Whether you call it by its slang name, "sawing logs," or its medical name, "stertor," snoring is common. You snore when something blocks the flow of air through your mouth and nose. The sound is caused by tissues at the top of your airway that strike each other and vibrate. Many adults snore, especially men. Snoring may increase with age.
However, snoring can also be a sign of a serious sleep disorder called sleep apnea. This means you stop breathing for periods of more than 10 seconds at a time while you sleep. Sleep apnea is serious, but there are treatments that can help. Children can also have sleep apnea. If your child snores frequently, have your health care provider check for sleep apnea.
Here are some tips for reducing snoring:
- Lose weight if you are overweight
- Cut down or eliminate alcohol and other sedatives at bedtime
- Avoid sleeping flat on your back
- Snoring(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/snoring.cfm
- Snoring(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/snoring/DS00297/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all
- What Is Your Snore Score?(American Sleep Apnea Association) - http://www.sleepapnea.org/resources/pubs/snorescore.html
- Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/cpap.cfm
- Injection Snoreplasty(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/snoreplasty.cfm
- Laser Assisted Uvula Palatoplasty (LAUP)(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/laup.cfm
- Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea(American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons) - http://www.aaoms.org/sleep_apnea.php
- Diet and Exercise Tips(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/dietExercise.cfm
- Snoring and Nasal Congestion(American Rhinologic Society) - http://www.american-rhinologic.org/patientinfo.snoring.phtml
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Snoring(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Snoring%22
- Article: The snore wars. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18777742&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Sleep-disordered breathing in Chiari malformation type 1. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18725069&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Snoring, breathing pauses, and nightmares. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18712188&tool=MedlinePlus
- Snoring -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=snoring[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Find an Otolaryngologist (ENT)(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org//findanentmore.cfm
- Locate a Sleep Center by Zip Code(American Academy of Sleep Medicine) - http://www.sleepcenters.org/
- American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery - http://www.entnet.org/
- American Sleep Apnea Association - http://www.sleepapnea.org/
- National Sleep Foundation - http://www.sleepfoundation.org/
- Snoring(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/teeth/snoring.html
- Sleep Apnea - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sleepapnea.html
- Sleep Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sleepdisorders.html
- Ear, Nose and Throat - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/earnoseandthroat.html
- Lungs and Breathing - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lungsandbreathing.html
- Mouth and Teeth - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mouthandteeth.html