Making noise in the bedroom usually indicates a healthy sex life. Unfortunately, for half of all adults, that noise often sounds suspiciously like an asthmatic pug.
And before you point a finger at your bloke, an estimated 33 per cent of WH readers are regular snorers.Besides being embarro, snoring can do more than just keep your neighbours awake. “We consider snoring innocuous, but it’s an early warning sign that something is starting to go wrong with your body,” says sleep specialist Dr Rubin Naiman.OK, let’s back up a second. When you’ve got a healthy airway – that is, you’re not a snorer – the muscles between your nose and voice box loosen up as images
of Jon Hamm fill your head, but air continues to pass through. If anything narrows the airway, however, your body has to work harder to push the air through.
As a result, your throat muscles vibrate and can reach a decibel level equal to light highway traffic. “The muscles are left flapping in the breeze,” says sleep medicine specialist, Dr Rochelle Goldberg.
Disturb the peace
If you drink like a sailor, you’ll sleep like one, too. Alcohol (as well as cold medicines and sleep aids) relaxes the throat muscles, creating slack in the air passages and accompanying sound effects. Cigarette smoke (even second-hand) can have similar effects.Another common culprit is congestion in the lungs and nose from asthma, allergies, a cold or a sinus infection. If the cause of your night noise is temporary like one of these, you can relax about the long-term health risks. But chronic snoring (read: a nightly snorefest) could indicate part of your anatomy is constricting your airway – and that’s a bigger problem. A receding jaw, deviated septum, large tonsils, tongue, uvula (the punching bag dangling in the back of your throat) or adenoids (glands that sit at the top of your throat to catch germs) are all possible culprits. A doctor can diagnose you, so get to your GP if you’re snoring every night.Bumps in the night
You sure don’t need another reason to hit the gym, but it’s worth knowing that carrying excess weight is a leading cause of snoring. One of the few things that shrinks as your waistline grows is your airway – extra weight narrows the breathing passages and restricts airflow. Add to that gravity as you lie down to sleep and your airway can become so blocked that it closes completely, sometimes for more than a minute. Yikes.You’ll be jerked awake hundreds of times a night as your body responds to the choking. This is known as sleep apnoea. “Someone with severe apnoea can cut the oxygen supply to their brain in half several times a night,” says sleep disorder specialist, Dr Joyce Walsleben.Lack of sleep and oxygen wreaks more havoc on your body than any all-nighter you may have pulled back in your days at uni. A study by the University of California Los Angeles, US, found significant damage to areas of the brain that deal with speech, coordination and emotion in people suffering from sleep apnoea.
As though brain damage and exhaustion aren’t bad enough, sleep apnoea can also lead to increased blood pressure, hypertension, irregular heartbeat and, in rare cases, heart failure or stroke. And then there’s the matter of your relationship. A study by Rush University Medical Center, US, found that a snoring problem can strain marital relations and cause resentment. Oh dear.
Breathing easier
Aside from an annoyed bedmate, waking up with a dry mouth, sore throat or headache on a regular basis is one clue you may be a snorer. But for a proper analysis, your GP can refer you to a sleep lab. If your doctor concludes that the cause of your snoring is, say, large tonsils, she may recommend you wear a mandibular advancement splint in your mouth at night. It’s a small plastic device that pushes the lower jaw forward, keeping your tongue clear of the back of your throat. Surgery might be considered in extreme cases, but is not always a permanent cure.Recently, some non-traditional measures that help strengthen the lungs have been successful, too. A study published in the British Medical Journal found that playing the didgeridoo led to a decrease in snoring. If you don’t have one handy, brass and woodwind instruments may have the same effect. And practising for The Voice could help, too.“Singing tones the throat muscles,” Dr Naiman says. “I never met a singer [he’s treated a few] with a serious snoring or sleep apnoea problem.” Get your Beyonce on.
Snoring decoder
All nocturnal noises aren’t created equal. According to Dr Charles Kimmelman, a clinical associate professor of otolaryngology at Cornell University’s Weill Medical College, US, the type of snore helps decipher the problem. Here’s your snoring symphony deciphered.Also Take A Look At:
| SOUND | SOURCE | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -Snorting and wheezing | -Allergies or a deviated septum | ||||
| -Low-pitched, guttural rumbling (like a lawnmower) | -A heavy obstruction of the airway, such as the base of the tongue | ||||
| -High-pitched whistling | -A partial obstruction of the airway, such as an enlarged part of the soft palate | ||||
| -Grunting and choking | -Sleep apnoea, which starts as a crescendo of noise followed by excruciating silence when breathing stops, and then a snort or a gasp as the body jolts itself to start oxygen flowing again | ||||
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