Do you have trouble sleeping because of a loved one's snoring? Believe it or not, snoring can be more disruptive to the person snoring than it is to you.
Snoring is caused by a blocked airway. It is often dismissed as an annoyance, but it can actually be a sign of a very serious condition known as obstructive sleep apnea. The tongue falls backward during sleep and can fully or partially block the airway. There is then a struggle to obtain air, and this is what causes the vibration we call snoring. Much of the time the body will continue to get just enough air so there will be very little harm. However, snoring is a condition that means sleep apnea could be right around the corner.
Apnea episodes can occur from 6 to 100 times per hour. The oxygen deprivation causes people to feel exhausted when they wake up, as though they haven’t really been sleeping. It is no wonder they feel tired, headachy, and irritable because they’ve spent most of the night fighting for air.
The lower oxygen levels caused by snoring also put a strain on the heart. Because of this, snoring and obstructive sleep apnea are considered medical problems.
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