Sleep-related conditions like snoring and sleep apnea can significantly affect a person's quality of life. While not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, the two conditions often occur together. Loud snoring can increase the likelihood of sleep apnea. If you have sleep apnea, your sleeping partner might notice that you snore with pauses in breathing.
These pauses, known as apnea episodes, can happen many times during the night, leading to restless and sleepless nights. To manage these conditions effectively, it’s important to understand the differences between them, their causes, symptoms, and available treatments.
Symptoms and warning signs
While snoring and sleep apnea are related, they have distinct signs and symptoms that set them apart, says Dr Kuldeep Kumar Grover, Head of critical care & Pulmonology, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram. He also lists down the symptoms that sets them apart.
Snoring
| Audible, often loud breathing noise during sleep |
| Snoring can be steady or intermittent, sometimes varying in intensity and volume |
| Dry mouth or sore throat upon waking |
| Sleep disruption, but typically without a complete cessation of breathing |
| No significant daytime fatigue if sleep quality is otherwise normal |
| Loud snoring interspersed with periods of silence, followed by gasping or choking sounds as breathing resumes |
| Observed episodes of breathing cessation (apneas) during sleep by bed partners |
| Excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue |
| Morning headaches |
| Difficulty concentrating and mood changes, such as irritability or depression |
| Abrupt awakenings with a sensation of gasping or choking |
| Dry mouth or sore throat upon waking, more severe than with just snoring |
Causes
Snoring: The turbulent airflow when breathing causes the tissues in the throat to vibrate, which results in snoring. These are the causes of snoring:
| Obesity: Carrying too much weight around can thicken the throat |
| Alcohol consumption: Drinking alcohol causes the throat muscles to relax, which makes snoring more likely |
| Nasal congestion: Breathing through the mouth is necessary due to blocked airways, which results in snoring |
| Obesity: Excessive weight, especially around the neck, can make breathing difficult |
| Anatomical factors: Enlarged tonsils or a deviated septum can cause airway blockage |
| Genetics: A family history of sleep apnea raises the risk |
A polysomnography sleep study and a visit with a chest specialist are necessary for a correct diagnosis. To detect apnea episodes, this study records multiple bodily processes over the course of six hours of sleep. This study's Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) is used to calculate the severity:
| Severe: AHI greater than 30 |
| Mild: AHI of 5 to 15 |
| Moderate: AHI of 15 to 30 |
Bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines are frequently used in sleep apnea treatment. These non-invasive devices provide a constant supply of air through a mask that covers the mouth and nose, acting as splints to maintain the airway open as you sleep.
| Lifestyle modifications: Reducing body weight, abstaining from alcohol, and managing nasal congestion can help with symptoms |
| Positional therapy: Promoting side sleeping as an alternative to back sleeping can help lower episodes of apnea |
| Surgery: Surgical treatments to remove obstructive tissue may be explored in severe situations |
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