You are not alone! Recent research suggests that as many as 40%-50% of patients don’t use their prescribed CPAP machines. For those that do use it, it is a wonderful treatment often changing their lives by helping them sleep well.

Unfortunately, for many others using this bedside air breathing device is a nightmare. Patients often struggle with the hoses and masks, and they hate to travel with them. Many patients are simply just too claustrophobic with them in place. And untreated apnea can be life threatening especially in the earlier adult decades.

Luckily, for thousands of individuals, professional oral appliance therapy is now considered the standard of care but the American Academy of Sleep Medicine for mild to moderate OSA and for others who can not tolerate CPAP.

This well researched therapy involves the fitting of a custom made night time oral appliance. Current research has documented that the compliance is far greater with OAT than CPAP because of increased comfort, lack of sleeping constraints, no noise levels, and ease of transportability. Documented research also has shown that even 75% of successful CPAP users who tried OAT would in future take the OAT route even if they had to pay for it in its entirety. However, medical reimbursement for such therapy is quite common.

Patients seeking this type of treatment should be referred to dentist specifically trained in sleep disorders. These dentists work with your physician as part of your medical team in your diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care. Should you find you find oral appliance therapy an effective option for you, you may not only sleep better, but you will feel better knowing that you are treating this life threatening condition.

To find out more about oral appliance therapy visit www.FreeMeFromCPAP.com .

While preparing for a presentation on snoring, I came across some interesting facts. According to the National Association of Home Builders,
• it is estimated that by 2015, 60% of upscale home constructions will include increasingly requested “two –master bedrooms”! These extra rooms can be used for visiting in-laws, returning children and friends, and — in growing numbers — snoring spouses.

In my practice, I have found that it’s not unreasonable to estimate 30 % of our patients, before treatment, are sleeping in separate rooms.

Lack of sleep isn’t just an inconvenience for merely a few people.
Recent polls by the National Sleep Foundation found:
• 67% of people who were married or living with someone reported their partner snored.
• People who had a partner with any type of sleep problem such as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome and insomnia were more likely to say they had sleep-related problems themselves, including greater trouble falling asleep, more-frequent daytime sleepiness and fewer nights of satisfactory sleep.

These problems can lead to serious trouble. 13% of fatal car accidents are tied to drivers who drift off behind the wheel, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration . In the workplace, about $13 billion and 30 million workdays are lost each year because of sleep-related accidents on the job.

Does Your Snoring Make Your Bed Partner or Family Sick?
Sleep interruption caused by a spouse is “probably often the most common unresolved difficulty” in a marriage, Paul Rosenblatt, a professor at the University of Minnesota and author of the book, Two in a Bed: The Social System of Couple Bed Sharing. Snoring is not only affecting your sleep, but your bed partner and possibly you entire household, too. In fact, every time your wife/husband has to wake you up to tell you to roll over and stop snoring, you’re interrupting their sleep. The consequences of sleep deprivation often lead to serious health problems, including hypertension, stroke, diabetes, an increased risk for heart attacks and heart disease, depression and weight gain.

It’s rewarding for us not only to help the individual seeking help to get a better night sleep, but to be able tio bring couples back together in the same room peacefully. Sometimes patients are so quiet after treatment, that there spouses have actually awoken them up to make sure they are still breathing! We especially love to hear those stories.
You can start tonight and get the sleep you need to improve the quality of your life.

Dr. Sosenko is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and the founder of Dental Sleep Medicine of Illinois. She offers snoring and apnea patient’s relief through professional oral appliance device therapy. Visit www.TiredofSnoring.com or call her office, 630-369-5225, for more information.

You Snore. Your Bed Partner says you keep him/her up all night. How bad do you really snore?
Take this snore score test from the AWAKE group and see how you rate with other snorers.
Test and Information found below from http://www.sleepapnea.org/resources/pubs/snorescore.html.

WHAT’S YOUR SNORE SCORE?
Your answers to this quiz will help you decide whether you may suffer from sleep apnea:

Are you a loud and/or regular snorer?
 Yes  No

Have you ever been observed to gasp or stop breathing during sleep?
 Yes  No

Do you feel tired or groggy upon awakening, or do you awaken with a headache?
 Yes  No

Are you often tired or fatigued during the wake time hours?
 Yes  No

Do you fall asleep sitting, reading, watching TV or driving?
 Yes  No

Do you often have problems with memory or concentration?
 Yes  No

If you have one or more of these symptoms you are at higher risk for having obstructive sleep apnea. If you are also overweight, have a large neck, and/or have high blood pressure the risk increases even further.

If you or someone close to you answers “yes” to any of the above questions, you should discuss your symptoms with your physician or a sleep specialist. Or ask the American Sleep Apnea Association for more information on the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea. Different treatment options exist; which is right for you depends upon the severity of your apnea and other aspects of the disorder. Talk to your doctor about choices. Untreated, obstructive sleep apnea can be extremely serious and cannot be ignored.

Dr. Lydia Sosenko, of Dental Sleep Medicine of Illinois, can help you choose Oral Appliance Therapy as a treatment option for your snoring and sleep apnea. Visit www.TiredofSnoring.com for more information or call our Naperville Sleep Office, 1-800-SNORING, to schedule your consultation and to sleep!

One of our patients stopped in with a copy of this article for me, while I also received numerous emails from patients, friends and family.

Here’s the first paragraph:
By KRIS MAHER for the Wall Street Journal

For the 18 million people with obstructive sleep apnea, the remedy is far from perfect: bulky and expensive masks that some compare to sleeping in scuba gear.

As the number of people with sleep apnea is expected to rise, doctors and medical device makers are trying new treatments. New masks, while still bulky, aim to be more comfortable. Dentists have begun prescribing an appliance that draws the lower jaw forward to create more space in the airway. ( for the rest of this very informative article, please follow this link: The New Face of Sleep )

For all of you that can not tolerate your CPAP, you are not alone!
You have an alternative, Oral Appliance Therapy. I have been successfully helping sleep apnea and snoring sufferers for over 6 years. Oral Appliances are:
~comfortable
~convenient
~affordable
~FDA-approved
~physician recommended
~physician used
~EFFECTIVE

Call my office today to schedule a consultation today, and get the sleep you need!
1-800-SNORING
630-369-5508

Dr. Lydia Sosenko, for Dental Sleep Medicine of Illinois
Treating sleep apnea and snorning patients throughout the Chicagoland area, including Naperville, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Downers Grove, Batavia and Plainfield.

In fact, it’s so dangerous, the American Sleep Assocation is Hosting a conference just to address Trucking and Sleep Issues. May 11-12 in Baltimore Maryland. Visit their site at this link The American Sleep Association Sleep Apnea and Trucking Converence

Facts and Numbers of Driving and Sleep Apnea

Below are the bullet points listed from the American Sleep Association’s website:

~Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and SafetyOSA afflicts at least 20 million Americans…more than asthma or diabetes, and yet more than 85% remain undiagnosed.
~People with OSA tend to have high blood pressure, heart problems, stroke, depression and sexual dysfunction with annual health care costs TWO TIMES HIGHER than those without OSA.
~People with OSA are SIX times more likely to have a crash and SEVEN TIMES more likely to have multiple accidents.
~More than 800,000 drivers were involved in OSA-related car crashes in 2000, costing more than $15.9 billion in damage claiming 1,400 lives.
~It’s estimated that if all drivers with OSA were treated, $11.1B in damages could be saved, along with 980 lives each year.
~MOST IMPORTANTLY, accident and health risks return to NORMAL when individuals are diagnosed and treated for OSA.

At Dental Sleep Medicine of Illinois, in Naperville, we strongly urge you to find out if you do have Obstructive sleep apnea. Visit your primary care physician to learn more.

Have you been diagnosed with sleep apnea and are looking for a CPAP-alternative? We can help! Dr. Lydia Sosenko, a diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine, and general dentist, offers Oral Appliance Therapy, an effective and convenient alternative to a CPAP.

Call our office today, 1-800-SNORING, in northern Illinois, or 630-369-5508.

We Love to Help Our Patients Sleep CPAP-Free!

Fact #2: Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT is) covered by most Medical Insurance, with the exception of Medicare and Medicaid. Most medical insurance policies will cover the Oral Appliance when Obstructive Sleep Apnea is diagnosed by a medical professional.

In the case of simple snoring, most policies do not currently pay for the Oral Appliance. However, there is no question that for a snorer, the OA is the best investment he/she can make in his/her health and domestic tranquility.

Our office staff will gladly file reimbursement claims for our patients. If you are not sure if your insurance will cover your Oral Appliance, we will help you send a pre-estimate to address you financial concerns.

Our office also offers alternative Financial Assistance.

Our goal, at Dental Sleep Medicine of Illinois, is not to let expense prevent you from benefiting from the quality of care you desire and need. When the treatment needed exceeds your budget, our financial coordinator can assist you in making alternative arrangements. We offer in office payment plans and third party financing companies. Care Credit is available to all qualifying patients. It takes less than 5 minutes to be approved on-line, while you are at our office or your home. Care Credit is interest free for 12 months, allowing our patients to set up a convienent payment plan to meet their individual needs.

Call our office today, 1-800-SNORING (in Northern Illinois), 630 369-5508. We’re located less than 5 minutes from I-88, just off Ogden Avenue, between Washington St. and Naper Blvd. Our friendly staff would love to help you get the sleep you need tonight!

You’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, or you snore. You may have tried a CPAP, but just can’t tolerate it. Maybe you don’t even want to try a CPAP and are looking for an alternative treatment for your sleep apnea. You’ve seen ads in the papers and magazines for Mouth Guards, and you think this sounds like the perfect option for you.

So, what’s your next step? Finding a Dentist that can fit you for an oral appliance. In Illinois alone there are 10,035 licensed dentists. Which should you choose, you wonder? Are all Dentists trained, qualified and certified to fit and give care to sleep apnea sufferers? The fact is that most dentists are not trained in sleep apnea! The recommended guidelines of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine have recommended that oral appliance therapy should be performed by dentist specifically trained in sleep disorders. Due to the potential long term side effects that may occur as well as be prevented or managed, strong recommendations are given for the medical community to refer oral appliance therapy to members, preferably diplomates of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. Currently in Illinois, there are 11 certified diplomates of the AADSM.

Choose your Dentist wisely, look for D.ABDSM, letting you know your Dentist is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine. This Dentist will have received continuing training specializing in sleep medicine. You can feel safe and assured you will be treated by a leader in the field of Dental Sleep Medicine.

For more information, please contact our office, Dental Sleep Medicine of Illinois, 1-800-SNORING in Northern Illinois or 630 369-5508.

Our Naperville office manager, Cathy Iversen, hears this question multiple times every day. 

What’s the answer?  Yes, your medical insurance does cover Oral Appliance Therapy, with the exception of Medicare and Medicaid.

In the next few days, we’ll add a video with our office manger explaining exactly how she works with patients to ensure they receive their maximum insurance reimbursement! 

Check back, make our site one of your favorites, and keep up to date on Dr. Sosenko’s latest updates.  We’d like to help you sleep through the night, CPAP-Free!

Remember, our Naperville office is conviently located just 3 miles from I-88, 5 minutes from downtown Naperville, and 5 minutes from I-355.  Dr. Sosenko treats patients from as far North as Libertyville, Barrington and Winnetka, West through Dekalb, Sugar Grove, Batavia and South through Mokena, Palos Hills and Orland Park.

Make an appointment for a consultation.  You’ll see why patients come from all over  for Dr. Sosenko and her sleep director, Maryellen Hughes.  1-800-SNORING.

Do you suffer from APNEA? Having difficulty adjusting to sleeping with a CPAP? Dr. Lydia Sosenko, founder of Dental Sleep Medicine of Illinois, has a medically recognized option for you!   Oral appliance therapy (O.A.T.) for apnea has been endorsed by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and primary snoring!  Oral Appliances are physician recommended and FDA approved!

“Although the effectiveness of oral appliance therapy has been proven and well researched for over twenty years, many patients suffering with the symptoms of OSA are unaware that this therapy can be their best option.”

Dr. Sosenko is familiar with over 20 FDA approved appliances for snoring and apnea and is not affiliated with any particular laboratory. As a Diplomate of the AADSM (only 143 of 175,705 licensed dentists in the U.S. have attained this advanced status), she is committed to constantly increasing her knowledge in the field of sleep medicine. Call for a consultation visit with  Dr. Sosenko today to discuss which Oral Appliance may be best for you!.

Contact Dr. Sosenko of Dental Sleep Medicine of Illinois at 1-8OO-SNORING in Northern Illinois, or visit www.TiredOfSnoring.com for more information.    �
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