Snoring is the most
common cause of sleep
deprivation, affecting
around 1 in 3 people.1
It effects not just snorers, but also their partners and family members.
Why do we snore?
When we sleep our muscles relax. These include the muscles in our mouth and throat. Snoring is caused by the over relaxation of these muscles, causing the tongue to fall back in the mouth and partially block the airway. The snoring noise we hear is made as the tongue and throat vibrate as we breathe in and out.
You are more likely to snore if you:
- Are overweight
- Smoke
- Drink too much alcohol
- Sleep on your back
- Have allergies or hay fever
- Take sleep medication
Whilst snoring affects the sleep quality of the snorer and their partner, it does not damage health. However, loud heavy snoring could indicate a more serious condition called obstructive sleep apnoea (intermittent complete blockage of the airway causing breathing to stop and start during sleep).4-5
An indicator
of sleep apnoea
Loud, heavy snoring often indicates the first stages of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA). A condition where a person’s breathing stops and starts repeatedly whilst asleep. This is due to the lack of muscle tone in the upper airway causing a collapse and blockage that deprives the body of oxygen.
Sleep apnoea is a serious medical condition associated with health problems like high blood pressure and increased risks of heart attack, stroke or death. If you are concerned that you may have the condition please refer to your doctor.
People with sleep apnoea often suffer interrupted sleep as the brain automatically wakes them during each episode of apnoea so that they can breathe again.
Other signs that you may have sleep apnoea include:
- Extremely loud heavy snoring, often interrupted by pauses and gasps
- Excessive daytime sleepiness such as falling asleep at work, whilst driving or when watching TV
- Irritability, short temper
- Morning headaches
- Forgetfulness
- Changes in mood or behaviour
- Anxiety or depression
- Decreased interest in sex 4-5
How snoring and sleep apnoea impact your life.
A good night’s sleep is vital to our health and well-being. At night our body can rest, recharge and repair itself so we feel bright and refreshed in the morning. Snoring robs our body of this important time leaving us feeling tired, irritable and unable to concentrate on everyday tasks such as driving.
Desperate for sleep, partners of snorers are often forced to take evasive action such as wearing ear plugs or sleeping in another room. These enforced changes in sleeping habits can soon start to foster deep resentments that eventually damage relationships and sex lives.
The health risks
associated with sleep
apnoea
The obstruction of the airway experienced during apnoea episodes repeatedly deprives the body of oxygen during sleep. This triggers the body’s natural response to what it perceives to be a dangerous situation.
The sympathetic nervous system (the body’s flight or fight response) kicks in to deal with the crisis. Blood pressure is raised to maintain the flow of oxygen to the heart and brain so that they can keep functioning. The sleeper is often woken with a jolt, resulting in a fragmented night’s sleep.
Left untreated, this extra strain on the body places those with sleep apnoea at risk of a number of serious health problems.
Reduce the risk,
target the root cause
A revolutionary daytime therapy now targets the root cause of snoring and mild sleep apnoea.
eXciteOSA® has been clinically proven to improve the quality of sleep by reducing snoring and sleep apnoea significantly, when used for 20 minutes, once a day for 6 weeks.12-14
in snoring time 14
reduction of their partners
snoring 14
achieved reduction in sleep
apnoea measures 14
References
- M. Ohayon et al. Snoring and breathing pauses during sleep: telephone interview survey of a United Kingdom population sample. 1997; BMJ314:860–863
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/snoring/
- https://britishsnoring.co.uk/what_is_snoring.php
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sleep-apnoea/
- https://britishsnoring.co.uk/snoring_&_sleep_apnoea/what_is_sleep_apnoea.php
- Johnson KG and Johnson DC. Frequency of sleep apnea in stroke and TIA patients: a meta-analysis. J of Clinical Sleep Med 2010;6(2):131-7
- Einhorn D et al. Prevalence of Sleep Apnea in a Population of Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Endocrine Practice. 2007; Vol. 13, No. 4, pp. 355-362
- O’Keefe T and Patterson EJ. Evidence supporting routine polysomnography before bariatric surgery. 2004. Obes. Surg. Jan;14(1):23-6
- Bitter T et al. Sleep-disordered Breathing in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Normal Systolic Left Ventricular Function. 2009. Dtsch Arztebl International 106(10): 164–170
- Oldenburg O. et al. Sleep-disordered breathing in patients with symptomatic heart failure: a contemporary study of prevalence in and characteristics of 700 patients. 2007. Eur J Heart Fail. 9(3):251-7
- Logan AG et al. High prevalence of unrecognized sleep apnoea in drug-resistant hypertension. Journal Hypertension. 19(12):2271-7 2001
- E.Wessoleck et al. Intraoral electrical muscle stimulation in the treatment of snoring. Somnologie (Berl). 2018; 22(Suppl 2): 47–52
- A.Sama et al. Daytime Intraoral Neurostimulation with Snoozeal® for treatment of Snoring and Mild Sleep Apnea. CHEST Annual Meeting Notes, 2018
- Clinical study of 115 patients with snoring or mild OSA (Apnea- Hypopnea Index (AHI) <15 n=65) completed the trial. Objective snoring and respiratory parameters were recorded with 2 consecutive WatchPat night sleep studies before and after the use of the device. An intra-oral tongue stimulator device was used for 20mins, once a day for 6-week period. (Internal publication by SMT for educational purposes and submission.)