atlanta sleep apnea Archives - Peter A. Pate, DDS

March 7, 2012

National Sleep Awareness Week

The National Sleep Foundation reports that about 37 percent of adults sleep less than seven hours per night, but the recommended time is seven to nine hours. People who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to experience daytime sleepiness and health problems. This week, March 5-11, is National Sleep Awareness Week, a campaign designed to promote the importance of sleep. Dr. Pate can help you understand the importance of getting adequate sleep at night.

Sleep apnea is the most common sleep disorder, affecting about 18 million Americans. Sleep apnea blocks your airways at night, interrupting your rest.
Insufficient sleep is associated with anxiety, depression, obesity, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.
Sleeplessness decreases your performance and effectiveness, and increases your risk of accidents and injuries.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that drowsy driving is responsible for 1,500 deaths, 71,000 injuries, and 100,000 car accidents each year.
Staying awake for more than 20 hours straight causes the same reactions and impairment—including blurred vision—as having a blood alcohol concentration level of .08 percent.

(more…)

Comments (0)

January 24, 2012

What Happens When I Sleep?

Filed under: Healthy Living,Stop Snoring — Tags: atlanta dentist, atlanta family dentist, atlanta general dentist, atlanta sleep apnea, buckhead sleep apnea, healthy living atlanta, sleep apnea atlanta, sleep apnea buck head, sleep apnea dentist, sleep apnea vinnings, stop snoring atlanta, stop snoring buckhead — dr_pate @ 3:01 pm

In a previous blog post, we discussed the risks, causes, and symptoms of sleep apnea. Dr. Peter Pate offers his patients snoring and sleep apnea treatments. Scientists devote a lot of research to sleep. Although we spend nearly 30% of our life in bed, we are often unaware of the science of sleep. Below are a few interesting facts and trivia dedicated to what happens while we rest.

Facts You May Not Know About Sleep

Sleep is a necessity. Sleep deprivation can result in death before starvation. In as little as 10 days without sleep, you could be facing mortality.
There are four stages of sleep that you progress through in your sleep cycle. The deepest stages of sleep help your organs and tissues repair from daily damage
Outside of the four sleep stages, you enter Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep multiple times throughout the night
In the past, researchers believed that humans only dreamed during REM sleep. However, recent findings have shown that we dream throughout the night, but REM dreaming is more vivid and strange. (more…)

Comments (0)

January 18, 2012

How Do I Know If I Have Sleep Apnea?

Filed under: Healthy Living,Stop Snoring — Tags: atlanta general dentist, atlanta sleep apnea, atlanta stop snoring, buckhead dentist, buckhead stop snoring, dr. pate sleep apnea, healthy living atlanta, sleep apnea atlanta, stop snoring atlanta, stop snoring buckhead — dr_pate @ 6:44 pm

Did you know that Dr. Peter Pate treats patients with sleep apnea? In addition to general and cosmetic dentistry, he provides treatment for sleepy Atlantans, too!

What is sleep apnea?

Over 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea and over 40% of adults snore when they sleep. As we learn more about this sleep disorder, we have discovered that sleep apnea is more common than we thought. While you are sleeping, the soft tissues in your mouth relax. As these tissues relax, they can cause obstruction of your airways. Most patients with sleep apnea are disrupted by breathing cessation during their rest. For a few seconds, or even longer than a minute, you can stop breathing. During the short periods throughout the night that you stop breathing, you awaken from sleep. Some patients also experience choking and gasping during these periods. (more…)

Comments (0)