Snoring can be more than just annoying - it can result in sleep loss for the entire family, and can indicate a serious health condition. More than one-third of adults snore at least a few nights a week. Snoring occurs when air flows past relaxed tissues in the throat, causing the tissues to vibrate with each breath, creating a loud, resonating buzz.
Lifestyle changes can help stop snoring. These include:
Losing weight
Sleeping on your side
Avoiding alcohol before bed
Using decongestants or nasal strips to open blocked nasal passages
People who snore sometimes have sleep apnea, a potentially serious sleep disorder characterized by repeated stops and starts in breathing during sleep that cause the sufferer to wake up. This can happen 20 or 30 times an hour, preventing deep, restful sleep.
Treatment for sleep apnea may include using a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) device. This machine delivers air pressure through a mask placed over your nose while you sleep, and can be prescribed for home use. Proper use of the CPAP machine is important for its success.
Some people have a nasal obstruction, such as a deviated septum or extra tissue in the throat that contributes to snoring. Surgery is an option that can correct nasal obstructions or remove excess tissue and reduce snoring.
If snoring is disrupting sleep and causing sleep loss for you or your bed partner, see your family physician. Snoring may indicate another health concern, such as sleep apnea or a nasal obstruction, and lead to daytime sleepiness, drowsy driving and chronic fatigue.
Get Help at Henry Ford
Henry Ford Health System operates one of the nation's largest and most comprehensive sleep centers, helping more than 1,200 patients annually. The team of physicians, nurses and care providers work around the clock diagnose and treat a variety of sleep disorders. Sleep studies are routinely conducted at the Center, and because Henry Ford is a research center, a variety of treatment options are available which may not be offered at other sleep centers.
