Sound Advice on Snoring
Snoring is an annoyingly familiar sound to most people, affecting almost half of all adults in the U.S., according to the National Sleep Foundation. Occasional snoring is not a serious concern, but chronic snoring can provide an audible signal of underlying health issues, and point to an increased risk for high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Here’s how to listen to what your body is trying to tell you.
First understand what triggers the variety of unusual and sometimes incredibly loud sounds that occur when you snore. When you fall into a deep sleep, your muscles relax, including those in the upper airways such as the mouth, tongue and throat. This muscle relaxation can narrow or even obstruct the airway, creating a forceful airflow, and in turn, cause tissue vibration — producing the sound of snoring. The narrower the obstruction, the louder the snore. There is a strong possibility that even if you did not snore as a younger adult, as your muscles become increasingly relaxed during the aging process, you may begin to snore.
If snoring is making it difficult for your partner to sleep, sometimes a change as simple as sleeping on your stomach or not drinking alcoholic beverages within a few hours before bedtime can help. Take a look at the pillow you use too. Make sure it sufficiently lifts your upper body as this may help reduce airway compression from the head falling back due to an unsupportive pillow or being pushed too far forward by a pillow that’s excessively thick and/or firm.
Consider the cause
Habitual snoring can be caused by:
- Nasal problems, such as chronic nasal congestion, or a deviated septum that occurs when the thin wall separating the nostrils is crooked or off-center, causing reduced airflow through the nasal passages.
- Anatomical abnormalities. A low, thick soft palate, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, and a large uvula are all tissues that can obstruct airways when too large.
- Fatty tissue around the jaw and throat can cause tissues to collapse into the throat, obstructing the airway.
- Sleep position. Snoring is typically most frequent and loudest if you sleep on your back, as gravity’s effect on the throat narrows the airway.
One of the most serious causes of snoring, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), affects nearly half of people who snore. It’s characterized by loud snoring followed by periods of silence when breathing stops or nearly stops. Eventually, this reduction or pause in breathing may cause you to wake up, often with a loud snort or gasping sound. People with OSA usually experience periods when breathing slows or stops at least five times during every hour of sleep.
Many people may not realize they have OSA until observed by someone who watches them sleep. To definitively diagnose OSA, patients undergo an overnight sleep study, a polysomnography, conducted in a controlled setting. Brain activity, blood oxygen level, heart rhythms, breathing rate, eye and leg movements and sleep stages are monitored and recorded.
If diagnosed, OSA can be addressed in several ways. One option is an oral appliance, a form-fitting dental mouthpiece that helps advance the position of your jaw, tongue and soft palate to keep your air passage open. For others, we may prescribe a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine which blows pressurized air into a mask worn while you’re sleeping. This has proven to be the most reliable and effective treatment for OSA and treating sleep apnea is of great importance as it (sleep apnea) has been found to increase the risk of dementia. Less commonly recommended are surgical procedures to open the upper airway and prevent narrowing during sleep. As always, we will work with you to determine your best course of treatment.