What's Keeping You Up at Night?

Snoring Sleep Apnea Insomnia I'm Not Sure

Snoring? It Could Be Serious.

If snoring is keeping you up at night, you’re in good company. Among adults aged 30 to 60, an estimated 45% of men and 28% of women snore on a regular basis, and many more of us snore periodically when congested from a cold or seasonal allergies. 

Is snoring always a sign of a more serious health concern such as obstructive sleep apnea? No. 

But even mild snoring disrupts sleep cycles for both parties — and in especially loud cases, others nearby. Sometimes the one snoring does not even realize it until the polite nudges escalate  to an all-out sleep divorce. 

Whether you’re losing sleep from a partner who snores, or you realize your snoring is rattling loved ones, it’s helpful to understand symptoms, causes, risks associated with snoring, so that you know what treatments to explore. 

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Symptoms Causes Risks Treatment
Symptoms

You Know You’re Snoring When…

The most obvious symptom is the sound, which can range from gentle purring to honking. (Some snores can even match the 60-decibel level of a loud conversation or washing machine.) A bed partner will red-flag the snoring. But if you sleep alone, you probably don’t realize you are snoring but wonder why you wake up frequently or feel tired — even when you turn in early.

Whether the partner you share a bed with points out the snoring or not, you’ll likely experience one or many of these side effects.

  • Daytime sleepiness
  • Frequently waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat
  • Gasping or choking during sleep
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Lack of concentration and irritability
  • Pauses in breathing, heard by your bed partner
  • Rising to morning headaches

The collective impact of these symptoms interferes with quality of life. Even light snoring that seems harmless can interrupt sleep cycles and keep you from getting deep, restorative sleep.

Causes

Why Do We Snore?

Snoring occurs when air passes across the relaxed tissues of your upper airway. As you unwind and slip into slumber, muscles in the back of the mouth naturally relax and your breath can cause tissue to flap, vibrate, or rattle, producing rumbling or whistling sounds.

There are a number of reasons why people snore.

  • Excess weight and extra tissue around the neck area
  • Basic anatomy is a factor, such as having a small mouth and disproportionally large tongue, nasal polyps, a deviated septum (crooked or bent wall between the nostrils), and swollen tonsils or adenoids.
  • Sleeping position, specifically when lying on your back. Gravity works. Your tongue and soft tissues can disrupt your airway. You’ll know if your partner frequently rolls you to a slide-sleeping position, or if you’re the one who is (lovingly) pushed aside.
  • Alcohol can also cause snoring, as tissues relax even more with alcohol consumption, increasing the likelihood of snoring.
  • Some medications that contribute to snoring include the obvious, muscle relaxants, along with sleeping pills, and pain medications. The common denominator is air crossing over loose tissue.
Risks

Is Snoring a Health Concern?

Occasional, light snoring that does not interrupt you or your partner’s sleep is usually harmless. But snoring might be a problem when it’s loud and chronic, there are pauses in breathing, or fatigue is degrading your daytime activities and mood.

Consistent, disruptive snoring can also take a toll on relationships and is worth addressing for this reason, alone, not to mention the following risks that impact quality of life and health over time.

  • Decreased blood oxygen levels
  • Hypertension
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Daytime fatigue
  • High blood pressure
  • Diabetes
  • Heart disease
Treatment

Time to Stop Snoring

You can reduce snoring with basic lifestyle changes including losing weight, reducing alcohol consumption, avoiding sedatives, and sleeping on your side. Smoking also tends to increase the chances of snoring. Quitting is healthy across the board and will benefit sleep.

Other methods of treatment for snoring include:

  • Nasal strips that open airway passages
  • Internal nasal dilators open up nostrils to improve breathing
  • Mouthpieces that reposition the jaw
  • Address congestion with nasal sprays, antihistamines, or saline treatments that address congestion

If your bed partner reports serious snoring and observed pauses in breath or choking in your sleep, a medical evaluation is in order. This can include an at-home sleep test or an overnight sleep study in a clinical setting to identify if sleep apnea is the cause. Depending on the severity, this sleep disorder requires specific treatment such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy.

Is Your Snoring a Health Risk?

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