Sleep Medicine Questions and Answers

Sleep medicine is a multidisciplinary subspecialty that falls under the disciplines of family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, neurology, and otolaryngology. It is also practiced by many pulmonologists. Sleep medicine is a special area of medicine which deals with sleep disorders – assessing them, monitoring them, treating them and preventing them.

In terms of treating sleep disorders, a lesser known but viable treatment option is dental sleep medicine. Dental sleep medicine is a special kind of sleep medicine offered by a dentist who is specifically trained in the treatment of sleep apnea using oral appliances and other dental devices. A sleep apnea dentist works with other sleep physicians for diagnosis and comprehensive treatment of their patients.

Consider scheduling a consultation with a professional trained in sleep medicine if you suspect you may have a sleep problem, especially if it’s sleep apnea.

You may need sleep medicine if you aren’t sleeping well or if you’re experiencing the effects of poor sleep. Such effects and some indications you’re not sleeping well are never feeling rested even after a long night’s sleep, difficulty falling or staying asleep, unusual breathing patterns, unusual movement during sleep, frequent trips to the bathroom when you should be sleeping, fatigue, lack of focus, and irritability during the day, or changes to your sleep/wake schedule. It might be hard to tell whether you need sleep medicine. A problem like sleep apnea can be difficult to identify unless a sleep partner points out you’re often gasping or snoring during sleep. If your bed partner sees you stop breathing in your sleep, seek help immediately.

If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to a chronic or even fatal health condition. A sleep medicine doctor can easily identify and address sleep problems.

This kind of professional practices sleep medicine and its various forms like dental sleep medicine. Sleep medicine entails identifying, assessing, monitoring, treating, or preventing sleep problems and disorders. Sleep studies, blood tests, medications, and various therapies can help with addressing the matter and treating the patient.

Another example is a patient with obstructive sleep apnea. This patient would likely benefit from an oral appliance therapy using a custom made, oral sleep appliance. Oral appliance therapy is a very different and effective method for addressing the actual conditions that cause sleep apnea. The CPAP works by forcing positive air pressure through the structures in the back of the throat in order to keep the tissues from collapsing and blocking the airway. Oral appliances work passively by placing the lower jaw in a slightly down and forward position, preventing the tongue from falling back and keeping the tissues more firm. Oral appliance therapy went through rigorous testing beginning in the 1980’s. In 2005, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine approved oral appliance therapy as a first line of treatment for mild and moderate sleep apnea, and in severe cases where the CPAP could not be tolerated or the patient refused to use CPAP.

Koala® Center For Sleep & TMJ Disorders likely offers sleep medicine near you. We have locations in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Texas, and Wisconsin, so we ask that you see our Locations page for the location near you.

We would be happy to provide further information or book you in for a consultation with us at our clinic! During a consultation, we’ll answer any other questions you have about sleep medicine and how it may help you.

We hope you found this Q&A informative and we look forward to hearing from you soon here at Koala® Center For Sleep & TMJ Disorders!