BETTER SLEEP. BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE.

Being fitted with a custom oral sleep appliance changed my life. I used to wake up in the morning thinking, “When can I take a nap today?”.  Daytime naps were 2-3 hours long; I would fall asleep when riding in a car; When driving, I needed to nap every hour to avoid dozing off. 

And the snoring. My family joked about my loud snoring – heard throughout our large farmhouse even behind closed doors. I would even wake myself up in the middle of a snore! It was embarrassing to know guests staying with us would hear me.

After a sleep study, specialists recognized that the physical anatomy of my jaw and palate, when relaxed in sleep, closed off my small-sized airway. As I went from a light sleep to deep sleep, tissues in the roof of my mouth and throat relaxed more. It closed my airway, causing me to wake to reposition and reopen the airway. So I was not able to get into the healthy deep sleep my body needed. I understand now this caused me to wake in the morning still tired.  

Dr. Cermin met with me, examined my records and x rays, and suggested an oral sleep appliance. The custom-fitted device is worn in my mouth only during sleep. It holds my lower jaw forward and keeps my airway open even when muscles relax as I sleep – even deep sleep! I wake refreshed and ready for a full day of work or activity, no naps needed. My husband and sleep partner tells me he is no longer bothered by my snoring.