For those who have a partner who snores, it can be really an annoying problem.
According to YouGov, around 52 per cent of adults are regular snorers?
Obstructive sleep apnea: As soft tissue falls to the back of the throat, it impedes the passage of air (blue arrows) through the trachea.
Snoring is the hoarse or harsh sound that occurs when air flows past relaxed tissues in your throat. It happens upon the intake of breath during sleep, a recurrent state of reduced responsiveness to external stimulation that is accompanied by complex and predictable changes in physiology and is caused by the vibration of the soft palate and vocal cords. It is known that nearly everyone makes some noise in his or her sleep during the night, or when having a nap, during the daytime. Snoring is often associated with a sleep disorder called obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), but not all snorers have OSA.
Sleep contrasts with wakefulness, in which state there is an enhanced potential for sensitivity and efficient responsiveness to external stimuli. The sleep-wakefulness alternation is the most-striking manifestation in higher vertebrates of the more-general phenomenon of periodicity in the activity or responsivity of living tissue.
Snoring is more common in the elderly because the loss of tone in the oropharyngeal musculature promotes vibration of the soft palate and pharynx. It is also more common in men than in women, and it occurs most often in obese persons.
Children’s snoring usually results from enlarged tonsils or adenoids.
Whatever the cause, snoring is always associated with mouth breathing and can be corrected by removing obstructions to normal nasal breathing or by altering the sleeping position so that the affected individual does not lie on his back. Big problem is when there are moments when the person stops breathing. Snoring or apnoea prostheses are also very helpful devices.
A bed partner or family member may observe individual snoring or appear to stop breathing, gasp, or choke while sleeping. In severe cases this may occur once every minute during sleep and in turn may lead to profound sleep disruption. In addition, repetitive interruption of normal breathing can lead to a reduction in oxygen levels in the blood.
It can happen by people who are too fat, but also by thin persons who have a set-back chin (retrognathia), and it may be for this reason that patients of East Asian heritage are more likely to have sleep apnoea without being overweight.
Not only can snoring be annoying for the sleeper himself but also for the person accompanying him. It can be a nuisance to the partner.
“Lots of people say that they snore when they’re flat on their back,”
says Guy Leschziner, professor of neurology and sleep medicine at King’s College London and author of The Secret World of Sleep.
“The reason for that is because the tongue tends to move backward a little bit, sometimes the jaw retracts and that narrows the airway. And when the airway’s narrower and floppy, you’re more likely to get this reverberation of the soft tissues.”
In some cases, snoring can reach up to 100 decibels, the same as a passing truck, and unsurprisingly, it can have a major impact on a partner’s sleep.
Mayo Clinic in the US found that women get 13 per cent less sleep per night when their partner is snoring, something which can lead to deep resentment over time. One UK survey of 2,000 people found that 68 per cent were woken up by their other half snoring, while 12 per cent even cited it as a contributory factor for divorcing their partner.
Scientists from the Mayo Clinic in the US found that women get 13 per cent less sleep per night when their partner is snoring, something which can lead to deep resentment over time. One UK survey of 2,000 people found that 68 per cent were woken up by their other half snoring, while 12 per cent even cited it as a contributory factor for divorcing their partner.
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Please come to read more about snoring that can disturb sleep, affect your health and drive a long-suffering partner insane, but with the help of the experts you can make a change:
How to stop snoring and avoid being banished to the sofa
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