The necessary amount of sleep will vary between individuals. On average, eight hours each night is recommended but for some people six hours is sufficient and others may require more than eight. While an individual’s sleep habits may change throughout their life, the amount of sleep they require will mostly remain constant. The following are some tips to help you determine whether you are getting too little sleep:

Below are some indicators to help determine whether an individual is getting too little sleep.

• Extreme drowsiness during the day and inability to keep from falling asleep during repeated intervals

• Irrational anger and irritability

• Inability to concentrate

• Forgetfulness and short-term memory loss

The term Sleep Disordered Breathing refers to a wide spectrum of sleep-related breathing abnormalities. Those related to upper airway dysfunction include snoring, upper airway resistance syndrome, and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Sleep Disordered Breathing occurs when the flow of air through the nose or mouth is obstructed during sleep. While this airflow obstruction is typically caused by relaxation and poor muscle tone around the throat and jaws, there are many underlying causes of Sleep Disordered Breathing. The most common of these underlying causes are chronic mouth breathing, poor diet, obesity and lack of forward development of the jaws. Additionally, orthodontics with extractions can exacerbate breathing issues.

If left untreated Sleep Disordered Breathing can cause serious health issues including heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. Additionally, a deficit of restful sleep can cause an individual to experience extreme fatigue, which can lead to poor concentration and accidents while on the job or driving.

Most individuals will experience difficulty with sleeping at some point in their life. Symptoms of Sleep Disordered Breathing can include morning headaches, memory or learning problems as well as the inability to concentrate, feelings of irritability or depression, mood swings or personality changes, frequently waking to use the toilet and dry mouth or sore throat upon waking. If these problems persist for more than a week it could be an indication of sleep breathing disorder and you should seek a professional opinion.

Treatment with an oral appliance, such as the Myosa^® myofunctional sleep appliance range, is now considered to be the most convenient way to alleviate Sleep Disordered Breathing.

Myosa^® is a functional range of intra-oral appliances designed to provide an effective means of treating the problem as well as the underlying causes of Sleep Disordered Breathing. Rather than just focus on alleviating the symptoms of Sleep Disordered Breathing the Myosa^® appliance range aims to treat the upper airway and neuromuscular dysfunction, which can cause these issues. The Myosa^® myofunctional sleep appliance range, which includes appliances for treating TMJ Disorder and Bruxing, is equally well suited to treatment of both pediatric and adult Sleep Disordered Breathing.

The Myosa^® appliance range functions by posturing the lower jaw forward, correcting tongue position and opening the bite, which opens the airway and regulates breathing. When in place, the Myosa^® appliance will open the airway and control over breathing through the mouth. Additionally, The Myosa^® System is focused on encouraging patients to play an active role in their own treatment. The Myosa^® Activities, which are completed daily and designed to help patients overcome the poor myofunctional habits causing their upper airway and neuromuscular dysfunction, play an integral role in this.

The majority of intra-oral dental appliances are rigid and position the lower jaw forward in an unnatural position, which can cause jaw joint (TMJ) pain and damage over time. They will also alter the bite to an unnatural position and are therefore, not recommended. Myofunctional Research Co. has 25 years experience providing the dental and medical professions with intra-oral appliances to treat orthodontic issues in children and TMJ (jaw joint) disorder in adults, designs the Myosa^® range. The Myosa^® range’s soft flexible design is easy on the TMJ, suitable for tooth grinders and with the instant fit, is the first choice for diagnosis and treatment of Sleep Disordered Breathing.

Although the causes of Sleep Disordered Breathing are varied and can differ between individuals, because Myofunctional Research Co. has been focused on developing myofunctional sleep appliances for more than 25 years, there is a full range of treatment options readily available. The Myosa^® range includes sleep appliances suitable for a wide spectrum of patients and includes appliances to suit patients from as young as two-years-old through to adults as well as speciality appliances targeted at bruxing and TMJ Disorders, which are associated with Sleep Disordered Breathing.