NightLase Sleep Apnea Treatment
Does your bed partner snore? Do you often wake up to nasty glances from a bed partner that received too little sleep do to your loud, labored breathing? If you’ve answered yes to these questions, you may suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, a potentially serious condition that interrupts sleep and increases your risk for a number of chronic health problems.
We all need to sleep. It’s the very foundation of enjoying a healthy lifestyle and a productive day. Numerous studies have shown the impact getting too little sleep has on stress levels, our productivity at work or school, and our long-term health.
While it’s easy to understand why we might have trouble sleeping after having one too many glasses of wine, drinking a pot of coffee an hour before bed, or living next to noise neighbors, it’s harder to understand why we wake up feeling tired and unrested on mornings where we should have received plenty of rest.
Obstructive sleep apnea ranks as one of the most common causes of unexplained tiredness and troubled sleep. The condition is caused by a collapse of the soft tissue in the back of the throat during sleep. This collapse obstructs airflow to the brain, which results in the body waking continuously throughout the night. You can find out more about the causes and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea in a previous blog post linked here.
Unfortunately, since sleep apnea only occurs at night, most patients who suffer from the condition don’t know they even have a problem. This can cause serious problems as individuals who have sleep apnea have been shown to be:
- 5 times more likely to develop diabetes
- 8 times more likely to develop hypertension
- 2 times more likely to develop heart disease
- 2 times more likely to develop a mood disorder such as mania, depression, or bipolar disorder.
Fortunately, the sleep dentistry specialist at McKinney SleepRight offer a number of treatment options designed to prevent sleep apnea. In our last blog post, we talked about our oral appliance therapy. Today, let’s take a look at another treatment option for moderate sleep apnea, the revolutionary NightLase.
What is NightLase?
NightLase is a non-invasive laser-based therapy designed to help treat obstructive sleep apnea. NightLase has been clinically proven to decrease snoring and reduces the effects of sleep apnea on nightly rest.
How Does NightLase Help to Treat Sleep Apnea and Snoring?
The NightLase system uses a high-intensity laser to heat tissue located in the back of the throat. The heat from the laser causes the tissue to tighten, thereby preventing the collapse of throat tissue that is the cause of obstructive sleep apnea. Without the tissue blocking the airway, patients can sleep comfortably and quietly throughout the night. The laser used in NightLase therapy is delicate enough to be used on sensitive oral tissue, while still being strong enough to deliver outstanding results.
How Many NightLase Treatments Are Required to Treat Apnea?
NightLase treatment consists of three sessions that take place over 2 months. Each treatments session lasts for roughly 15 minutes, and are so painless that no anesthesia is required. Simple, painless, and effective, that’s the NightLase difference.
Is NightLase Right for You?
NightLase offers an excellent option for treatment mild to moderate sleep apnea. However, patients who suffer from severe sleep apnea may not make the best candidates for this form of sleep apnea treatment. To find out if NightLase is right for you, schedule your Free Sleep Apnea consultation with Dr. Lawrence today.
Don’t wait to get the goodnight’s rest you deserve. Start sleeping better by scheduling your sleep apnea consultation with SleepRight McKinney today!