Snoring is considered a ‘benign difficulty’ by most people who snore. A bit of a joke really. But it is no joke to people who have to listen to it. No joke at all. Snoring can also be a sign that there is a deeper problem. It is similar to obstructive sleep apnoea, but is not necessarily the same.
It is equivalent to obstructive sleep apnoea too in that the sufferer is rarely aware of the difficulty – that is left to a sleeping partner or everyone else in the house.
Deprivation of sleep might sound like bad luck or something that can be caught up on the next day, but in actual fact it goes far deeper than that. Those who have not had a decent night’s sleep find it hard to concentrate and might even nod off. This is naturally not a sensible idea if you are a driver.
Sleep apnoea causes a loss of quality sleep on a regular basis and so it is no surprise that sufferers of obstructive sleep apnoea run three times more risk of a driving accident or a serious accident at work than others. That is bad enough, but the sleeping partner of a sufferer of obstructive sleep apnoea runs the same increased risk.
Apnoea also puts more strain on the heart and is a major issue in high blood pressure. It also starves the brain of oxygen with whatever effects that may have.
There are several methods of treating snoring (apnoea is normally treated with an oxygen mask known as CPAP).
There are nose strips which stop the walls of the nose collapsing and reverberating, if that is your problem. There are extraordinary pillows that raise the head decreasing the weight of a heavy neck on the windpipe. There are dental appliances to stop the tongue and other parts slipping back into the airway causing an obstruction. There is acupuncture and there is hypnotism.
However, it is worth saying, that most of the loudest snorers are overweight. For these people, the first approach has to be to lose weight, because that will also benefit them in many other ways too.
Individuals find that changing their sleeping position assists with their snoring. The worst position for snoring is lying on your back. Lying on your side is a good way of decreasing snoring as can lying on your front.
The thing to bear in mind is the weight of your skin and flesh weighing down on your airways, especially on your throat. There is also the problem of your tongue and palate falling into the back of your throat and either vibrating or blocking the passage – lying on your side or front stops this happening.
Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is now concerned with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. If you want to know more, please visit our web site at Sleep Apnea Surgery Techniques