It may be challenging to gauge whether your nightly snoring is normal or not. There’s no way to measure your snoring problem unless, of course, you’re willing to record yourself sleeping throughout the night. However, if you have a partner, this person may be better acquainted with your snoring issues and provide insights.
How Much Snoring is Too Much
Therefore, the question is, how do we determine what is an average amount of snoring and what is not. The best way to define it is recurring, loud, disruptive, and continuous. Snoring is often the outcome of the airway passages that become blocked during the night. This triggers the muscles and tissues in the back of the throat to relax, which produces a vibration. This vibration results in snoring. Occasional snoring is not something to be too concerned about. However, when snoring becomes repetitive and loud, sleep apnea is the most common culprit, which can be a severe condition.
Sleep Apnea is the Most Common Reason for Excessive Snoring
Sufferers of Sleep Apnea stop breathing during the night. This happens from the air passages become blocked off and not allowing any oxygen to get inside. Sleep apnea can lead to more health consequences down the road. When you suddenly stop breathing, your brain senses the oxygen deprivation and wakes you from your sleep. It is normal not to be aware in some instances that you’ve been woken up since this pattern repeats itself throughout the night. But as you can imagine, this continuous pattern prevents you from getting into a deep and restful sleep. As a result, you wake up feeling tired and groggy. Lack of sleep can severely affect how you perform during your waking hours and your quality of life.
Getting a Diagnosis
If you think you might suffer from sleep apnea, you should see your doctor for a diagnosis. If confirmed, your doctor will have to investigate the cause and recommend the right treatment, which may or may not require surgery. However, in most situations, sleep apnea can be treated without surgical treatments.
You can do a few simple things to alleviate your symptoms, such as sleeping on your side, losing weight, and reducing the amount of alcohol. If you smoke, you should seek help to quit immediately.
Sleep Apnea and Dentistry
Fortunately, some devices are meant to treat sleep apnea, such as oral devices that can help keep your airways open and oral appliance therapy, which a certified sleep apnea dentist practitioner can provide. In fact, the field of dentistry has now been included among those medical professionals focused on helping patients treat their sleep apnea. There is a connection between your oral health and other issues, including how you sleep.
It is essential to see your doctor right away to get a proper diagnosis for sleep apnea in either case. There may be something you can start to work on immediately that doesn’t require a prescription or surgical procedures, such as losing weight. If you are overweight, shedding off the pounds can do wonders for your health, including your sleep quality.
