What Does It Mean when You Snore?
One of them snores, the other one is very annoyed. And constantly unrested. There are good solutions to make the night restful again for everyone.
Imagine your bed being next to a major traffic junction. It is constantly rumbling and rattling, even in the short breaks in between, sleep would be impossible. Sounds absurd? If you have a snoring bedfellow, you can feel the situation every night: The noise level reaches up to 90 decibels – that’s as loud as a passing truck. Sleep specialist Maritta Orth, chief physician at the Theresienkrankenhaus in Mannheim and board member of the German Society for Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine, knows how the body manages this and why it is not necessary to move into separate bedrooms.
How Common is The Problem?
Many people live with a snoring bedfellow – mostly women suffer from the fact that their husband snores. 20 to 46 percent of all middle-aged to older men snore, and only eight to 25 percent of women of the same age, reports the German Society for Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine. According to a Finnish study, more than half of the non-snoring bed partners feel disturbed by the noise pollution almost every night. For about one third of all affected couples, this even leads to occasional relationship crises.
Where’s that Noise Coming from?
When someone snores, the muscles of the palate and tongue slacken so much that they are moved by inhalation and exhalation. “When you breathe in and out, the soft tissues start to flap,” says sleep specialist Orth, “especially the uvula.” Alcohol increases the relaxation effect – that’s why some people snore even more after drinking. It can also become loud when you have a cold, because the mucous membranes are swollen or the nose is blocked. It is similar with polyps or large pharyngeal tonsils. “After such changes, the first thing you look at is when someone snores,” says the expert.
Do Men Snore Differently than Women?
Yes, because a common cause of snoring is overweight, and anatomical reasons make men snore more often than women. They gain weight mainly in the upper half of the body – including the neck, where the extra mass narrows the respiratory tract. “From a neck circumference of more than 43 centimeters, men with breathing stops are 100 percent likely to snore,” says the expert.
With women, on the other hand, weight tends to be deposited at the hip. With the menopause, however, the female body changes and the production of the corpus luteum hormone progesterone decreases. This affects not only the female cycle, but also respiration, according to Professor Orth: “If progesterone production falls off in women with menopause, the stimulating influence on respiration and throat muscles is also missing”. The sex ratio among snorers then almost balances itself out.
When Will It Stop being just Annoying?
“One must not trivialize snoring,” says the sleep doctor. Nevertheless, it does not have to be treated in all cases. “It only becomes dangerous if you either wake up from it and therefore don’t get enough sleep or if it is accompanied by respiratory failure.” These increase the risk of stroke, hypertension, arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death.
They occur when the flaccid palate muscles block the airway. The tongue then falls onto the epiglottis, for example. “The patient continues to breathe, chest and abdomen expand,” says Orth, “but the air doesn’t get through the throat.” Meanwhile, pressure builds up on the stomach and chest muscles, which is only released by a loud rattle. Up to five failures per hour are normal.
Is It Dangerous to Snore?
What anatomical reasons cause snoring cannot be heard. Even own recordings of sleep sounds are of limited help according to the sleep physician. One thing is clear: If you share a bed with someone and snore, your partner will tell you.
But there are also indications of nocturnal respiratory failure, for example if you feel constantly wheeled during the day, are unable to concentrate or are sleepy. At the latest then you should consult a pneumologist or cardiologist. During a preliminary examination, you will then be fitted with a small device, similar to a long-term ECG. It measures respiration and cardiovascular activity at home and during sleep – and shows whether dangerous breathing stops are present. If this is the case, you should go to a sleep laboratory. There, additional measurements such as brain waves, eye and muscle movements are recorded overnight.
What Makes for Quieter Nights?
If polyps or pharyngeal tonsils are the trigger, it is often already better when they are removed. Flaccid soft tissues of the throat can also be gathered by surgery. “However, it is no use making the loud snorer into a quiet snorer,” says sleep specialist Orth, “because even after the operation, breathing stops can still be present. Therefore, sleep and breathing should be medically checked in a sleep laboratory. The physician advises against snoring sprays and other medications because they have no benefit.
The standard therapy is a breathing mask that is worn at night. This so-called CPAP mask gives a permanent overpressure on the airways and thus prevents the upper respiratory tract from being blocked. If this is too cumbersome, a snoring splint for the upper and lower jaw can also help with mild to moderate complaints. With this, both are “pulled” forward so that the upper respiratory tract is widened and not constricted. If snoring occurs only in the supine position, a pillow on the back or a special vest can provide an impulse to turn over. And, of course, as a sufferer, in addition to a snorer, you should also have the courage to find the simplest solution (at least in the short term): to sleep in another room.