Hands up those who snore? Dont know? Unless your other half tells you you might not realise. So whats the problem if you do, apart from the obvious disturbance to others?
Sleep Apnoea.
This condition is the result of either an obstruction in the airways or an autonomic issue with the process of breathing when asleep. Things that can affect this are being overweight as well as physical or physiological problems in the mouth, nose or throat. Narrow airways in any of these areas can lead to sleep apnoea. Basically the body and the brain doesnt get enough consistent deep sleep. Any interruptions to the airways and the amount of oxygen taken up by the body during sleep makes the sufferer go from deep to light sleep. If this happens many times in the night, the sufferer might have 8 hours of sleep but not enough deep sleep. The snoring is a sign that sleep apnoea may be occuring for one of the above reasons. Ok, so thats the very basic medical causes, what does it do to you?
If you suffer from sleep apnoea, then you will know. Tiredness during the day, weight gain, poor concentration, falling asleep suddenly. All these symptoms and more lie in store for sufferers. Long term, it can lead to other issues such as increased risk of some cancers and cardio-vascular problems.
As you can probably tell by now, I am one of those sufferers. Why me? I have a broken nose with cartilage in 10 fragments on one side leading to a poor airway. It is a real pain and managing the symptoms is what I try and do most of the time. Losing weight has helped but medication is the only thing that really keeps a check on it. At some time in the future surgery awaits and maybe a permanent solution to this hidden, overlooked but more common than you think ailment. So next time someone snores, they might be an annoyance but they also might be suffering from Sleep Apnoea
Saddlebags and Backpacks - a brewer's outdoor adventures 
I feel your pain. My wife has snored for a few years to the point where I was the one with sleep deprivation, not her and I finally ended up in the spare room or just sleeping outdoors more.
I may have inadvertently mentioned that the few extra pounds she was carrying was the cause and she did take offense. Oops
It worked though. She joined a gym in town and in the last 12 months lost 2 and a half stones. She’s now down to 7 stone something and a size 8 again and snoring is a thing of the past. The down side is she now has bigger muscles than me and my moobs out shine hers.
If you decide on the surgery route then I wish you well. Both my step father and brother in law have had surgery and it’s worked for them both.
well done her! Thats a really good effort. I’ve lost slightly less than that in the past year but then I had much more to lose (and still a little to finish off). And more importantly both of you are getting the benefit of it!
I had surgery 15 years ago and it didnt work so I am cautious about going for it again. The diathermy used on my septum membranes was supposed to open up the airways and strighten my nose. It made things worse over time. Still, things have moved on and research on the internet has led me to believe there are better procedures (for a price)
I snore like a pig on steroids:-) Weight, booze consumption and all the other usual suspects aren’t the cause. Don’t have obstructed airways and always sleep very deeply. Over the years I’ve accepted it but it is annoying for other people like the Mrs. Even worse for the poor bugger in a tent near mine:-)
Good for you
Bad for everyone else 🙂