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Sleep disorders
Sleep disorders may be accompanied by nocturnal
bruxism (clenching and grinding the
teeth).
(link:
headache)
(link: craniomandibular disorders)
Sleep disorders come in many varieties.
Some of the most common include episodic sleep apnea, which may in severe
cases lead to life-threatening changes in physiological parameters (fall
in partial oxygen pressure, increased carbon dioxide levels, and so on).
These episodes may occur up to 20 or 30 times per hour
of sleep, producing headache upon waking, a feeling of fatigue,
arrhythmia, hypertension and cardiovascular disorders.
In cases of mild sleep apnea, the use of
intra-occlusal mouthpieces has been suggested as an effective way of
achieving mandibular advancement and freeing the upper airways.
Recent studies suggest the use of stabilization bites
(e.g. the Michigan splint or the Ciancaglini FLOS/MARES) instead of a
repositioning device, which appears to aggravate the apnea
(Levigne 2005 - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/index.htm
- National Institutes of Health). | 
