{"id":262,"date":"2021-01-25T22:30:29","date_gmt":"2021-01-25T22:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dolfielddental.com\/blog\/?p=262"},"modified":"2021-01-25T22:30:44","modified_gmt":"2021-01-25T22:30:44","slug":"why-you-shouldnt-take-sleeping-pills-for-sleep-apnea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dolfielddental.com\/blog\/2021\/01\/25\/why-you-shouldnt-take-sleeping-pills-for-sleep-apnea\/","title":{"rendered":"Why You Shouldn\u2019t Take Sleeping Pills for Sleep Apnea"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dolfielddental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/AdobeStock_74563600__2___1611580798_48017.jpg\" alt=\"Woman lying awake looking at sleeping pills on table\" class=\"wp-image-263\" width=\"296\" height=\"197\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dolfielddental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/AdobeStock_74563600__2___1611580798_48017.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.dolfielddental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/AdobeStock_74563600__2___1611580798_48017-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.dolfielddental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/AdobeStock_74563600__2___1611580798_48017-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 296px) 100vw, 296px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dolfielddental.com\/sleep-apnea-therapy.html\">Sleep apnea<\/a> is a condition that keeps waking you up during the night. Thus, taking sleeping pills to help you fall asleep and stay asleep should help you overcome this disorder, right? Unfortunately, this probably isn\u2019t the sleep solution you\u2019re looking for. In fact, sleeping pills are more likely to make your sleep apnea even worse than before; read on to learn how.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Causes Sleep Apnea?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To understand the impact sleeping pills have on your sleep disorders, you need to understand what is happening to your body when you have sleep apnea. This disorder occurs when your breathing is repeatedly interrupted while you\u2019re asleep. While this is occasionally due to a problem with the brain, most of the time the cessation of breathing occurs when the soft tissues in your throat relax, causing them to collapse and block the airway. Once the airway has been partially or completely blocked, oxygen levels in your body will fall, and your brain will be forced to wake you up for air, pulling you out of the sleep cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Do Sleeping Pills Affect Sleep Apnea?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sleeping pills work by helping the mind and body relax, allowing sleep to set in easier. The problem is that if the soft tissues near your throat are already relaxed, then <em>more <\/em>relaxation is the last thing they need. Thus, taking sleeping pills can make an already existing sleep disorder even worse. The same holds true for antidepressants and other medications that have a sedating effect, as they also contain ingredients that increase tissue relaxation. You may want to talk to your doctor about the medications you\u2019re taking to see if any of them might be contributing to sleep apnea without you realizing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Can Be Done About Sleep Apnea Instead of Taking Sleeping Pills?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sleep apnea typically isn\u2019t treated with a pill. Instead, you need something to help keep your airway open. Many physicians will recommend a CPAP machine that forces air into the throat, but this can be a very noisy and uncomfortable solution. Your sleep dentist can instead offer oral appliance therapy. You simply wear the appliance at night so that it positions the jaw and tongue in a way that keeps the airway as clear and open as possible. There are different types of sleep appliances available; your treatment will be customized based on your needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have sleep apnea or suspect you might have it, stop taking sleep aids immediately and get in touch with a sleep expert as soon as possible. Over-the-counter sleeping pills might not be any help, but there\u2019s still plenty you can do to breathe easier at night and get the rest you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Author<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Jacob Milner has completed advanced training in many areas of dentistry, allowing him to offer a full range of services at Dolfield Dental of Owings Mills. In particular, he has completed courses in dental sleep medicine in order to help his patients deal with their sleep apnea; he offers many different oral appliances that can be customized for each unique case. To schedule a sleep apnea consultation at his Owings Mills office, visit his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dolfielddental.com\/contact-us.html\">website<\/a> or call (410) 324-6593.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sleep apnea is a condition that keeps waking you up during the night. Thus, taking sleeping pills to help you fall asleep and stay asleep should help you overcome this disorder, right? Unfortunately, this probably isn\u2019t the sleep solution you\u2019re looking for. In fact, sleeping pills are more likely to make your sleep apnea even [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Sleeping Pills and Sleep Apnea in Owings Mills | Dolfield Dental of Owings Mills<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Picking up some sleeping pills from the pharmacy could do a lot more harm than good if you have a severe sleep disorder.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dolfielddental.com\/blog\/2021\/01\/25\/why-you-shouldnt-take-sleeping-pills-for-sleep-apnea\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta 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