Do you find yourself tired during the day, even falling asleep though you felt like you got a good night sleep?

Sleep apnea can prevent you from getting the restful sleep your body needs to feel rested the next day. People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly throughout the night. This means the brain and the rest of the body may not be getting adequate oxygen throughout the sleep cycle.

Dr. Peck has done extensive research and training and is able to help if you suffer from sleep apnea.

The first step is to determine whether or not you have sleep apnea and that generally requires that you participate in a sleep study. Once Dr. Peck has the results of your sleep study he will review treatment options with you. If you do have sleep apnea Dr. Peck can provide you with a custom-fitted device that will help reduce the effects of sleep apnea. Worn in the mouth like a mouth guard during sleep, sleep apnea appliances keep your throat from collapsing and interrupting normal breathing patterns. The purpose of the oral appliance may be to reposition the lower jaw, tongue, soft palate, and hyoid bone into a certain position, to keep the airway open with stabilization of the tongue and jaw, or to provide artificial muscle tone to prevent collapse and the resulting airway blockage.

Sleep Apnea is very serious and if left untreated it can lead to other health problems such as:

• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Heart problems
• Diabetes
• Depression

Because sleep apnea affects a person’s ability to get adequate rest it can also affect performance at work or school and everyday activities.

Some factors that may place you at risk for sleep apnea may include:

• Being overweight
• Being over the age of forty
• Family history of sleep apnea
• History of reflux
• Nasal obstruction due to deviated septum, allergies or sinus problems
• Male gender
• Having large tonsils, large tongue or a small jaw bone
• Having a large neck size (17 inches or larger for males and 16 inches or larger for females)