Clinical studies have shown that the
SomnoMed MAS™
is the only mandibular  advancement
appliance for the effective treatment of Sleep Apnea.

Millions of Americans (some studies suggest as much as 80% of the population) suffer from sleep deprivation.  While we have all experienced a sleepless night due to lifestyle, stress or diet (too much caffeine or alcohol), many people suffer from persistent and intrusive sleep disorders and don’t know it.

In fact, 95% of Sleep Apnea sufferers are undiagnosed.

A good night's sleep is actually a very complex process and not just about feeling good in the morning.  Children can be just as affected as adults.

. Sleep disorders have been shown to be a significant causative factor in:

• Fatigue
  Half of the adults studied said they were tired during the day. Only half reported having a good sleep nearly every night.
• Relationship problems
  More than one third of partnered adults in the study say that their partner's disturbed sleep causes some problem in the relationship.
• Tardiness
  22% report sleep-related issues as the most common reason people are late for work.
• Accidents
  60% of those studied who are licensed to drive say they have driven while drowsy in the past year. This translates to a worrying 115 million US drivers who have been sleepy at the wheel.

Sleep deprivation can have serious effects on your health in the form of physical and mental impairments. Inadequate rest impairs our ability to think, to handle stress, to maintain a healthy immune system and to moderate our emotions.

Sleep Apnea Basics
Sleep apneas occur from a few to several hundred times throughout the night. In general, the term refers to a pause in breathing, and most of us experience mild apneas to some extent.

In younger children, an apnea can be as brief as two-and-one-half missed breaths. For adults, the event may last as long as one minute, or as little as 10 seconds. Many sufferers experience apneas every few minutes throughout the night, which leads to a reduced quality of life when awake.

When you reach a deep sleep stage, your pulse is slowed and the body's blood vessels become dilated. An abrupt waking during an apnea event jars a person into action. When blood pressure rises at a too-rapid pace, this can add stress to internal organs, particularly the heart.

When breathing stops, a person will waken. That leads to disruption of the deep sleep cycles. In turn, sufferers often feel tired throughout the day and generally exhibit reduced capabilities at work or in school.

Children who suffer from apneas are sometimes diagnosed with ADHD-diagnosed incorrectly.

Types of Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common type of sleep apnea.  OSA is indicative of its name. An obstruction occurs in one or more locations in the airways, which causes a blockage. Swollen or malformed nasal passages or a tongue blocking the windpipe can cause an apnea. Throat muscles can relax, causing a collapse. When the airways close, even partially, blood oxygen levels also decrease. In turn, the brain is alerted and causes you to waken. You may never be aware of these episodes. Children with apneas sometimes experience trouble due to adenoids or tonsils.

Central apnea is typically diagnosed in one out of every 10 individuals who seek treatment. Brain signals either fail to activate or are interrupted due to central nervous system involvement. In the case of central apneas, heart disease and other illnesses can be the cause rather than a symptom. While rare in adults by comparison, premature infants undergo a significant rate of central apneas.

Complications of Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea can lead to complications that range from minor irritations to seriously life-threatening ailments.

These include:

• diabetes
• dry mouth
• fatigue
• forgetfulness
• headaches
• heart failure
• hypertension
• lack of ability to concentrate
• leg swelling
• lowered libido
• nocturia (frequent nighttime urination)
• personality changes
• strokes
• weight gain, which can occur rapidly.
• Restless legs
• Allergies

Sleep apnea is not just an annoyance. It has consequences that affect the entire body. People who are susceptible to sleep apnea can prevent a lot of health problems just by dealing with their sleep apnea now.

Treatments
A variety of treatments are available for Sleep Apnea.

Over the counter (OTC) products are typically the first stop for sleepless nights.  Sleeping pills, BreathRite strips, herbal remedies are a billion dollar industry.  For some people they work fine, especially if the cause of sleeplessness is only an occasional occurrence.  However, most people will need more.

Surgical options are available.  Surgery is invasive and expensive.  Usually performed by an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist, the surgeon would recontour the palette and throat so that the airway stays open during sleep.

CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machines are a common treatment for Sleep Apnea.  The CPAP machine consists of an oxygen tank and a face mask that seals over the patients face.  The patient sleeps with the mask on all night. It maintains constant airpressure through the nasal chambers, thus keeping an open airway all night.   CPAP machines are a common treatment  option.  The down side of CPAP machines is that about 40% of those diagnosed cannot tolerate the restrictive presence of the mask.

Oral Appliances, sometimes referred to as ‘snore guards.’  While snoring is  a symptom of Sleep Apnea, snore guards often do not work.  They may solve the snoring but most of the oral appliance products on the market are ineffective for the treatment of Sleep Apnea.  There is one exception:  SomnoMed MAS
What is the SomnoMed MAS?

The SomnoMed MAS™ is a custom fitted oral appliance, similar   
 to a mouth guard or an orthodontic retainer. It is worn to bed at night time and is used for the treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.  The SomnoMed MAS™  fits over the upper and lower teeth, much like a sports mouthguard. Unlike a sports mouthguard, however, it is a precision-made, clinically-tested medical device, which is highly effective (in most cases) in preventing snoring and mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea.

The medical term for your lower jaw is ‘mandible’ and an oral appliance worn over the teeth is a ‘splint’, hence the name SomnoMed Mandibular Advancement Splint, or SomnoMed MAS™. The SomnoMed MAS™ positions your lower jaw slightly forward of its natural position, which has the effect of tightening the soft flesh (or ‘tissue’) at the back of your throat, which prevents it from collapsing. When the airway narrows or partially collapses snoring results, which is the sound of tissues vibrating. Where there is complete collapse, you have an incidence of sleep apnea, which is when breathing stops altogether.

Clinical studies have shown that the The SomnoMed MAS™ is the only effective oral appliance treatment of Sleep Apnea.

Women & Sleep
Nearly 70 percent of women report that they suffer from some type of sleep disorder. Similarly, over 40 percent of women admit that daytime sleepiness disrupts their day-to-day activities. Although menopausal and pregnant women are far more likely to suffer from a sleep disorder (mainly due to the dramatic hormonal changes each of these groups experiences), all women are, in fact, two times more likely than men to experience a sleep disorder.

Kids & Sleep Disorders
Diagnosing and treating sleep disorders in children is particularly difficult because kids not only tend to be less likely to accurately describe their symptoms but they also suffer from different symptoms, depending on their particular sleeping problem. Similarly, children are more likely to suffer from sleeping problems that don’t affect adults, making it hard for some parents to even recognize that their children have a sleep disorder.

Some of the common sleep disorders that affect children include night terrors, nightmares and bedwetting..