Mouthguard questions

Dr. Tony, I am so glad I found this site. Awesome info. I have two questions. I use a somnomed dental appliance to treat my apnea. Went from an AHI index of 10 to a 2 with a in home sleep study. I also am using snorelab to measure my snoring, which was off the charts without the oral appliance and went to absolute quiet with the mouthpiece. Does this mean that my apnea is under control, or just that I am not snoring?

Second, even with the mouthpiece I am still waking up exhausted and am tired all day. So what's going on? It's very discouraging.

thanks for the help

Does this mean that my apnea is under control, or just that I am not snoring? A good indicator but not a definite answer. The only way to know if you no longer have apnea is with a sleep study.

still waking up exhausted and am tired all day. So what's going on? The mouth piece's only function is to get the base of your tongue out of your throat so you can get air into your lungs. That's it. It can indirectly help you to sleep better. But not directly. You may be having some cortisol issues disrupting your sleep in addition to sleep apnea. Have you ever been diagnosed or at least examined for adrenal fatigue syndrome? Do you take anxiety meds?

Dr Tony

Wow, thanks for the quick reply. Not taking any meds. Interestingly enough I find I feel great when I get over 9 hours sleep with or without my mouthpiece, but using the mouthpiece hasn't made me feel any better when I have to get up to go to work after only 6-7 hours sleep. Is it maybe that I just need more sleep?

Certainly it may be a factor that you just need more sleep than that. Many people really need 8-9 hours to feel rested. Also, remember that it takes time to fully recover and regenerate from untreated obstructive sleep apnea. It commonly takes one, two, or three months to feel rested every day, even with treatment. It could take even longer than that. Dr. A.B. Luisi, D.M.D.