Sleep Disorder - Snoring

 The most common sleep disorder- snoring affects people at any age but with a rather alarming frequency among men than women. There are different kinds of snorers in the neighborhood. The habitual snorers get pretty disturbingly loud whenever they sleep. The sad part here is that even though they had a full night’s rest, they still complain that they seem to be too tired.

The occasional snorers, on the other hand, are your plain nuisance makers since they just disturb everyone in their homes – most especially, the one who’s sleeping beside them. They do not only do that, they disturb themselves too since they wake up when their snoring gets a little too loud to handle. 

There are different causes of Sleep Disorder. Snoring begins with any physical obstruction to the flow of air through the nose and mouth is the reason why people snore. This makes the pharynx vibrate thus creating that distinctive sound. The possible causes are: obstruction of nasal airways, weak throat and tongue muscles, bulky throat tissue, large tonsils or an abnormally long uvula.

This sleep disorder results to sleep deprivation for both the snorer and the people around them. It also causes drowsiness, irritability; lack of focus and believe it or not, a decrease in libido. Yes. Sexual desire can be reduced when environmental stressors are present such as prolonged exposure to bright lights and elevated sound levels.

Snorers are definitely advised to loose weight to reduce the fat that presses on their throats and to stop smoking since it weakens and clogs the throat.

More and more studies have also related this sleep disorder to the development of carotid  artery atherosclerosis – it is the narrowing of carotid arteries due to cholesterol build up. The carotid arteries by the way are the main highways that the blood zooms through to supply the brain with oxygen. Aside from carotid artery atherosclerosis, there could also be a possible risk of stroke. Researchers explained that loud snoring creates turbulence in the carotid artery blood flow so interrupting this flow can cause several risks.

If you have budgets constraints to let your loved one undergo a surgery called uvulopalatopharyngoplasty or UPPP that will correct the snoring sleep disorder, there are anti-snore pillows and nose clips available in the market but you can always result to the quickest and most affordable way to have a good night’s sleep – wear earplugs.