A sleeping disorder rules your entire life.

What you used to take for granted is now front and center, demanding your attention at every moment of the day whether you can afford it or not. Your appetite has changed for the worse. You can barely focus on your work, much less muster up the energy to meet with friends and family. At a certain point some people forget what it’s like to live life without sleep apnea or insomnia, paving the way for years of lost productivity, social connections and personal happiness. Any suspicion you have a sleeping disorder, however small, should be taken seriously.

Could poor oral health be the cause of your sleeping disorder? Orthodontics for children and teen patients may be a solution.

It’s important to first define what a sleeping disorder is and isn’t. A disorder is when a normal, everyday occurrence happens too frequently or reaches a certain degree of severity. Everyone occasionally has sleepless nights, such as when they have an important paper due the next day, but too many sleepless nights should be cause for alarm. Sometimes it’s hard to fall asleep because you took a nap earlier, but struggling and failing to fall asleep night after night is a sign of something serious. Today sleep apnea and insomnia are some of the most widespread health problems among adults in the United States.

How common is sleep apnea? It’s prevalent in as many as 18 million American adults as we know it, which is nothing to say of insomnia or other related disorders. Contrary to popular belief children can be susceptible to sleeping disorders, too, with stress and poor oral health the two most popular contributors. Sleep apnea is nearly twice as common in men than women, with the average sufferer experiencing as many as 60 apneas in an hour. Orthodontics for children and teen patients will be able to diagnose whether or not your family is experiencing the onset of a sleeping disorder.

Did you know one in five Americans doesn’t have an ideal bite? This seemingly innocuous feature can contribute to a host of problems down the road, ranging from jaw pain to even an increased propensity for apnea. Sleep apnea isn’t just caused by stress or breathing difficulties, but can be influenced by TMJ. Short for ‘tempromandibular joint’, this is a condition that causes stiffness, tension and pain around the jaw. Over 35 million people in the country have been diagnosed with TMJ, cementing it as one of the most common oral health issues brought to dental clinics.

Orthodontics for children and teen patients are familiar with the frustration that accompanies a disorder like TMJ. It can make chewing difficult. It can affect a person’s ability to talk. At worst it can cause sleeping disorders that affect a person’s ability to relax and recover. The braces of today aren’t nearly as bulky and unsightly as they used to be, with Invisalign leading the market with brace models that are compact and easy to wear. A recent survey found Invasalign braces boasting a 95% satisfaction rate when it comes to reducing pain and creating a straighter, happier smile.

When a sleep disorder runs rampant it can impact your long-term health. Sleep apnea has been found to increase a person’s risk of stroke up to four times, with asthma sufferers far more likely to have the disorder than those without the condition. Short-term side-effects of a sleeping disorder are fatigue, trouble concentrating and reduced short-term memory capacity. If you’ve been struggling with jaw pain for years or are worried about your children’s oral health, reaching out to orthodontics for children and teen patients will do a world of good for everyone involved.

Don’t let a sleeping disorder take over. Nip it in the bud by getting to the root of the issue.