talk to your doctor and the manufacturer about trying it out as a participant in a clinical trial.
Whats The Best Sleep Position
Do you sleep on your back, side, or belly? You may have a favorite sleeping position, or you may change it up now and then. And if you become pregnant, or have certain health problems, the way you sleep can sometimes change. In those cases, getting your sleeping posture right can make a big difference in the way you feel when you wake up. Are you choosing the best sleeping position for your situation?
Sleeping in the wrong way can cause or aggravate neck or back pain. It may also obstruct the airways to your lungs, leading to problems like obstructive sleep apnea. Some research even suggests that the wrong sleeping position may cause toxins to filter out of your brain more slowly. Keep reading to learn how the way you sleep could be impacting your health in several ways.
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Do You Sleep On Your Stomach
Approximately 7% of people sleep on their stomach. This is sometimes called the prone position. It may help ease snoring by shifting fleshy obstructions from your airway. But sleeping in this position may aggravate other medical conditions.
Your neck and spine are not in a neutral position when you sleep on your stomach. This may cause neck and back pain. Stomach sleeping can put pressure on nerves and cause numbness, tingling, and nerve pain.
It’s best to choose another sleep position if you are a stomach sleeper. If you can’t break the habit, prop your forehead up on a pillow so your head and spine remain in a neutral position and you have room to breathe.
Lifestyle Treatments For Sleep Apnea
For mild cases of sleep apnea, lifestyle changes may be enough to treat the issue. Your doctor will let you know if thats the right starting point. But even if you are prescribed a medical treatment, the following changes can help reduce your sleep apnea episodes and improve your sleep.
Lose weight. If you are overweight, losing weight can have an enormous impact. While it is usually not a total cure, it can reduce the number of breathing episodes you experience, reduce your blood pressure, and decrease daytime sleepiness. Even a small amount of weight loss can open up your throat and improve sleep apnea symptoms.
Exercise. Even when exercise does not lead to weight loss, it can decrease your sleep apnea breathing episodes and improve your alertness and energy during the day. Aerobic exercise, resistance training, and yoga are all good choices for strengthening the muscles in your airways and improving breathing.
Sleep on your side. Lying on your back is the worst position for sleep apnea, as it causes the jaw, tongue, and other soft tissues to drop back toward the throat, narrowing your airway. Sleeping on your stomach isnt much better, since lying face down or twisting your head to the side both obstruct breathing. Lying on your side, on the other hand, helps keep your airway open. If you find side sleeping uncomfortable or you tend to roll on to your back after youre asleep, countered side pillows or body pillows may help.
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Sleep Positions For Sleep Apnea And Snoring
People with sleep apnea experience more light sleep and less deep sleep compared with people without apnea. A strong relationship also exists between a history of snoring and complaints of daytime sleepiness. Furthermore, many adults sleep with a partner, and snoring and symptoms associated with sleep apnea can negatively impact a partners’ sleep and daytime functioning. Poor sleep has also been linked to glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes, among other negative health outcomes.
Body position during sleep may reduce snoring and improve sleep apnea. One study found that 50% of patients with mild obstructive sleep apnea and 19% with moderate obstructive sleep apnea both saw a 50% reduction in sleep apnea events by sleeping in a non-supine position. Research also has found that sleeping in the side position decreases the frequency and severity of these events in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and with central sleep apnea. Therefore, sleeping in the side position is recommended for people with both obstructive and central sleep apnea.
In addition to positional therapy, other treatment options for sleep apnea include:
- Avoiding alcohol and certain medications such as sleeping pills
- Using continuous positive airway pressure
- Treating associated medical problems
Bone Deformities Enlarged Tissues
Obstructive sleep apnea can also occur if you have bone deformities or enlarged tissues in your nose, mouth, or throat. For example, you may have enlarged tonsils. During the day when you are awake and standing up, this may not cause problems. But when you lie down at night, the tonsils can press down on your airway, narrowing it and causing sleep apnea.
In children, a common cause of sleep apnea is large tonsils or adenoids.
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Central Sleep Apnea Treatment Options
What are the main central sleep apnea treatment options and what can you expect if youve been diagnosed with central sleep apnea ? We conclude our four-part series on central sleep apnea with a look at the most common methods of treating this condition.
Central sleep apnea is different than obstructive sleep apnea . Those differences stem from the very distinct causes of both conditions. OSA is caused by physical blockage to your breathing airways. CSA, on the other hand, has neurological causes think of it as your brain failing to tell your body to breathe consistently throughout the night.
So, given the different nature of these two types of sleep apnea, it makes sense that central sleep apnea treatment options may be considerably different than obstructive sleep apnea treatment options.
What Causes Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses during sleep. Central sleep apnea is usually observed in patients with central nervous system dysfunction, such as following a stroke or in patients with neuromuscular diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis . It is also common in patients with heart failure and other forms of heart, kidney or lung disease.
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Maintain A Healthy Weight
Doctors commonly recommend people with sleep apnea to lose weight. Obesity, specifically in the upper body, can increase the risk of airway obstruction and narrow nasal passages. These obstructions can cause you to stop breathing suddenly or for lengths of time while sleeping.
Maintaining a healthy weight can keep your airways clear and reduce sleep apnea symptoms. Research shows that modest weight reduction in people with obesity can eliminate the need for upper airway surgery or long-term CPAP therapy.
In some cases, weight loss can eliminate sleep apnea. However, if you regain the weight, its possible for the condition to return.
Sleep Position #: Right
Right or left side side-sleeping actually makes a difference if you have sleep apnea. Right-side sleeping is a good choice as it reduces the likelihood of snoring and promotes good air and blood flow throughout the body.
However, a study has found that right-side sleeping can aggravate symptoms of reflux because it can relax the lower esophageal sphincter. If you struggle with acid reflux, talk to your doctor before sleeping on your right side.
One of the right-side sleeping variants, the fetal position, is actually the most popular sleeping position for Americans. Its not a threat to sleep apnea, but it can create other issues with your neck or back especially as you get older. If you prefer to sleep in the fetal position, consider staying on your side but stretching out a little bit. Another option is to consider putting a pillow between your knees to allow for additional comfort and good back and neck support. You may find that this is a healthier and more pleasant alternative.
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