For people with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), insomnia looks different from that of those who have a little caffeine too close to bedtime. For those with POTS, you can be exhausted mentally and physically and still lie wide awake in bed. Heart thumping, mind...
Histamine is best known for its role in allergic reactions—which is why relief during a reaction usually involves taking an antihistamine—but it also acts as a chemical messenger involved in wakefulness. When something triggers a flare-up of symptoms caused by the release of histamine in...
Your body relies on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) to keep countless essential functions running automatically—from your heartbeat and breathing to digestion and blood pressure. When this system isn't working properly, the resulting autonomic dysfunction can affect nearly every aspect of your health, including sleep...
If you’re experiencing sharp, needle-like pains in your skin that are affecting your sleep and general quality of life, you might be suffering from small fiber neuropathy. So, what is small fiber neuropathy? In this blog, we answer this question and explore causes, symptoms, and potential treatment...
Many people think that mouth breathing is just a harmless, albeit unflattering, habit. However, that’s just not true—the negative effects of mouth breathing include adversely affecting your jaw position, causing or increasing muscle tension, poor sleep quality, and worsening TMD (TMJ dysfunction/disorder) symptoms. Essentially, the anatomical...
When you’re an expectant mom, your support system and reading up on all things pregnancy-related will prepare you for a lot of things to change, but you may not have expected to stop sleeping well. There are many reasons why you may struggle with sleep while...
You’re probably aware that sleep deprivation can be detrimental to your health and safety, especially if you’re someone who struggles to get good sleep (or any sleep at all, for that matter). Anyone who has struggled with insomnia knows how incredibly frustrating it is to...
“Can I buy a CPAP machine without a sleep study?” There are a couple of reasons that people might ask about this. Perhaps you’ve already undergone a sleep study and received a diagnosis of sleep apnea, but you’ve never been set up with a CPAP machine....
Chin straps are trending across social media platforms for their potential to slim the face, treat sleep apnea, and reduce snoring by improving nasal breathing. But the real question is: Are chin straps worth the hype? At TMJ & Sleep Solutions of Alabama, we know you want...
What Is Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS)? Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS) is a sleep-disordered breathing condition in which the airway narrows during sleep, causing increased resistance to airflow—but not complete blockage. The body must work harder to breathe, triggering frequent sleep disruptions called respiratory effort-related...