What Causes Sleeping Problems

Professionals like ours here at Koala® Center For Sleep & TMJ Disorders understand sleeping problems and the underlying factors involved. For instance, snoring, teeth grinding, and even issues with the jaw joint (TMJ) can affect sleep and even cause sleep disorders. For some people, the underlying issue affecting their sleep is a condition like insomnia, REM sleep behavior disorder, narcolepsy, or sleep apnea.

One or more of those issues could be causing or contributing to your particular sleep problem. These issues require treatment from a professional like one of ours here at Koala® Center For Sleep & TMJ Disorders.

When the jaw joint (the temporomandibular joint) is damaged, misaligned, or not functioning properly, this is called a jaw joint or TMJ disorder. TMJ disorders have been linked to sleep apnea and other sleep disorders, and although researchers don’t fully understand the correlation, they do understand that jaw pain, bruxism (teeth grinding), and other TMJ disorders can be significant factors in sleeping problems.

If you’ve been experiencing tension headaches, difficulty chewing, earaches, pain behind the eyes, locked jaw, or a popping or clicking sound when you move your jaw, then you might have a TMJ disorder. And if you’re experiencing any of these issues along with sleeping issues, then they could very easily be related.

Regardless of the kind of sleeping problem you’re experiencing, you should definitely see a professional about it.

Daytime fatigue, snoring, restless sleep, recurrent awakenings, restless leg syndrome—these are all common sleeping problems. Their causes are different, though, so they must be treated differently. Sometimes, to identify the particular cause of a sleeping problem, a doctor will suggest a sleep study, which can help a great deal. For some patients, weight loss and lifestyle changes can help, while for others, a sleep appliance can be the solution.

Commonly, conditions like sleep apnea are treated with CPAP therapy, but this doesn’t work for every patient, and the appliance is difficult and inconvenient to use. A possible alternative called oral appliance therapy uses a simple oral appliance which is much more comfortable and convenient to use. This kind of treatment is approved by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and it can work well for conditions like sleep apnea and bruxism, as well as other TMJ disorders. We provide this solution here at Koala® Center For Sleep & TMJ Disorders.

If you’ve been having sleeping problems, then we encourage you to contact us here at our clinic. We have locations in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Texas, and Wisconsin, so please see our Appointments page for our addresses and contact information. You can book a consultation with us from that page too. Alternatively, you can call us.

Come see us soon so we can help you with your sleep and provide you with a lasting solution for your sleeping problem.