Let’s face it, you’ve had a hard day at work, you are tired and all you want to do is climb in your bed and get some real sleep so you can be ready to fight another day. It’s all good, right? One problem…your partner keeps shoving and pushing you to stop that noise. Yep, you’re snoring again. What’s even worse is there are times you’ve awakened yourself to the buzzzzzing noise. Approximately 90 million American adults — 37 million on a regular basis snore. Snoring may occur nightly or intermittently. … About one-half of people who snore loudly have obstructive sleep apnea.
What Causes That?
While you sleep, the muscles of your throat relax and your tongue falls to the back of your throat. As you breathe, the walls of the throat begin to vibrate – generally when you breathe in, but also, when you breathe out. These vibrations create the sound of snoring. The smaller the airway becomes, the greater the vibration and the louder the snoring. If the airway becomes completely occluded or blocked, this creates a condition called apnea (cessation of breathing).
There are a few factors that can lead to snoring
Aging
Nasal or sinus problems
Alcohol, smoking, and medications.
Obesity
Or even sleeping position.
How Do You Know?
So how do you know if it is more than a snore? Normal snoring doesn’t interfere with the quality of your sleep. Look for the following signs to indicate that the problem may be more serious:
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Morning headaches
- Recent weight gain
- Awakening in the morning not feeling rested
- Awaking at night feeling confused
- Change in your level of attention, concentration, or memory
- Observed pauses in breathing during sleep
- You stop breathing, gasp, or choke during sleep.
- You fall asleep at inappropriate times, such as during a conversation or a meal.
Track your snoring, have a partner help. If you find that one or more of the above apply to you, seek help. There are many options that can help in the treatment of sleep apnea. Sleep dentistry is on the forefront of helping those with sleep and breathing disorders. Especially those who are non-CPAP compliant. Contact your local sleep dentist or your primary care physician to get a sleep study to evaluate your situation. Finding out if it is more than a snore could save your life.
We offer treatment for sleep apnea, TMJ, and Botox. We are located in Staten Island, Williston Park, East Meadow, New York and surrounding cities. Call us to book your appointment today.