What happens during sleep
When you fall asleep, the muscles of the throat relax. In some people the soft palate, tonsils or tongue fall back far enough to narrow the airway, which causes snoring, or to close it, which causes an apnoea: a pause in breathing that ends when the brain briefly wakes you to breathe again.
This can happen many times an hour without you knowing. Sleep is broken, and the oxygen level in the blood falls repeatedly.
Symptoms
Loud, regular snoring; pauses in breathing, choking or gasping noticed by a partner; waking unrefreshed; morning headaches; falling asleep during the day, while reading or watching television; poor concentration; and getting up often at night to pass urine.
Untreated moderate or severe sleep apnoea is linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and road accidents. If you feel sleepy while driving, do not drive until you have been assessed.
Who gets it
It is more common in men, with age, with weight gain, especially around the neck, and after alcohol or sleeping tablets. A blocked nose, large tonsils, and a small or set-back lower jaw also contribute. In children the usual cause is large tonsils and adenoids.
How it is treated
The first step is a sleep study to confirm whether you have apnoea and how severe it is, and an examination of the airway with an endoscope to find where it narrows. Treatment then fits the cause.
CPAP, a small mask that keeps the airway open with gentle air pressure, is the most effective treatment for many people with moderate or severe apnoea. Weight loss, avoiding alcohol at night, sleeping on your side and a dental splint help some people. Surgery to the nose, tonsils or palate is useful when there is a clear blockage, or to make CPAP easier to use.
Common questions
Is snoring on its own a problem?
Not always. Snoring without pauses in breathing or daytime sleepiness is often a nuisance rather than a risk to health, though it can still be treated.
Is a sleep study done in hospital?
Many can be done at home with a small recorder worn overnight. Some people need a study in a sleep laboratory.
Does losing weight help?
Often, yes. In people who are overweight, even a moderate weight loss can reduce snoring and apnoea, although it does not help everyone.
This page is general information, not medical advice for your situation.
