We all sleep—though some of us rest more soundly than others. Dr. Holly Ellis of Ellis Sleep Center helps patients who struggle to get enough rest, particularly ones suffering from sleep-related breathing problems, such as sleep apnea and snoring. Ellis is among a growing number of general dentists who have integrated sleep medicine into their practices in recent years. Although such a combination might seem unexpected on the surface, there’s a clear connection between dentistry and sleep. “We see our patients at least twice a year typically, and we’re already talking to them about things like snoring, whether they’re tired during the day, and obstructive sleep apnea risk factors,” Ellis says. “If we notice our patients have those risk factors, then we can recommend a sleep study.” Ellis shared some helpful advice for getting a good night’s rest, even for those who aren’t dealing with serious sleep issues.
Is there a way to prepare for sleep so you get the most out of it? Just like we want patients to see light in the morning, we want it to be dark at night. That means turning off the lights and staying away from electronics an hour before bed. Reading a book is great. But when we watch TV or use our phones or iPads, the bright lights make it hard for bodies to know it’s time to go to bed.
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Do over-the-counter supplements, such as melatonin, help? If you’re going to get on something like that, I think you need to get the blessing of your primary care doctor or sleep doctor. What I’ve learned is that over-the-counter melatonin isn’t regulated, so it can be misleading. It’s always better to have a physician recommend a brand or dosage.
Do you have any tips for folks who struggle to get out of bed after waking up? If you have an alarm, place it out of reach—if you can easily hit snooze, then you can just keep pressing it. If you move the alarm clock into the bathroom or somewhere you have to get up and walk to, chances are you’re going to get up.
Is napping OK, or does it contribute to a patient’s sleep problems at night? Naps are OK when they’re 20-minute catnaps. We get concerned when people are taking two-hour naps. The typical adult shouldn’t need that. Something else is going on if you’re that tired that you could fall asleep and stay asleep. The best way to get our bodies to function is to get our sleep at nighttime. One of my goals with patients is to get them sleeping at night and not napping during the day. But a 15- or 20-minute catnap here or there is OK.
What’s the biggest misconception about sleep apnea? Oftentimes, when I first start talking to patients, they’re immediately like, “I snore, but I’m fine. I sleep all night.” Patients think they sleep OK, but it’s not until we treat them that they realize how tired they really were. It’s not just an old fat man’s disease, which I think people thought of it as for many years. I deal with lots of people who have sleep apnea, and it makes such a difference once you get treated.
How much has the pandemic affected our quality of rest? I now have more sleep patients who have anxiety. They might not go to sleep because their minds are racing. That’s different than a problem with your airway, but I recommend these patients talk to their primary care doctor and see what else they can do to calm their mind.
