Is there a connection between “snoring” and “sleep apnea”?
by Sarah Aniston
Filed under Sleep Apnea Books
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Yes, I remember hearing something like that before
Yes… Most people who have sleep apnea have a major snoring problem. But not everyone who snores has sleep apnea.
Yes. Sometimes people who snore, esp the ones who snore loudly, have periods of sleep apnea. They don’t even realize it, but not breathing is usually what wakes them up. Or their partner may notice them not breathing and wake them up.
Yes, there often is;-{ you can be tested at a sleep clinic.
Snoring is an indication that somebody is more likely to have, but not definitely has, sleep apnea. Snoring is caused by the tongue falling back into the throat when one sleeps due to weakened tongue and throat muscles. If this blocks the airway completely, a person can stop breathing. If the stoppage of breathing lasts for 15 seconds or more at a time, this is considered sleep apnea. Using a CPAP mask to sleep at night usually takes care of sleep apnea, and snoring, all together.
definitely, my ex had both really bad, when he started drinking heavily every day it got a lot worse. He would start out just snoring loudly and it would work itself up to the point where he would stop breathing and wake up choking and gasping for breath. He finally had to wear this special oxygen mask when he went to sleep because people can die from sleep apnea. The alcohol made it a lot worse because he would be too drunk to wake himself up and I had to keep a close watch on him every night. I have no idea why people get it but I have heard that people who snore regularly are much more likely to develope sleep apnea.
Snoring is caused when the soft palate vibrates as you inhale during sleep. In sleep apnea, the soft palate also may close the airway and cause the sleeper to gasp periodically. It is a very serious condition that can elevate blood pressure, cause the sufferer to be tired all the time, and, of course, the snoring drives the sufferer’s significant other to another room to avoid the noise. Surgery could correct it, losing a lot of weight often does (most apnea sufferers are overweight), but the solution of choice is the CPAP machine that uses pressurized air to hold the airway open. My wife swears by my CPAP machine!
Yes, there can be a connection. With sleep apnea you are not getting enough deep sleep at night. Usually due to you throat closing up which could also cause you to snore.
When you listen to someone snoring and they stop for a few seconds and then make some gulping gasping sounds, breathe normally for a few seconds and start snoring again… that’s sleep apnea. What happens is the back of the pharnyx relaxes and falls into the throat blocking the air passage. Air passing over this blockage is what causes snoring and when it completely occludes that’s when the apnea happens.
Its a known fact that sufferers of sleep apnea do snore.
BUT..not all who snore, suffer sleep apnea.
My eldest son (who was born a month early weighing only 4.14) has sleep apnea, …this was discovered a few hours after his birth when he went blue on my lap..the first time I held him, and was rushed to the special care baby unit.
He had a few more incidents of it growing up.
VERY scary times those were..but, hes now a strapping 6ft and 19 years old.
If you are worrying over someone you know who snores,…you would ALREADY know if they suffered episodes of sleep apnea, so relax.
Yes there is a connection, but like others have mentioned, not all snoring is sleep apnea. The major difference between regular snoring you are still breathing normally. Sleep apnea sufferers stop breathing several and sometimes hundreds of times a night.
There are a ton of other problems that sleep apnea causes, but the best way to find out if the snoring is sleep apnea is to be tested. And if it isn’t they can tell if there are any other problems causing the snoring.