Snoring (stertor) is troubled breathing due to blockage of air flow in the nose and mouth. Struggling to breathe while sleeping causes the area where the top of the throat and tongue join to the uvula and soft palate to bang together and vibrate. This causes the sometimes loud noises of snoring. Often, snoring may also be a symptom of more serious disorders. Snoring may be linked to obesity and aging, and may increase when sedatives or alcohol are used. Eating right before bedtime may also increase incidence of snoring. Snoring is more common in adult males than women. The American Academy of Otolaryngology notes that 45 percent of healthy adults exhibit occasional snoring while 25 percent are routine snorers.
Sleep Deprivation
Snoring may cause frequent disruptions in sleep. Ongoing snoring may lead to sleep deprivation that can affect your quality of life. Lack of sleep may impact mood, stress levels, sexuality, ability to resist overeating and many other areas of life.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea refers to a cessation of breathing for short periods. Each episode of sleep apnea will have a duration of more than 10 seconds. There may be up to seven occurrences of sleep apnea in an hour, and up to 30 to 300 sleep apnea episodes a night, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology. Sleep apnea may lower blood oxygen amounts, which changes the pumping rhythm of the heart. Blood pressure levels may rise with ongoing sleep apnea. Also, the heart may increase in size as this disorder progresses.
Relationship Stress
The noise of snoring may add stress to a relationship. If one partner cannot sleep due to the noise of the other partner's snoring, the relationship may become more difficult. Snoring makes the bed a kind of torture chamber with partners waking up over and over due to the loud snoring. Irritation increases when someone is sleep deprived and feeling upset at the partner who snores.
Loss of Motivation for Exercise
Snoring may weaken willpower when it comes to motivation for exercise. Snoring leaves a person exhausted, therefore she may be unwilling to exert the energy needed for exercise. Over time, snoring may lead to an overall decline in health.
Hazardous Driving
Snoring may cause a person to be distracted and drowsy while driving due to exhaustion. Sleep deprivation impacts the ability to stay focused and function safely while driving.
Work Problems
A person who snores may start to have problems at work due to lack of sleep. Being unusually tired at work lessens productivity and threatens the ability to focus on detailed work.
