Just Snoring or Something More? When to See a Doctor

Do you wake up in the morning to find out that your snoring kept your bed partner awake? Maybe frequent snoring often keeps you from getting a good night’s sleep, too. While snoring is common among adults, it can sometimes be more than just a nighttime nuisance. In some cases, it can be a sign of a serious sleep disorder called obstructive sleep apnea.

Why Snoring Happens

When you fall asleep, your throat and mouth muscles relax, causing your tongue to fall back and your airways to narrow. Snoring occurs when air cannot flow freely through your nose and mouth and the walls of your throat vibrate, causing the snoring sound.

Many factors can contribute to snoring, including:

• Abnormalities in the soft palate or uvala. If the back of the throat (the soft palate) or the triangle-shaped flesh hanging there (the uvala) is low or long, airways can become blocked.
• Bent or crooked nasal septum. This is the wall of cartilage and bone between your nostrils, which can cause your airway to be narrow if not straight.
• Nasal congestion. Having a cold or allergies can block your airways and lead to snoring.
• Obesity. People who are overweight can have extra tissue in the neck that can narrow airways.
• Older age. As you get older, your throat and tongue muscles become more relaxed.
• Pregnancy. Weight gain and hormonal changes can lead to snoring.
• Use of alcohol, sleeping pills, or antihistamines. These can cause your throat muscles to relax more and cause snoring.

Recognizing Sleep Apnea

Sometimes, snoring can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that causes you to partly or completely stop breathing for more than 10 seconds at a time, many times per night. Sleep apnea happens when your airway becomes blocked while you are asleep.

After you stop breathing, you might wake yourself up with a sudden gasp or snort when your airway clears again. You may not even realize that you have woken up. Sleep apnea makes it difficult to get proper rest and makes it very hard for your bed partner to sleep.

In addition to loud snoring, pauses in breathing, and gasping or snorting while sleeping, signs of sleep apnea can appear during the day. You might notice:

• Daytime sleepiness
• Mood changes
• Morning headaches
• Sexual dysfunction

If you think you might have sleep apnea, visit your doctor. He or she may refer you to a sleep center for a sleep study.

How to Reduce Snoring

If snoring keeps you or your partner from getting quality sleep, you can try making these changes to help silence the sounds.

• Avoid alcohol and medicines that cause excess sleepiness.
• Lose weight if you are overweight.
• Try a different sleep position. When you sleep on your back, gravity can cause your airways to narrow. Try to sleep on your side instead.
• Use drug-free nasal strips that widen the nostrils. You can purchase these over the counter.

If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, your doctor might recommend using a breathing device such as a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. A CPAP machine keeps your airways open so you can breathe freely while you sleep. Another option might be an oral appliance, a custom-fit device you place in your mouth to prevent blocked airways.

Sleep problems keeping you awake? Learn how the Sweetwater Sleep Center can help.