According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, 45 percent of adults snore occasionally, so it is likely that you or someone you know has lost sleep because of “sawing logs.” Perhaps even you have enraged your bed partner by making such sounds. Common snoring, however, may not be annoying just to the person listening; it could be keeping you from a night of well-rested sleep. In serious cases, snoring can be part of a bigger problem called sleep apnea.
What is Snoring?
Dr. Tareck Kadrie, medical director of Premier Sleep Diagnostic Center, explains, “Snoring is caused by the physical obstruction of the flow of air through the mouth and nose. The walls of the throat can vibrate during breathing, causing snoring. Air flow can be obstructed by obstructed nasal airways (i.e. deviated septum, allergies, nasal polyps), bulky throat tissue, long soft palate and uvula, and poor muscle tone in the throat and tongue.”
While you’re sleeping, the muscles in the back of the roof of your mouth (the soft palate), your tongue, and your throat relax. If they are over-relaxed, they can block your airway. As you breathe, your soft palate and uvula vibrate and knock against the back of your throat. This causes the sounds you hear during snoring. The tonsils and adenoids may also vibrate. The narrower the airway is, the more the tissue vibrates, and the louder the snoring is.
Dr. Daniel Smith, a specialist in pulmonary care at The Chattanooga Sleep Center, explains that although snoring may keep you from a fully restful sleep, the sound itself will only bother others. “Your brain recognizes it’s you making the sounds,” he says, “whereas anyone else’s brain is constantly monitoring for foreign sounds.”
How to Stop Snoring
For many, avoiding foods that are high in fat content and drinking less alcohol will make the greatest difference. Lose weight if you are overweight, as excess weight can cause throat tissue to become bulky and narrow airways. Quit smoking to reduce inflammation and swelling in the airway. Limit medicines and sedatives before bed. Sleep on your side and not your back. Nose strips, decongestants, or nasal steroid sprays can also make breathing easier, helping to prevent snores and deepen sleep.
Some snorers have found that raising the head of their bed by four to six inches has helped reduce snoring and breathing trouble. Simply putting bricks under the legs of the bed and sleeping at a slight incline can help prevent the tongue from falling toward the back of the throat and becoming an obstruction for the airway.
If these treatments don’t work, you may be able to use a machine that helps you breathe while you sleep. This treatment is called continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP. In rare cases, your doctor may suggest surgery to open your airway. A CPAP machine and surgery are most common among those suffering from sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea is Serious
More than just a nighttime annoyance, chronic snoring is often a symptom and sign of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which the sleeper has one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while asleep. Obstruction of the airway keeps people with sleep apnea from sinking into full sleep. Rather, they sleep lightly, keeping their throat muscles flexed, struggling to breathe evenly.
In addition to inhibiting good rest, insufficient breath causes blood oxygen levels to drop, raising the person’s heart rate and blood pressure. Sleep apnea can lead to serious health problems including heart disease, sexual dysfunction, and depression. The stress of lowering oxygen levels in the blood leads to the production of adrenaline, which increases blood sugar, eventually putting the sleeper at risk for diabetes.
Call your doctor if you or your bed partner snores loudly and heavily; experiences excessive daytime sleepiness; falls asleep at inappropriate times, such as when talking or while eating; stops breathing, gasps, or chokes during sleep. These are indicators of sleep apnea.
Diagnosing Sleep Apnea
Dr. Anuj Chandra, a board-certified sleep medicine specialist and director of the Advanced Center for Sleep Disorders, says that sleep apnea is often mistaken for other, better-known diseases. When a patient presents with disturbed sleep, “the number one misdiagnosis with sleep apnea is depression,” says Dr. Chandra. In those cases, a doctor believes the patient might be depressed and prescribes them antidepressants, which in the case of sleep apnea sufferers, will do no good. In other cases, patients may complain of needing to use the bathroom four times per night. A doctor may diagnose this as an enlarged prostate when, in fact, the cause is sleep apnea or sleep disordered breathing, according to Dr. Chandra.
Treating Sleep Apnea: CPAP Machines and More
Many of the treatments for mild sleep apnea are the same for common snoring. A CPAP machine is a very common treatment for sleep apnea. “This machine delivers forced air through a tube and mask,” says Dr. Kadrie. “That far and away is the most common treatment for sleep apnea. For people with milder sleep apnea, there are also some oral appliances or dental devices that can help eliminate it.”
There are also surgical options in which the uvula is removed or shortened, and tonsils are taken out, if present. These procedures permanently correct obstructions of the airway, whereas a CPAP machine simply suppresses them with non-invasive positive air flow.
“Snoring itself does not constitute sleep apnea,” says Dr. Kadrie, “but the cardinal symptoms are chronic snoring, non-refreshing sleep, and daytime sleepiness.” Dr. Chandra recommends that anyone who feels they might have chronic snoring or sleep apnea should take the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, a free, quick, and simple way to find out if you should consult a doctor about your fatigue.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, mouth guards, or oral appliances, can also be used to treat sleep apnea. Sleep apnea mouth guards keep your airway open while you sleep. This can help you sleep better and reduce the amount of times sleep apnea wakes you up in the night.
Dr. Smith says that your bed partner’s complaints of snoring should merit investigation. “We’ll recommend a sleep study,” says Dr. Smith. “That’s the best way to evaluate those complaints and figure out whether there’s anything significant enough that treatment might be needed.” If you are among the millions of Americans affected by chronic snoring, make it a priority to quiet the “sawing logs” and get checked out by a doctor – it could be more serious than you think.
Snoring Remedies
While more serious cases may need help from a doctor, less serious snoring cases may be helped with different sleep aids. If you’re looking to improve sleep for you and your bed partner, check out the products below:
- Unisom SleepTabs: These SleepTabs work as an effective sleep aid to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Simply take one tablet 30 minutes prior to going to bed to encourage a restful night’s sleep. These tablets are non-habit forming and can be purchased in packs of 32 or 80.
- Breathe Right Nasal Strips: Nasal strips can help open your nose to relieve nasal congestion.They can improve nasal airflow while sleeping by up to 31 percent. These strips are drug-free and can be used to improve airflow while sleeping, exercising, or traveling.
- Anti-snoring Chin Strap: Anti-snoring chin straps help keep your mouth closed while sleeping, which can effectively reduce snoring. Made out of breathable material, this chin strap is comfortable to sleep in and can help both you and your partner get a restful night’s sleep.
- Disposable CPAP Filters: For those that use a CPAP machine to reduce snoring and symptoms of sleep apnea, check out this one-year supply of disposable CPAP filters. This pack boasts high-quality filtration and is compatible with all ResMed CPAP devices.
- Anti-snoring Nose Clip: Similar to the chin strap, this nose clip is a simple way to stop snoring. Designed to maximize airflow through the nasal passage, this clip can reduce snoring and is made of soft silicone, making it comfortable to sleep in.
