Sleep-Disordered Breathing

Sleep Disordered Breathing

When breathing at night isn’t as easy as it should be

Sleep disordered breathing shows up differently in every patient — snoring, mouth breathing, restless sleep, or waking up unrefreshed can all be signs that something is interfering with easy, restorative breath at night. We evaluate the full picture: nasal airway patency, tonsil and soft palate findings, tongue posture and function, and how facial growth may be narrowing the airway over time. For children especially, we look at how early feeding, nursing, and breathing patterns shaped craniofacial development, since these patterns often explain the breathing difficulties families are seeing now. Our goal is to identify the root cause of disrupted breathing — not just treat the symptom — and to build a plan that supports easier, more consistent nasal breathing for the whole family.

Common Signs

• Snoring or witnessed breathing pauses
• Habitual mouth breathing
• Restless sleep, bedwetting, or night terrors (children)
• Waking unrefreshed or with morning headaches
• Daytime fatigue affecting school, work, or driving

Why It Happens

Nasal obstruction, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, low tongue posture, and narrow dental arches from restricted craniofacial growth can all reduce the space available for easy nasal breathing — forcing the body to compensate in ways that disrupt sleep.

What to Expect at Your Visit

• Airway and sleep screening (Epworth Sleepiness Score, STOP-BANG where applicable)
• Oropharyngeal assessment (tonsils, soft palate, uvula, Mallampati class)
• Nasal airway evaluation, including Cottle maneuver
• Review of prior or newly ordered sleep study results

Treatment Options

• Nasal breathing retraining (Buteyko method, nasal hygiene)
• Myofunctional therapy
• Oral appliance therapy
• Guided growth appliances for children with restricted development
• Referral to ENT or sleep physician when indicated