Aviara Sleep in Los Alamitos
Sleep restoration
Your body needs deep, healing sleep. Aviara Sleep looks for the structural and breathing-related causes of poor rest and treats them with airway-centered therapy.
Sleep and breathing are connected
Disrupted sleep is often the first major sign that the airway is not working as it should. Snoring, restless nights and waking tired can all trace back to how you breathe while you sleep.
We screen for airway-related sleep problems and work alongside your physician, who makes any diagnosis of sleep apnea.
What we treat
Common signs include snoring, pauses in breathing, gasping and waking through the night. Many people notice no symptoms at all.
- Snoring
- Sleep-disordered breathing
- Mild to moderate sleep apnea
- Nighttime mouth breathing
How we treat it
Your plan can draw on our breathing, mindset and lifestyle care as well, so the habits around sleep improve along with the airway itself.
- Mandibular advancement therapy
- Airway development therapy
- Breathing retraining
- Lifestyle sleep optimization
Questions we often hear
What are the warning signs of sleep apnea?
Common signs are snoring, pauses in breathing, gasping for air and waking abruptly through the night. Others include a dry throat on waking, daytime fatigue, insomnia, headaches, irritability, trouble concentrating, heartburn and lower libido. Children may have bedwetting, night terrors, hyperactivity or trouble at school. Many people notice no symptoms at all.
Can you test yourself for sleep apnea?
A home sleep test monitors your breathing and oxygen levels overnight. It can help identify a possible problem, and a physician makes the diagnosis. We assess your airway with tools such as pharyngometry and rhinometry, screen your risk, and work alongside your physician.
Do mouth guards work for sleep apnea?
A mandibular advancement device, an oral appliance that holds the lower jaw forward to keep the airway open, can reduce mild and moderate obstructive sleep apnea. More severe cases may need CPAP or other treatment, such as orthodontics.
How long should an oral appliance be worn each night?
An oral appliance works only while you wear it, so it is meant to be worn the whole time you are in bed, typically 7.5 to 8 hours. Taking it out partway through lets the airway narrow again.
What can happen if sleep apnea is left untreated?
Sleep apnea reduces the oxygen reaching the body at night and strains the heart over time. Untreated, it is linked with high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
Your provider
- Dr. Katherine Ahn Wallace, DDS Founder. Airway aesthetic dentistry, TMJ, sleep and orthodontics Diplomate, American Sleep and Breathing Academy
Begin with a conversation
Tell us what you are noticing, and we will help you decide where to start with Aviara Sleep.