ReservedWhiteKangaroo6396

I was wondering when sleep apnea occurs? I keep waking up only about 1-2 hours after I go to sleep.

By therapy, you mean treatment for your sleep apnea?

So you're saying that treatment is making you remember your dreams?

I was just wondering about this so I wanted to ask.

Before I was having trouble sleeping (before I found out I had sleep apnea), I was having some bad dreams. Once I took some sleeping pills and started sleeping better, they stopped. Then months went by, got diagnosed with sleep apnea and got my oral device. Nothing about dreaming seemed unusual. Then recently I went back to my sleep dentist for a follow-up and he made an adjustment on the device so I can still sleep more because I told him I was still waking up. After that, I noticed that I was dreaming pretty much every night and remembering them. No bad dreams, just good or regular dreams. So I thought the timing was strange. I can't remember anymore whether I'm waking up for no reason or if it had to do with the sleep apnea but I remember I still wake up from dreams since I had the adjustment.

So my question is: is there a connection between dreams and sleep apnea? If I'm remembering them more or having them more does that mean my sleep apnea is worse or getting better or still existing? I can no longer remember clearly waking up for no reason or something like sleep apnea. Just when I dream.

Ok, I'm posting this after not getting responses lately but hopefully someone will be willing to help this time. I would really appreciate some advice or help, please.

I've gotten an oral device for my mild sleep apnea two weeks ago. The first week, it was hurting so I had to go back a week later for an adjustment. For a week now, I've been using it without discomfort or pain but I'm still waking up. Is there any reasons why the oral device may not be working for someone with mild sleep apnea? I thought it was because I had to get used to it but I feel like now, I'm getting used to it and last night when I woke up, I remember (barely) biting on the device. I read that grinding and sleep apnea can be related so I suppose I'm biting because I needed to wake up. I may have bitten or grinded on the device before but don't remember. I already have a follow up appt with the sleep dentist in about a couple of weeks but I'm wondering if I should call him now and tell him I don't think the oral device is working or just wait longer and get used it more? Can he make adjustment so I'm not biting or grinding on it or something to it so I can stop waking up? I have to wonder if my sleep apnea just went from mild to severe. I had the sleep study back in early November and they said it was mild but it's early February now so I wonder if the sleep apnea is severe and I have to consider other options like CPAP. Can your sleep apnea go from mild to severe later or just stay mild?

Thanks and I look forward to getting some help here.

Ok, so I got the device adjusted on Friday and since then, no pain or discomfort or soreness at all. So that's good. Now I'm having some difficulty falling asleep in less than 2 hours with it in but I guess that's because I just need to get used to having it in my mouth even though there's no soreness or pain or anything. The thing is I'm still waking up after about an hour or so! Since I'm still trying to get used to the device, I'm just hoping I'm waking up because of the device and just trying to get used to it. I really hope it isn't because the device isn't helping. Although before I got the device and when I was waking up because of the apnea, I would wake up after about 2-5 hours but now with the device, I wake up after an hour or an hour and a half. Things like this are so distracting and can easily keep you awake! This is why I didn't want to do the CPAP yet. I don't like the idea of having air blowing in my mouth or my face all night long or having the mask on me that long. It wasn't easy sleeping through the sleep study with the nasal thing in my nose and all those monitors. I can't even sleep with my fan on in my room so if I got hot, I just don't cover up or I put on cooler pajamas.

So without having a sleep study because I'm sure my sleep dentist will want me to take more time to get used to the device, how can I know if I'm waking up because of the device or because the device isn't helping the sleep apnea? I'm guessing it's the device because when I breathe in with the device, I do feel air really coming down through behind my tongue and going down the airway so I think the device may be working but I don't know for sure. Do many people often wake up with the device in their mouths for a while before getting used to it? I think it's also anxiety because of the device so I'm thinking about anti-anxiety medications. Good idea? Also while I'm thinking about medicine, before I got the device, I'd wake up but once I took a sleeping pill (I only take it as needed if I can't sleep or if I can't get back to sleep so I'll take it in the middle of the night if I do take it) because I couldn't get back to sleep, I'd sleep like a baby! So it's like the sleeping pill is helping the sleep apnea but I know it doesn't do that. Is it possible I woke up while on the pill but just can't remember once I get out of bed in the morning?

How successful would you say devices like this have been for people with mild sleep apnea and compared to CPAP even for people with just mild to moderate sleep apnea? Is there a reason to think the device wouldn't work for mild sleep apnea? Does my sleeping on my stomach make a difference?

Hey guys!

So I got an oral device to treat my mild sleep apnea. I got it about a week ago and had some issues with soreness and some pain so I had to go back yesterday for some adjustment on the device. Last night, I finally got to go through the whole night without pain or soreness! So that's quite a relief and hopefully I don't have to go back for another adjustment before my follow up appointment already scheduled for about 3 weeks form now.

Now I got a question. I went to bed last night and had difficulties falling asleep. I understand having a big thing like a device in your mouth is something that takes time getting used to so I'm ok with that. The issue is I'm not sure whether I'm really asleep and if I am, I don't know if it's just light sleeping and having difficulties getting into a deeper sleep or I was just somehow out of it. It took about a couple of hours after I went to bed before I felt like I may have fallen asleep or I was just out of it for some reason. It's hard to remember exactly what happened and when and how long. I think I finally fell asleep but not sure what time. I went to bed around 12:30. I remember being awake at 2:30 in the morning and thinking, "I'm going to have to take a sleeping pill or I may not sleep tonight." So I went ahead and took one. I went back to bed and what seemed like a short time later, it was already 4:00! So I don't know if I did fall asleep but it doesn't feel like it or if I read the clock wrong and it was maybe 3:30 when I took the pill. So it was 4:00 then it was at least 4:30 and I was worried about not getting any good sleep so I figured, "well, I stuck with the device longer than I used to last week when I was having pain so that's better this week!" I thought I'd be fully asleep by at least 4:30 and I didn't think I was so I had to remove the device then next thing I knew, I was feeling real tired and finally went to sleep for sure. I know because I had a dream so I got some real sleep without the device and I don't remember waking up since taking it out.

So I have to wonder if I really got some sleep while the device was in or was my mind playing tricks with me? Does sleep apnea occur during light sleep that I was lightly sleeping then the apnea woke me up at 2:30 or 3:30 or could the oral device be waking me up completely? I thought sleep apnea does occur in deep or REM sleep or does it happen at any cycles? If I woke up from a light sleep then it could've been the device waking me up, maybe? When I breathe with the device in, I can really feel the air coming in my mouth so I'm hoping it's not sleep apnea that gave me this issue and made me wake up last night and I'm hoping it's just the device and I needed more time to get used to it.

I'll probably feel different later today but right now, I feel pretty good like I got some nice sleep but not sure if it's enough. I know I slept great from at least 4:30 to about almost 9:00 this morning without the device. Maybe I slept better than I thought?

Thanks!

Well I've been trying this mouthguard for nearly a week now. I know it should take at least a couple of weeks to get used to it but it's still hard. When I lay there to try and sleep, nothing feels uncomfortable or hurts for a while until after about an hour and a half or so. How come it takes that long for my teeth on the front left side to get sore and not right away? Does this mean anything? I'm also still having a hard time falling asleep with it in. Any suggestions to falling asleep while you have it in and any ideas why it takes a while before it finally hurts? When I take it out, no problem. The soreness goes away after a few minutes.

Also, I already have an appointment for a follow up about a month from now but at what point should I call them before giving up to tell them about this problem?

Hi Dr Tony,

Yes, I'm sorry, I was hoping you'd answer so I'm glad you did.

Unfortunately, they never asked me what kind of appliance I wanted because I know nothing about those kind of things. That's just what they gave me. That's good that they can possibly adjust the appliance because I hate to go through all the trouble to get another kind. I'm supposed to go back in a month for a follow up after I get used to this appliance. They did give me some "keys" or something so I can do something with the screws but I'm afraid to do it myself because I might mess up and make it worse or the appliance might fall apart if I do something wrong! I have no idea how to adjust the appliance myself. I don't have pain while it's not in my mouth but if I'm laying in bed with it i then it does get sore on the side and you're right, I am a teeth grinder. That's why I have another mouth guard I've had for years from my regular dentist to stop the grinding. I just haven't been using it because the jaw pain stopped so I figured grinding wasn't a problem anymore. So I guess I started grinding again but didn't know it. I wish I could just use the mouth guard again that I used just for the grinding because that's smaller and causes me no discomfort but I know it doesn't help with the sleep apnea. :(

Thanks!

Hey everyone!

I'm new here and was just diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea so I'm trying out a new dental appliance (mouthguard). Just tried it for 3 nights so far and it's been hard getting used to it.

First, the guard would cause me pain when I'm using it and laying right on it. I sleep on my stomach. Sleeping on my back seems impossible. I finally figured it out and tried to lay my head, just my head, on something so there's no pressure on the side of my face where the guard is. So that's gotten a bit better.

Since the first night, I've been "drooling" with it in but I've been reading that's normal and should go away at some time but how do I deal with it while it's happening?

I'm concerned the tip of my tongue is going to touch the gap in the front of the appliance while I'm asleep so I won't be able to breathe through my mouth and I might wake up from that. I'm not sure the name of the appliance but it's the kind where's there's metal pieces on the sides so the bottom jaw will move forward. I guess you could call them hinges. See below for a picture of what it looks like. It's not mine! lol

Now my biggest issue that started last night. Whenever I relax my face, my top and bottom teeth on the left with the device in clenches together and it hurts! That appliance I got is hard as a rock and pretty big, I'm sure you know that. So I don't know how people can put their teeth together at the sides without their teeth hurting as you bite onto the appliance. I wish they had made the appliance into something soft and not something so big. Does it have to be so hard and big? I have another mouth guard to stop grinding my teeth at night and while it's as hard, it's not as big. It just looks like a little plate and it's just for the upper teeth and I never had trouble with that but it won't bring my jaw forward, of course, so I can't use that instead.

So glad we have a dentist on this board and I hope I get some helpful answers soon! I'd hate to think about getting a CPAP. It doesn't sound more pleasant at all than this dental appliance.