Snoring

Snoring, a symptom of a sleep disorder

An estimated 80 million people in North America snore. Taking into account the snorer’s spouse and children, as many as 160 million people are negatively affected by snoring. Snoring not only interrupts your sleep cycle, it can also be a symptom of a condition called sleep apnea. Snoring is a problem that affects 67% of adults. It is conservatively estimated over 120 million people in the United States snore every night. Snoring can cause disrupted sleep for both snorers and their sleeping.

Sleep Apnea Often snoring is dismissed as an annoyance, but it can be a sign of a very serious condition known as Obstructive Sleep Apnea OSA. Snoring is caused by a blocked airway. The tongue falls backwards during sleep and can fully or partially block the airway. The body then struggles to obtain air, and this 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, this condition is one of the signs that
sleep apnea could be right around the corner.

Apnea episodes can occur from 30 to 60 times per night. This oxygen deprivation causes people to feel exhausted when they wake up, as though they haven’t really been sleeping. They’ve spent most of the night fighting for air, so it’s no wonder they feel tired, headachy, and irritable. The lower oxygen levels also put a strain on the heart.

Fortunately, sleep apnea can be diagnosed and treated. While several treatment options exist, studies suggest that an FDA approved oral dental appliance, a mouth guard-like device, may actually have a higher success rate for those who suffer from sleep apnea and have a difficult time becoming comfortable with other treatments such as pressurized air (CPAP).