While snoring is often the subject of jokes, it’s no laughing matter. Snoring can be a sign that your airway is partially blocked or obstructed during sleep. Almost everyone snores once in a while, but for some, it can become a chronic health problem. Chronic snoring is more common in men than women, typically affecting men who are middle-aged or older. Researchers estimate that 30% to 50% of people snore regularly by age 50.

For most people, snoring is normal and does not indicate any underlying medical condition. Some common causes of snoring include:

• Overeating or heavy drinking just before bedtime
• Chronic nasal allergies or congestion
• Certain medications, such as narcotics, which affect the central nervous system and can block the airway by allowing the muscles to become overly relaxed
• Obesity
• Enlarged tonsils
• Sleeping on your back

More rarely, snoring can be caused by sleep apnea, a condition in which the sleeper stops breathing for more than 10 seconds — and often up to 30 seconds — at a time. Like snoring itself, sleep apnea is more common in older men. If you snore, and have chronic symptoms of daytime sleepiness, poor memory, headaches, irritability, and an inability to concentrate, consult your doctor to rule out this potentially serious condition.

Reduce your snoring

In most cases, snoring is a bigger problem for the person sharing the bedroom than for the snorer himself. (And 5%-10% of snorers are so loud they can be heard even in the next room.) The repeated awakenings experienced by bed partners of snorers can add up to a full hour of lost sleep each night, according to a recent study by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Luckily for these partners — not to mention the rest of the family — there are some easy ways to minimize snoring, primarily by removing any obstruction that may contribute to blocking the airway. Try the following:

1. Sleep on your side. Use pillows to prevent rolling over. Some people have had success sewing tennis balls into their pajamas to help them stay on their sides.
2. Use a breathing strip to open nasal passages.
3. Lose weight. Extra fatty tissue in the throat can cause blockage.
4. Avoid drinking alcohol or eating a large meal just before bedtime.
5. Ask your doctor to recommend an antihistamine or decongestant to combat allergies that may cause congestion in nasal passages.

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 28th, 2007 at 7:12 am and is filed under Sleeping & Snoring. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.