Why Your Snoring Might Be More Serious Than You Think

A lot of people snore; whether it's you, who may sound like an engine starting up, or your partner who snores so loud they wake themselves up, we chalk it up to a harmless, albeit annoying, sleeping habit. But is it really just that? Snoring isn’t always a mild annoyance because, in many cases, chronic loud snoring is a telltale sign of something more serious. It could actually be the primary underlying symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which could lead to serious health issues if left unchecked.

If your partner is fed up with your snoring, then maybe it’s time to consider an accessible at-home screening test. A low-stress way to start checking things out is with the help of a Dentist in Canterbury’s sleep apnea test, where they let you complete an easy overnight sleep study from the comfort of your own mattress.

Before you decide to seek medical help, it’s best to also have a general idea of why it happens in the first place. Simply put, the muscles in your body relax once you fall asleep—these include the muscles in your mouth, tongue, throat, and even the roof of your mouth. Normally, air flows smoothly through your throat and airway, heading straight to your lungs. But if your throat is narrower than normal or if the tissue relaxes too much, then the airway gets somewhat blocked. Obviously, the air will try to force its way in through the narrow space, thus causing the relaxed tissues to vibrate against each other. As we all know, vibrations make a buzzing noise—and that’s how snoring comes to be.

Sometimes, people snore unknowingly when they go to bed, tired from a day’s work—and this is fine. Simple snores happen when the air can still consistently move in and out, even if the throat is narrowed. There’s nothing wrong with this; it's just an annoying sleeping habit for your partner, but once it turns into obstructive sleep apnea, then your health may be at risk.

Unlike regular snoring, where your throat just vibrates, the throat issues collapse fully and block the airway when sleep apnea happens. A chain of dangerous events takes place, starting with your breathing. Since airflow stops completely, then you also stop breathing. And when your oxygen level drops, your brain will notice this, thus triggering a panic signal, causing you to wake up either gasping or choking just to reopen the airway.

And it doesn’t stop there; this turns into a cycle, where you fall asleep again, relaxing the muscles, and then the airway gets blocked again. People who suffer from sleep apnea don’t even remember they woke up since these micro-awakenings only last a few seconds. But the downside is that it happens multiple times throughout their sleep, with the cycle going on from dozens to even hundreds of times.

Obviously, the body suffers because it cannot achieve the deep, restorative stages of sleep, which are much-needed for a fully functioning body.

The physical toll on your body from being deprived of proper sleep is extensive, as it affects various aspects of your overall health.

High blood pressure and cardiovascular strain.

When you suffer from sleep apnea, your heart rate spikes and your blood pressure elevates as a result of your halted breathing. This chronic night-time stress builds up over time, damaging your heart muscles and blood vessels. As such, individuals who suffer from this face a higher risk of developing chronic diseases like high blood pressure, stroke, or even a heart attack.

Metabolic issues.

Because you can't sleep fully and consistently, your sleep loss disrupts hormones, specifically ghrelin and leptin, which control your appetite. These hormones are the ones that make you feel hungry and tell you when you are full, respectively. This hormonal imbalance can cause intense cravings for sugar and carbohydrates, so weight gain is common. But that’s not all; there are studies showcasing how sleep apnea is directly tied to insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes, so suffice it to say, not only are you likely to gain a significant amount of weight because of sleep apnea, but it will also ruin your metabolism.

Brain fog and daytime exhaustion.

Lastly, if you’ve been feeling more tired lately, despite getting a full eight hours of sleep in bed, then the most likely culprit would be your snoring. Chronic daytime fatigue also affects your concentration and emotional balance, making you more irritable and prone to mood swings.

To wrap it up, snoring might be more than an uncomfortable habit for your bedroom partner. It is also an indicator of how well your body functions during critical hours, so if you or your loved one snores heavily and wakes up exhausted, it’s time to seek medical help and get checked.