Snoring tends to get worse when people are tired, usually because people are trying to sleep more deeply, where the muscles in the body are more relaxed. This leads to more snoring or obstructed breathing during sleep (the problem of sleep apnea). Both snoring and sleep apnea can disrupt your and your partner's sleep, but sleep apnea causes more problems. Makes you wake up many times during the night, often panting for breath.
You may or may not be aware of these awakenings. This causes daytime fatigue and reduces functioning. Sleep apnea is associated with heart disease, stroke and obesity, and can lead to accidents because people who suffer from it are sometimes too tired to drive vehicles safely. Sleep apnea is linked to several cardiovascular problems and other medical conditions, although the evidence for some associations is stronger than for others.
There is a strong relationship between sleep apnea and hypertension (high blood pressure) and cardiac arrhythmias (disorders of irregular heartbeats). Sleep apnea is also a risk factor for stroke and can affect insulin resistance and lead to diabetes. If you regularly snore at night, it can disrupt the quality of your sleep, which can lead to daytime fatigue, irritability, and increased health problems. And if your snoring keeps your partner awake, it can also create major problems in relationships.
Fortunately, sleeping in separate bedrooms is not the only remedy for snoring. There are many effective solutions that can help both you and your partner sleep better at night and overcome the relationship problems that occur when a person snores. Snoring can itself be a symptom of a health problem such as obstructive sleep apnea. Talk to your doctor if you are too sleepy during the day, if you snore often or very loudly, or if your partner notices that he sometimes stops breathing completely.
You may need medical help so that you (and your loved ones) can sleep well at night. Snoring occurs when air cannot flow freely through the airways when inhaling and exhaling during sleep. When the airways are narrowed or partially blocked, breathing causes the tissues of the upper airways to vibrate, producing the sound you hear when someone snores. There are many possible reasons why a person may have a chronic narrowing or blockage of the airways during sleep that causes snoring.
Snoring ranges from quiet vibrations or whistles to grunts, snorts or very loud noises. Some people may not realize that they snore when they sleep. People who snore may spin and around at night, have a dry and sore throat when they wake up, and feel tired during the day. Lack of sleep can lead to headaches, difficulty concentrating and a bad mood.
In addition to snoring, some people gasp for breath and stop breathing for a few seconds while they sleep. These are signs of sleep apnea, a disorder that leads to serious health problems if left untreated. It is not clear exactly why people who smoke are more likely to snore, but researchers propose that it may be due to swelling of the upper airways and edema in smokers. In addition, you may snore and not know it, especially if your bed partner is a heavy sleeper or if you sleep alone.
These approaches have been shown to be effective in some patients with OSA, but more research is needed to show if they are effective in people who snore but do not have OSA. When someone who doesn't snore feels like they've done everything they can to sleep through the night (earplugs, sound machines, etc. For example, people are more likely to snore if they have a deviated septum, which is when the wall between the nostrils is bent or skewed to one side. Usual snoring occurs in about 40% of adult women and 57% of adult men, and some people snore regularly without any other sleep-related symptoms.
But some people who snore may have apnea and don't know it because nighttime disorders and daytime fatigue are subtle, Dr. Since people snore for different reasons, it is important to understand the causes of snoring. People who snore often have too much nasal and throat tissue or “soft” tissue that is more likely to vibrate. Research on snoring has shown that the frequency and intensity of snoring decreases in some patients when they are lying on their side, which is also called the lateral position.
Your provider will ask you (and perhaps your partner) several questions, including how often you snore, what you sound like, and how your diet and lifestyle affect your sleep. . .
