Is Your Snoring a Sign of Something More Serious?

You feel like you are finally about to drift into a pleasant snooze when your partner erupts in a string of never-ending snores, making it difficult to even think about sleeping.

Now, you stress about reaching the deep sleep phase before your partner falls asleep so that you can have a better rest. However, if you or your partner are regular snorers, it is essential to understand both of you may be suffering from specific underlying health problems.

Snoring is often perpetuated by alcoholism, weight gain, or genetics (to name a few), but unfortunately, snoring is also a result of more serious conditions, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cardiovascular disease.

Understanding obstructive sleep apnea

When your body experiences sleep apnea, your upper airway either partially or entirely collapses, resulting in difficulties breathing. Eventually, the collapsed airway will force you to snap out of your slumber, and if your upper airway gives out throughout the night, you will become susceptible to a growing number of repercussions and ailments.

If you are a consistent snorer and you experience daytime drowsiness, headaches in the morning, oblivion, and anxiety or depression, then you may suffer from sleep apnea.

OSA may negatively influence specific areas of your life. For example, if you feel exhausted throughout the day due to a lack of deep, restorative sleep, your chances of being in a car accident increase. Your organs, how well your ability to remember things, your work performance, and your metabolism will all feel the detriments that come with OSA.

Experiencing deep sleep

It is vital for your body to fall into the three major stages of sleep – first, you begin to drift into sleep, then your body gets ready for the deep sleep phase, thirdly you enter deep sleep where your immune system restores, and lastly the R.E.M phase where you dream. When you snore, the air flowing into your lungs is disrupted, and some people may be unable to breathe for a few seconds. Sometimes you may not recognize that your snoring is disturbing your sleep.

While you are in the deep sleep phase, your body releases the human growth hormone, which helps to improve your skin, bulk your muscles, and stimulate your bones. It is important to remember that poor nights of sleep on a consistent basis affect your heart, blood pressure, and may increase your chance of developing diabetes.

If snoring or sleep apnea disrupts your sleep and you fail to endure the deep sleep phase, your mind and body will not feel fully recovered and rested come morning.

Learning about other factors that perpetuate snoring

It is common for people suffering from colds or allergies to snore – snoring is only a worrying issue when it is occurring on a regular basis.

If you or your partner snore throughout the night, it may be due to some of these underlying factors:

• Obesity not only shows in your stomach, but it also affects your throat. If you are overweight, the chances are that fat is growing in your throat and influencing how well you breathe while you sleep.
• When you drink alcohol, the muscles in your neck relax, which increases your chances of snoring. If you want to limit how much you snore, try to avoid drinking alcohol three hours before bedtime.
• Smoking directly affects your upper airways, resulting in more snoring and disturbed sleep.

Snoring may increase your chances of experiencing cardiovascular disease

Whether you have sleep apnea or not, snoring may heighten your chances of getting cardiovascular disease. Researchers from the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit state that snorers have a higher chance of experiencing cardiovascular disease than those who are overweight and smoke (although both obesity and smoke can trigger snoring).

If you snore often, your carotid arteries have a higher chance of thickening, which influences how much oxygen is flowing in and out of your brain and neck. The more you snore, the more likely your arteries could harden.

The study highlights the fact that a snorer without sleep apnea can still get cardiovascular disease.

Investing in ways to snore less

To help clear your nasal passage, you can engage in fun and straightforward exercises like strengthening your neck muscles, belting your favorite songs for 20 minutes a day, working out your tongue and jaw, as well as doing cardio to lose some of the excess fat that could be clogging your airways.

Another solution is the SnoreRx or similar mandibular advancement device.   SnoreRx reviews can help you decide if this device is for you.

When your partner keeps you awake at night with their snoring (or vice versa), you may want to consider paying a visit to the doctor so they can help you become aware of any underlying issues. Understanding what could be perpetuating you and your partner’s snoring could help to benefit both of you in many ways, whether that be exercising more, limiting your alcohol intake, smoking less (or not at all), and as a result, your sleep and overall health will improve!