If you could rate the quality of your sleep on a scale of 1 to 10, how would yours score? Anything less than a perfect 10 on most nights deserves your attention. Getting a good night of sleep is critical for your overall health. When you fall into a deep slumber, you are able to go through all the stages of sleep – but having a condition like sleep apnea makes it difficult. Keep reading to learn what the stages of sleep are, and how to tell if you need to seek help for a sleep disorder.
4 Stages of Sleep
All sleep is not created equally. The type of rest you are getting depends on how many interruptions you have nightly. That’s because there are four distinct stages, and they are as follows:
- Stage 1: The lightest sleep, when your eye movements start to slow. Your body is still somewhat alert, so it’s easy to be woken up at this point by a honk on the street or a snoring partner lying beside you.
- Stage 2: Still a lighter sleep, stage 2 is when the brain starts to produce certain waves that help to keep you from being roused awake.
- Stage 3: Considered a deep sleep, stage 3 is when the body starts to repair any damage to the muscles or tissues. It is much harder to be woken from this stage.
- Stage 4: The deepest stage of sleep, this is when REM (rapid eye movement) occurs. Breathing becomes more rapid, eyes move quickly, and blood pressure rises during this stage. It is also crucial for memory, as stage 4 is when the brain consolidates information it learned that day.
Signs of a Sleep Disorder
Having uninterrupted sleep allows you to get to the deeper stages, where the body repairs itself and memories are solidified. If you have a sleep disorder like sleep apnea that causes you to wake up several times a night – even if you don’t remember these wakeups – you may experience the following symptoms:
- Chronic snoring
- Irritability
- Daytime fogginess or forgetfulness
- Waking up feeling very tired (more than just groggy)
- Having difficulty staying awake throughout the day
How to Get Help
Take a sleep quiz to understand your risk for a sleep disorder, then talk to your dentist about the results. As an expert in all things related to your mouth, including snoring, a dentist who is trained in sleep apnea treatment can help you get a full night of uninterrupted sleep at long last. Don’t wait to seek help!
Meet the Practice
Dr. Donald J. Drummond is a graduate of Northwestern University Dental School in Chicago and has been practicing quality dentistry for decades. Having obtained countless hours of continued education in sleep apnea, Dr. Drummond helps patients find relief in a full night’s sleep with custom oral appliances as an alternative to CPAP. To learn more about issues caused by sleep apnea or to discuss your own treatment options, contact his office directly at (580) 227-8789.