Dentistry and oral surgery - Sleep unit

SLEEP UNIT

A Sleep Unit is also provided in our Clinic. It is directed by the prestigious doctor Joaquín Durán. He is a PhD in medicine and specialist in respiratory system, with a wide experience of near 25 years. There is a relationship between sleep disorders and dental health.

During sleep the throat muscles relax, which causes a narrowing of the airway, in some cases causing it to close it almost completely, which prevents the air arriving at the lungs correctly and causes the brain to receive insufficient oxygen. This is normally evident with severe snoring with temporary interruptions of respiration that can sometimes last up to 10 seconds. These episodes are called apnoeas.

After an apnoea the subject wakes up to restart respiration, which means the affected person's sleep is not very deep and they do not achieve full rest. Due to this sleep disorder people affected display drowsiness during the day, so it is particularly hazardous for certain activities such as driving.

There are certain factors that favour apnoea and pathological snoring, such as:

• Excess weight
• Age over 40 years.
• Certain morphologies of the neck, palate and maxilla, and a large tongue.
• Alcohol consumption.
• Nasal obstruction.

The people affected are often not aware of the disorder, and it is the family that tell them about their snoring or breathing interruptions during the night. The main symptoms of apnoea are:

• Daytime drowsiness and tiredness (the feeling of not having slept well)
• Waking up often during the night and insomnia.
• Morning headaches, apathy, memory loss.