Sleep Apnea / Sleep Disordered Breathing

• What is UARS (Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome)
• What do stress hormones have to do with sleep
• How can you have a sleep disorder with no sleep apnea
• What is a TMJ Balanced Oral Sleep Appliance
• Schedule An Appointment

There is a misconception that Sleep Apnea is the only sleep disorder. Dr. Perkins is a sleep
specialist who can help with all types of sleep problems, including UARS, snoring, and sleep
apnea. Watch the video of Dr. Perkins explaining sleep disorders and their symptoms, and
evaluating a new patient on American Health Front TV program.

Snoring, TMJ problems, and headaches are often very significant symptoms of sleep disorders. A sleep
breathing problem is caused by any disruption of the airflow in the airway during sleep (such as snoring),
which results in an immediate stress reaction (Fight or Flight Response). People are not usually aware of
most of these awakenings during sleep, but these stress hormones from the adrenal glands, such as
cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine have multiple severe consequences or stress responses to
sleeping bodies. Clinching or grinding of the teeth, one of the immediate responses, causes extra stress
to the jaw joints (TMJ), resulting in jaw joint pain, headaches and migraines. The other most important
damage to the body from stress hormones is excessive inflammation throughout the body. Excessive
chronic inflammation can cause joint pain, fibromyalgia, back pain, headaches, damage to the immune
system, high cholesterol, weight gain, high blood pressure, heart problems, and cognitive problems.
Most people do not realize they do not have to have sleep apnea to have a serious sleep disorder with
very severe health consequences. Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS), a sleep disorder with no
sleep apnea, is very common and results in TMJ problems, headaches and migraines, ear fullness or
ringing, dizziness and vertigo, joint pains, depression and anxiety, acid reflux or indigestion, brain fog,
insomnia, as well as multiple other symptoms from excessive inflammation due to stress hormones.
Treatment of sleep disorders by Dr. Perkins involves the wearing a unique, TMJ balanced oral appliance
(which he developed) during sleep which works by gently holding the lower jaw forward, preventing the
tongue from falling back into the airway. Sleep disorders are very insidious problems which can
drastically damage one’s health and many people are treated for the symptoms of the disorder, rather
than getting to the real cause. Good quality sleep is just as important to your health, if not more, than
diet and exercise.

Sleep apnea is just one example of a range of sleeping airway problems called Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB). For example, even though snoring is one of the most important symptoms in both adults and children, some people with these sleeping problems do not snore.

Dr. Perkins is very experienced at recognizing this problem called Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS) often found in women. People who only have a slight airway obstruction can be just as tired as someone with sleep apnea, because their sleep is still interrupted not allowing that person to get enough deep, restful, and refreshing sleep.

Most everyone who has these problems thinks that this is normal for them, because they really do not realize how good they could feel with refreshing sleep. Therefore, if you wake up tired on a daily basis, you are tired during the day, you could possibly have SDB. If you snore at any age, you are most likely to not be getting adequate sleep. Even light snoring can disrupt your sleep cycle and prevent you from getting the deep, restful sleep you need. Any regular interruption in your sleep causes your body to be stressed which then leads to multiple other symptoms. High blood pressure, depression, indigestion, headaches, backaches, and night sweats are just a few of the side effects that result from SDB. All these side effects have always been associated with stress, so it follows that stress during the night plus stress during the day is double stress.

Recent studies have linked sleep disorders with several forms of cancer, especially breast cancer in women, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and of course heart disease, just to name a few.

Be sure to take the Sleep Disorders survey and Dr. Perkins will call you.